Banned Book Week 2017 – Celebrating Our Right To Read

Banned Books Week is the annual celebration of the freedom to read.

The theme for 2017 is “Our Right To Read”.  This theme highlights the diverse range of ideas found  in books, and our right to make our own intellectual choices about what we read.

According to the American Library Association (ALA), the following are the:

Top 10 Challenged Books For 2016

1. This One Summer written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
   Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and it was considered sexually explicit with mature themes
2. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]
   Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint
3. George written by Alex Gino
   Reasons: challenged because it includes a transgender child, and the “sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels”
4. I Am Jazz written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
   Reasons: challenged because it portrays a transgender child and because of language, sex education, and offensive viewpoints
5. Two Boys Kissing written by David Levithan
   Reasons: challenged because its cover has an image of two boys kissing, and it was considered to include sexually explicit LGBT content
6. Looking for Alaska written by John Green [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]
   Reasons: challenged for a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to “sexual experimentation”
7. Big Hard Sex Criminals written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky
   Reason: challenged because it was considered sexually explicit
8. Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread written by Chuck Palahniuk
   Reasons: challenged for profanity, sexual explicitness, and being “disgusting and all around offensive”
9. Little Bill (series) written by Bill Cosby and and illustrated by Varnette P. Honeywood
   Reason: challenged because of criminal sexual allegations against the author
10. Eleanor & Park written by Rainbow Rowell [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]
    Reason: challenged for offensive language

According to The Los Angeles Times:

The list of the 10 most challenged young adult novels from 2014-15 follows.

1. “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” Sherman Alexie [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]

2. “Persepolis,” Marjane Satrapi  [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]

3. “The Bluest Eye,” Toni Morrison

4. “The Kite Runner,” Khaled Hosseini [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]

5. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Stephen Chbosky  [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]

6. “Drama,” Raina Telgemeier   [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]

7. “Chinese Handcuffs,” Chris Crutcher

8. “The Giver,” Lois Lowry  [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]

9. “The House on Mango Street,” Sandra Cisneros

10. “Looking for Alaska,” John Green  [AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY]

So why not celebrate your “right to read” and visit the library to check out the Challenged Books we have in our collection?

“Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association”