Banned Books Week

From the ALA:
BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

The 10 most challenged books of 2007 reflect a range of themes, and are:
1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell [Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group]
2. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier [Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence]
3. Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes [Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language]
4. The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman [Reasons: Religious Viewpoint]
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain [Reasons: Racism]
6. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker [Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language]
7. TTYL, by Lauren Myracle [Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group]
8. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou [Reasons: Sexually Explicit]
9. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris [Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit]
10. The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky [Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group]

For a lot of interesting information about banned books, including a Resource Guide, breakdown by year(s), graphs of data including Challenges by Initiator, Institution, Type, and Year, go to the ALA's web site at http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/frequentlychallengedbooks.cfm.

• Have you ever used any banned or challenged books in your classroom?


• What should social studies students know about banned books or the process of banning books?