It's Banned Book Week! From the American Library Association website: "Each year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the top ten most criticized books to educate the public about censorship in libraries and schools.
They areBanned Books Week! from ... toWebsite der American Library Association: “Each year, the Office for the Freedom of Thought (OIF) compiles a list of the ten most questioned books to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The lists are based on information from media reports and volunteer challenge reports submitted to the OIF by communities across the United States.” This year's theme is "Tales of Silence from the Book Ban. Speak Up!" - particularly important to note sinceBooks written by and about people from marginalized communities are disproportionately challenged. Find Banned Books Week events near you to get involved.
Based on 416 challenges, here are the ten most challenged books of 2017.
- Thirteen reasons whywritten by Jay Asher
Originally published in 2007, this New York Times bestseller resurfaced as a controversial book after Netflix aired a television series of the same name. This YA novel has been questioned and banned in several school districts for dealing with suicide. - The absolutely true diary of a part-time IndianWritten by Alexie Sherman
This National Book Award winner, which has been constantly challenged for its recognition of issues such as poverty, alcoholism and sexuality since its publication in 2007, has been challenged in school curriculum for profanity and situations deemed sexually explicit. - Theaterwritten and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
This 2012 Stonewall Honor Award-winning graphic novel, written by an acclaimed cartoonist, was challenged and banned from school libraries for containing LGBT characters and being deemed "chaotic". - the hang gliderWritten by Khaled Hosseini
This critically acclaimed multi-generational novel was challenged and banned for containing sexual violence and being deemed "leading to terrorism" and "conducive to Islam." - JörgWritten by Alex Gino
Written for elementary school children, this Lambda Literature Prize winner was challenged and banned for containing a transgender child. - Sex is a funny wordwritten by Cory Silverberg and illustrated by Fiona Smyth
Written by a certified sex educator, this 2015 informative children's book is controversial for addressing sex education and allegedly getting kids to "have sex or ask questions about sex." - Kill a Spottdrosselwritten by Harper Lee
Considered an American classic, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was challenged and banned for violence and use of the N-word. - The hate you giveWritten by Angie Thomas
Despite winning multiple awards in its debut year and being the most searched book on Goodreads, this YA novel was challenged and banned from libraries and school curricula for being deemed "generally vulgar" and for containing drug use, profanity and offensive language. 🇧🇷 - And the tango makes threewritten by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole
This notable ALA children's book, released in 2005, returned after a brief hiatus from the top ten list and was challenged and labeled for containing a same-sex relationship. - i am jazzwritten by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
This autobiographical picture book, co-written by the 13-year-old protagonist, has been questioned for addressing gender identity.
See how Horn Book reviewed the top children's books of 2017.
Thirteen reasons why
von Jay Asher
High School, Pinguin/Tordalken High School 288 S.
07/10 978-1-59514-171-2 $ 16,99
After the suicide of his colleague Hannah, Clay is given a box of cassette tapes she recorded, each page telling the story of a person who influenced her decision. Clay, although not sure why, is one of those people. Told through the voices of angry Hannah and worried Clay, this quiet, suspenseful novel believably conveys their pain and perhaps encourages readers to reflect. RACHEL L SMITH
revised in the Spring 2008 issueThe Horn Book Guide
The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian
by Sherman Alexie; Fig. by Ellen Forney
Gymnasium, Kleines Gymnasium 232 pages.
9/07 978-0-316-01368-0 $ 16,99Grammatik
The line between dramatic monologue, romance in verse, and stand-up comedy is shifted distinctively, hilariously, and triumphantly in this coming-of-age novel on the reservation. Encouraged by a math teacher who just had his nose broken, 14-year-old Junior decides to make the complicated journey from his Spokane Indian Reservation to attend high school in Reardan, a small town twenty miles away. He's fed up with his impoverished state ("Adam and Eve covered their privates with fig leaves; the first Native Americans covered their privates with their little hands"), but while he hopes his new school will give him a better education, he you know, that the chances are slim. Not exactly with him: "What did I do in Reardan whose pet was an Indian that made me the only other Indian in town?" But he makes friends (particularly Gordy the class idiot), finds a girlfriend, and even (despite being short-sighted, short-sighted, and slightly handicapped by birth defects) even gets a spot on the varsity basketball team, which inevitably leads to a confrontation with his father. to have. local team led by his former best friend Rowdy. Junior's narration is intensely animated and rat-a-tat-tat, with short paragraphs and one-liners ("If God didn't want us to masturbate, then God wouldn't have given us thumbs"). The prevailing mood of the novel is comic, although there is plenty of sadness as Junior's sister manages to shake off her depression long enough to run away, only to die unconscious in a fire. However, Junior's spirit is indelible and his style inimitable, particularly in the cartoons he draws from his bicultural background (as cleverly portrayed by cartoonist Forney). ROGER SUTTON
does not checkSeptember/October 2007thing ofA Revision The Horn Book
Theater
by Raina Telgemeier; ill. by the author; cor gurihiru
Intermediate, High School Graphics/Scholastic 238 pages.
