banned books

Complete List of Banned Books That I Have Read So Far

Banned Books Week has come and gone again. By Banned Books I’m actually referring to books that frequently get challenged. This means that someone has walked into a library, seen something that offended them, and they file a petition to get that item removed from the shelves. I have written a lot of individual reviews [...]

October 11, 2010 READ MORE →

Banned Books: A Clockwork Orange

Every year when I look at the lists of books being challenged, I’m never surprised to see Anthony Burgess’ masterpiece A Clockwork Orange (or The Clockwork Orange as I often here it referred to at work) sitting there, all oppressed-like. It doesn’t surprise me as much as it would to see something like Goodnight Moon [...]

September 30, 2010 READ MORE →

Banned Books: The Bluest Eye

I read Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye in no fewer than three English classes. The second time I saw it on my syllabus I shivered. I could still feel the memory of reading it the first time. The third time I saw it on my syllabus, I wasn’t ready then either. It is one [...]

September 29, 2010 READ MORE →

Free People Read Freely: 7 Banned Books Worth Reading

  Banned Books Week is almost here again, my favorite week of the year. Every single year in America people petition to have certain library books removed from shelves for various reasons. We’re lucky–in America, books don’t actually get banned from libraries unless they are illegal or they fall prey to particularly irksome and spineless [...]

September 15, 2010 READ MORE →

More Banned Books: Roald Dahl Edition

As a child–and an adult, if I’m going to be totally honest–no author has ever given me as much page by page enjoyment as Roald Dahl. He had a talent for the memorable, twisted, and truly bizarre. He understood what makes kids tick, and what creeps adults out, both in his stories and his illustrations. [...]

May 17, 2010 READ MORE →

Book Review: How To Eat Fried Worms

How To Eat Fried Worms (real worms, not book worms) is one of those precious gems from my childhood that I still can’t get enough of.  And yet, just like with Where The Wild Things Are, some lame-o always wants to take it off the shelves.  The reasons may surprise you. How To Eat Fried [...]

September 23, 2009 READ MORE →

Book Review: To Kill A Mockingbird

This is another of ALA’s most frequently challenged books.  When a book is challenged it means someone (someone lame) has officially petitioned to have the book removed from library shelves.  Sometimes libraries (lame libraries) capitulate.  But usually libraries say “puh-leeeeeeeezzzzz” and the book stays. Luckily we’ve still got To Kill A Mockingbird. I’m usually too [...]

July 24, 2009 READ MORE →

Book Review: Where The Wild Things Are

Yet another of ALA’s most frequently challenged books. I know…I’ll stop reviewing them once I’ve read them all.  Or, I guess I’ll stop once people quit challenging books (after I’ve read the current batch of no-nos). I understand that someone might be disturbed by the cruelty of the teenagers in The Chocolate War.  There is [...]

May 29, 2009 READ MORE →

Book Review: Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark Series

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark is another of ALA’s most frequently challenged books. This one is harder to argue with, in my opinion. Should it be censored? Of course not, but then, nothing should. There is no arguing that these books aren’t scary, particularly the ghoulish artwork by Stephen Gammel. I’m sure that [...]

May 23, 2009 READ MORE →

Book Review: The Chocolate War

This in another one of ALA’s most frequently challenged books. Someone is always trying to ban The Chocolate War. They should settle down: it’s a cool but bleak read. The Chocolate War is that rare thing in young adult literature: a relentlessly depressing book without any positive outcomes. But Robert Cormier is good at making [...]

May 14, 2009 READ MORE →