Top 10 banned books

First the analysis, then the content. Here’s the ALA’s list of most challenged books in 2006.

The “10 Most Challenged Books of 2006” reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

• “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, for homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group;
• “Gossip Girls” series by Cecily Von Ziegesar for homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, and offensive language;
• “Alice” series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor for sexual content and offensive language;
• “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things” by Carolyn Mackler for sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
• “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison for sexual content, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
• “Scary Stories” series by Alvin Schwartz for occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, and insensitivity;
• “Athletic Shorts” by Chris Crutcher for homosexuality and offensive language;
• “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky for homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
• “Beloved” by Toni Morrison for offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group; and
• “The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier for sexual content, offensive language, and violence.

Funnier still, looking through The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000 I found I have read about one-fifth of them, mostly in class:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford

Go rebellious teachers! Have a challenging day!

Inspirational Quote:

“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.”—Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas,” The One Un-American Act.” Nieman Reports vol. 7, no. 1 (Jan. 1953): p. 20.

PS: here’s the list of Official Bloggers of the 2007 Grace Hopper Conference.