9/12 978-0-545-32698-8 $ 23,99
paper output. 978-0-545-32699-5 $10.99Grammatik
Like Telgemeier's earlier graphic novel,to smile(a 2010 Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book), this new book will appeal to a wide range of readers. Seventh grader Callie Marin loves musical theater, and while she's not a great singer (which she humorously proves to everyone in a hilarious scene), she expresses and fulfills her passion by working as a set designer on the school drama. Association. Her second year as a stage crew was filled with drama both on and off the set. Not only is the musical a love story, but in real life, Callie has a crush on Greg, an 8th grader whose younger brother (and theater mate) has a secret crush on Callie. However, Greg is dating Bonnie, who is leaving him for her co-star in the play, West, who eventually leaves her for the guy Callie has learned to like. So Greg asks Callie out. Ufa! But Telgemeier handles everything with ease, and despite the romantic drama, nothing happens except for a few innocent kisses. She plays her high school characters perfectly: from kids who, like Justin, are gay and know it ("Gay? You can say that! I don't care") to those like Callie who wouldn't admit to being gay. Face. When you hold hands andto a-ed about auditioning for music like Justin does when they first meet. As into smileTelgemeier's drawing skills make this novel a joy to read and re-read; The careful use of turning the pages is particularly interesting: to surprise, to pause, to have an emotional effect. JENNIFER M.BRABANDER
does not checkSeptember/October 2012thing ofA Revision The Horn Book
Jörg
by Alex Gino
Intermediate Scholastic 198 pages.
9/15 978-0-545-81254-2 $ 16,99Grammatik
publication of electronic books. 978-0-545-81258-0 $16.99
George is outwardly a boy. But she's a girl inside, and now that she's ten years old, it's becoming impossible to bear this separation. He tries to tell his (single) mother, but she doesn't seem up for the conversation. Desperate, George decides to audition for the role of Charlotte in the school playCharlottes Web: Maybe she loves to play the role of a girl, she will be able to see that it really is her. There are obstacles along the way (teacher refuses to audition for Charlotte with a boy; mother discovers and confiscates George's stash of girls' magazines; bullies harass her), but with the help of a few supportive allies, most notably her best friend Kelly, George sits down In the latest chapter, George has become "Melissa" - all girl - at least for a perfect day on a trip with Kelly - and clearly a preview of what life has in store for her.Jörghas flaws: the mother's sudden change in attitude isaside from thatsuddenly, and author Gino can use a firm hand (the mother's response to one of George's early hints: "You will always be my little boy and that will never change. Even though you're old, I will still love you like." my son." ) But the heart of this novel, for slightly younger readers than Ami Polonski, similar in theme and plot.gracious Grayson(Revelation 11/14) - is George's achingly moving struggle to be herself, and that heart beats hard and heartily. MARTA V. PARRAVANO
does not checkSeptember/October 2015thing ofA Revision The Horn Book
The hate you give
Proangie thomas
Balzer High School + Bray/HarperCollins 453 S.
