banned Books

I read banned books

Yes, I read banned books! I started doing so a number of years ago. Why? Not sure exactly…am I rebel? Do I like doing what I’m told not to do? Maybe all of the above, but mainly to see what is so offensive about the book that it would be banned.

I can see why some would be put on the list, but honestly, just like anything else, if you don’t like it don’t buy it. It’s as simple as that. Here in the U.S., when a high school English teacher releases the book list for the year, a permission slip is usually sent home with the student. This is to make a parent aware that there is a controversial book(s) on the list. If the parent doesn’t want their child reading a book, they refuse or deny permission. Other options are available if this is the case. Well, it used to be the case when I was in school. My parents always gave permission. I guess they knew that I was mature enough to be able to handle the books the teacher had assigned.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why books would be banned. I get that some are violent, use profanity, nudity, sensitive topics…but like I stated before, don’t buy the book. Before we know it, our children will be so sheltered that they won’t be able to handle life…actually, it’s already happening.

Why are books banned?

“There are a few common reasons that books have been banned or censored in schools, libraries, and book stores. … Violence or Negativity: Books with content that include violence are often banned or censored. Some books have also been deemed too negative or depressing and have been banned or censored as well” (https://libguides.butler.edu/)

When did books start being banned?

During the 18th century (1700’s), books started getting banned, and book burning actually dates back to the Huang Dynasty in China. In 1650, William Pynchon’s The Meritorious Price of our Redemption sparked outrage in the New England colonies. This pamphlet is the first “book” considered banned in the United States. William Pynchon, the author was soon banished back to England.

The Comstock Law and it’s Effect on Banning was a law passed in 1873 by Congress. This act condemned the trade of obscene literature and articles for immoral use.

You can read more at: (https://gosparkpress.com/the-history-of-banned-books/)

Banned books:

obviously the list is very long, and would seem almost never ending, but I have listed some books, underlined the books I have read, and posted a link to posts about books I have read. (In parenthesis is why the book was banned)

Charlotte’s Web (“talking animals are blasphemous and unnatural”)
Lord of the Flies (violence and inappropriate language)
Dr. Seuss
– Reading: Dr. Seuss (1) : an introduction to Dr. Seuss
– Reading: Dr. Seuss (2) : the beginning
– Reading: Dr. Seuss (3) : fun facts
– Reading: Dr. Seuss (4) : more facts
– not all Dr. Seuss books have been banned
1984 (social and political themes)
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl (sexually offensive/tragic nature)
Little House on the Prairie (series) (too controversial)
To Kill A Mockingbird (themes of rape and use of profanity and racial slurs)
The Sun Also Rises (language, profanity, focus on sex)
The Color Purple (explicit language and graphic depictions of violence)
Where The Sidewalk Ends (rebellious)
A Wrinkle In Time
_{– (“sends a mixed signal to children about good and evil” and “lists the name of Jesus Christ together with the names of great artists, philosophers, scientists, and other religious leaders”)}
Captain Underpants (insensitivity, offensive language, encouraging disruptive behavior, among other things)
The Hunger Games (insensitivity, offensive language, violence, anti-family, anti-ethic and occult/satanic)
Of Mice And Men (vulgarity, racism, and treatment of women)
The Handmaid’s Tale (explicit. profanity, “statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled”)
It’s A Book (The book is about a book-loving monkey, a tech-savvy donkey and a straight-talking little mouse)
The Adventure’s of Huckleberry Finn
The Grape’s of Wrath
Goosebumps
A Clockwork Orange
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Alice In Wonderland (too fanatical/nonsensical)
The Three Little Pigs (Violence, might offend Muslims)
The Snowy Day (a white man did not have the right to create a Black character and that he only created a “Black” story so that he could get the award.)
The Dirty Cowboy (even though the cowboy’s private parts were covered in the book, parents claimed it could lead to pornography, or an interest in it)
Little Red Riding Hood by by Hyman, Trina Schart (Little Red has a bottle of wine in her basket, “promoting alcohol to minors.”)
The Bible (sexual content inappropriate for minors, incitement to violence)

Obviuosly, there’s a lot more, this is just a start. There will be more…

(pinterest)

take care
stay safe
much love