Banned Books Week-My Personal Fave Banned/Challenged Book Feature Of the Day

Happy Banned Books Week! I will post my fave "Hey, you can't read THAT!" book each day of this week...


http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm


TODAY'S FAVE BANNED BOOK:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

(still being challenged in 2004~!)

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9/29/09
My Personal Fave Banned/Challenged Book Feature Of the Day:
1984 by George Orwell

Challenged in the Jackson County, FL (1981) because Orwell's novel is "pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter." Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

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9/30/09
My Personal Fave Banned/Challenged Book Feature Of the Day:

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

Burned by the East St. Louis, III. Public Library (1939) and barred from the Buffalo, N.Y Public Library (1939) on the grounds that "vulgar words" were used.

Banned in Kansas City, Mo. (1939); Kern County Calif, the scene of Steinbeck's novel, (1939); Ireland ( 1953); Kanawha, Iowa High School classes (1980); and Morris, Manitoba (1982).

On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six months' imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books.

Eight booksellers were also on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving the Grapes of Wrath.

Challenged in Vernon Verona Sherill, N.Y School District (1980); challenged as required reading for Richford,Vt. (1981) High School English students due to the book's language and portrayal of a former minister who recounts how he took advantage of a young woman.

Removed from two Anniston, Ala. high school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis.

Challenged at the Cummings High School in Burlington, N.C. (1986) as an optional reading assignment because the "book is full of filth. My son is being raised in a Christian home and this book takes the Lord's name in vain and has all kinds of profanity in it." Although the parent spoke to the press, a formal complaint with the school demanding the book's removal was not filed.

Challenged at the Moore County school system in Carthage, N.C. (1986) because the book contains the phase "God damn:"

Challenged in the Greenville, S.C. schools (1991) because the book uses the name of God and Jesus in a "vain and profane manner along with inappropriate sexual references."

Challenged in the Union City Tenn. High School classes (1993). Source: 2007 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

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(photo: Maggi Smith-Dalton, 2002. Pix taken at an arts camp I directed; creative writing club doing their own version of a Jack Kerouac-inspired continuous-scroll book.)