2/17 978-0-06-249853-3 $ 17,99
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter lives a life that many African American teenagers can identify with: a life of dual consciousness. Caught between her violent, mostly black neighborhood and the "right," mostly white high school she attends, Starr learned to "talk in two different voices and say certain things to certain people." This precarious balance is upset when Starr witnesses a police officer shoot her (unarmed) childhood friend, Khalil. What follows is a heartbreaking chain of events that shatters everything Starr loves. New relationships are forged, old ones severed, and adversaries created as Starr's family, friends, school, and neighborhood respond to Khalil's death, including who Khalil was and whether his death was justified. Between her neighborhood's "no snitching" code and inaccurate media portrayals, Starr must decide whether or not to speak up, and her decision could put her life in jeopardy. With a title borrowed from rapper Tupac Shakur's acronym THUG LIFE ("the hate you give little babies fucks everybody"), the novel features various components of the urban experience, including "thug life." From drug addicts to cops, most of the characters are multifaceted, proving that Starr's world isn't all black and white (or black vs. white). The story with so many themes covered can feel overwhelming at times, but so can the life of a black teenager. First writer Thomas is adept at capturing the voices of various characters and manages to restore Starr's true voice. Thomas has written a powerful, no-nonsense novel that will also delight Kekla Magoon fans.how do i kick(Rev. 11/14) and Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kielyall american boys(Issue 11/15).
does not checkMarch/April 2017thing ofGo to Horn Book Magazine.
And the tango makes three
by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson; Fig. by Henry Cole
Preschool, Simon primary school 32 pages.
05/06 0-689-87845-1 $ 14,95
Two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo build a nest and raise their (adopted) daughter Tango. Heavily humanized to maximize the sentimental but remarkable lesson of family diversity, the story gains depth through the biological reality of the same-sex penguin couple. Delicate illustrations of the smiling family of penguins give this book, based on a true story, a special appeal, if lacking in scientific accuracy. DANIELLE J. FORD
revised in the fall 2005 editionThe Horn Book Guide
i am jazz
by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings; Fig. by Shelagh McNicholas
Preschool, elementary level Dial 24 p.
14/8 978-0-8037-4107-2 $ 17,99
One girl describes how she was born with "a girl's brain but a boy's body" and how her parents, after speaking to a doctor to learn more about it, let them be themselves. There is little plot, but the straightforward text and pastel watercolors successfully simplify the issue of gender identity for young audiences and their caregivers. MAEVE VISSER KNOTH
reviewed in the Spring 2015 issue byThe Horn Book Guide
Don't miss "" by Pat ScalesWhat makes a good book banned?(September/October 2009Horn Book Magazine🇧🇷 We also have review summaries of the most requested books from previous years.
What banned books are you reading this week?
FAQs
When was the first banned book week? ›
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries.
Who decides which books get banned? ›The process of banning a book begins with the individual who is issuing the challenge, usually a parent or librarian. A challenge is “an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group”.
Who sponsors banned Book Week? ›Banned Books Week is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Banned Books Week also receives generous support from HarperCollins Publishers and Penguin Random House.
What is the number one most banned book? ›What Is the Most Banned Book in America? For all time, the most frequently banned book is 1984 by George Orwell.
What are 3 books that have been banned? ›- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
- Maus by Art Spiegelman.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
- 1984 by George Orwell.
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
- Animal Farm by George Orwell.
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
The Junie B. Jones series came in at #71 on the American Library Association's list of the Top 100 Banned or Challenged Books from 2000 to 2009. Reasons cited are "poor social values taught by the books, and Junie B. Jones not being considered a good role model due to her mouthiness, bad spelling, and grammar."
What school banned the Lorax? ›Parents were concerned that teachers were “brainwashing” their children and were fearful the children would start an uprising against the logging industry. Because of this, “The Lorax” was banned in a Laytonville, California public school.
Is Charlotte's Web a banned book? ›What do Charlotte's Web and the dictionary have in common? No, it's not that they both include the word “pig” somewhere in their pages. Both of these books have been on banned book lists in the US.
Who started banned books week and when? ›Banned Books Week was founded in 1982 by prominent First Amendment and library activist Judith Krug. Krug said that the Association of American Publishers contacted her with ideas to bring banned books “to the attention of the American public” after a “slew of books” had been banned that year.
When was the first banned book banned? ›What is considered the first book ban in the United States took place in 1637 in what is now known as Quincy, Massachusetts. Thomas Morton published his New English Canaan which was subsequently banned by the Puritan government as it was considered a harsh and heretical critique of Puritan customs and power structures.
When was the first book banned in schools? ›
"Many historians point to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin as the first book in the United States to experience a ban on a national scale," Amy Brady wrote in 2016 for LitHub.
When did book banning become an issue? ›A war against 'immorality'
In 1873, the war against books went federal with the passage of the Comstock Act, a congressional law that made it illegal to possess “obscene” or “immoral” texts or articles or send them through the mail.