I recently went through the list of banned books. What I discovered was a list of books banned/challenged and I couldn’t understand why some made the list. Not that I think there's an instance that calls for a book to be challenged/banned. I don’t. If you’re afraid you’re child will read a book you have deemed inappropriate for their age - don’t let them read it. Don’t make it hard for others to read it, too.
Then there’s the actual list of books that are banned/challenged. There’s a lot. Something that surprised me, however, was the number of classics on the list. Here are a few:
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
I choose these books out of the list because my daughter read each one for her AP classes at school. She loved them all. They didn’t influence her to go out and commit a crime or smack her siblings around. It only made her appreciate those authors even more.
Some books that made no sense to have censored at all were on the list. I had read these books. Some a while ago….but still. I couldn’t recall any content in them that would be deemed inappropriate. Of course, my taste/opinion would differ from many but I don’t get it. Here are a few of those:
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor
Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park
I’ve decided to try a challenged/banned book and read it. I challenge you to do the same!
Have a great day. Read a book and Laugh!
I've read many of them, and they're usually the best books! :)
ReplyDeleteCatherine, I noticed that they were my favorites, too. LOL I wonder what those who tried to ban these books would think of us.
DeleteMy daughter loves the Junie B. Jones series. I mean she's six and she's reading chapter books because of that series. I wouldn't stop her from reading them if you paid me.
ReplyDeleteKelly, my daughter loves Junie B Jones, too.
DeleteGreat post, so many banned books have been some of my favorites from childhood to now because they talk about real issues. Junie B Jones is such a great series, I read & loved it and my younger sisters do too!
ReplyDeletePatrice, some books I wasn't that surprised about but Junie B Jones. *sigh* Come on now. Really! My kid's reading that book.
DeleteI always find the books that have been banned are my favorites. I mean Judy Blume? What girl has grown up without those books?
ReplyDeleteKate, I know right. I grew up reading these books. I loved Are You There Hod It's Me, Margaret.
DeleteI guess we just need something to ban??? I read The Great Gatsby in school and came out okay. When will people understand that the more you ban something the more people will want to read it? If they really wanted people to not read something, they should put it on the "books you absolutely should read" list. Then no one would touch it!
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