Banned Books Week 2010

This year Banned Books Week runs from September 25-October 2 and I think it hits specially home to many readers after Wesley Scroggins recently called for the banning of Laurie Halse Anderson's stunning novel, Speak, about a young girl dealing with the effects of rape, citing the novel as being 'pornographic.' Many bloggers and authors have expressed their outrage at this unbelievable attack and I add my name to the list of those totally shocked by his claims against the book.

Unbelievably, this happens all the time.

According to a press release dated April 14, 2010 the American Library Association cited the following books as the 10 Most Challenged Books of 2009. After the title and author of each book are the reasons cited for the challenges:

1. ttyl, ttfn, l8r, g8r (series) by Lauren Myracle
   Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs
2. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
   Reasons: Homosexuality
3. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
   Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide
4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
   Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
   Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
6. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
   Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
7. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
   Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence
8. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
   Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
9. The Color Purple Alice Walker
   Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
10. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
    Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Book banning happens to some of the best books out there and it only makes me sad. But as individuals we can take a stand against censorship - this week, make a commitment to read a challenged or banned book in a effort to keep all these wonderful books in circulation.

Visit the ALA Banned Books site for a complete list of the Top 100 Banned Books of the Decade (2000-2009) and the Top 100 Banned Classics.