Welcome to the third edition of Banned Books Roundup! At the end of every month I will feature stories that all have one thing in common, book censorship. Because I focus mainly on YA literature, these banned sightings will, you guessed it, spotlight children and young adult literature censorship.
September had tons of news about book censorship and I can't possibly cover it all. I hope everyone had an awesome Banned Books Week and learned something new. Hopefully, we turned a few of you into Intellectual Freedom Fighters!
Here is a recap of September:Banned Books Week Is Just Hype - 9/8/2011
A really interesting article in The Patriot Post about the so-called hype and misinterpretations of ALAs Banned Books Week. I'm not sure I agree with the whole thing, but you always have to see the other side of the coin.
Blume, Myracle Join ALA's Banned Books Virtual Read-Out - 9/15/2011
School Library Journal announced their BBW Virtual Read-Out.
The book predictably landed on the American Library Association's list of the “most challenged books” of the 1990s. But in 1970, Sendak became the first American to win the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award for excellence in children's book ...
The Huffington-Post compiles a list of books appropriate for kids and teens where the central theme is censorship.
Controversial books removed from Republic schools to return to secure section of library - 9/20/2011
We talked about this challenge in August. While the news is good, Slaughterhouse-Five and Twenty Boy Summer, will still be a struggle to get to.
I really enjoyed this article from a Youth Librarian in Joplin about how to help choose your child's reading material. She also notes that she would never dictate what another child should read.
Pegasus observes Banned Books Week each year with several activities in the library. With the younger students, they will read a selection off the list and let them guess why the book was “banned.” A favorite of the students is “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss....
Parents say book inappropriate for teens - 9/24/2011
Author Bret Lott says his book "The Hunt Club" is a story about a 15-year-old figuring out who he is in the most specific and universal sense.Wando High School parent James Pasley says the book uses foul language, degrades women and people of color, and isn't appropriate to be on a recommended reading list for high school students.
'In Cold Blood' too bloody for students? - 9/25/2011
Since its publication in 1965, Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” has been widely recognized as a seminal work in American literature, frequently appearing on high school and college reading lists. But the contents of the nonfiction novel, which detail the brutal murder of a prosperous Kansas farmer and his family, are apparently too macabre for some Glendale Unified officials and parents who are seeking to block a request by a high school English teacher to add the text to the district’s English curriculum.
AND THE BEST NEWS IMHO:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to Release New Edition of Lois Lowry's Newbury-Winning Work The Giver - 9/27/2011Houghton Mifflin Harcourt today announced that it will publish an illustrated gift edition of one of its bestselling and most oft-challenged Newbury-winning titles, Lois Lowry's The Giver, on October 25--just in time for the American Library Association's (ALA) Banned Books Week, which runs through Saturday, Oct. 1.
*I have asked HMH if there will be a new look for The Giver...no word, but if I do hear something, I'll let ya'll know! The Giver is my favorite book and I couldn't be more happy about a new illustrated edition!
If you know of a story that I missed, feel free to share!
The Banned Books Week Hop has come to an end. Thank you ALL for participating and entering!
