Top Ten Banned Books of 2008

It never ceases to amaze me the way people are so afraid of books. Of course I'll be the first to admit, books are potent, words have power. They present new ideas, some good, some bad. But do you really want to turn your back on them? Wouldn't it better to face an idea head on, challenge it face to face?

This week, September 26−October 3, 2009, marks Banned Books Week, an annual event supported by the American Library Association,that celebrates the American's First Amendment right to free speech. It's an important right, one that should be protected and USED vigorously. Turning our backs on words we don't like doesn't make them go away. Trying to ban and ignore ideas repugnant to us will not eliminate them. So we confront them, we look at them closely and build our arguments against them, not to banish ideas, but find our way to what's right.

Why are they banned? The most frequent reason is "Sexually explicit", which is no surprise in today's society. We would like to think that sex among teenagers doesn't happen, but in truth it's a part of life for all of us. Another reason cited is "unsuitable for age group." This might be more reasonable, but then I don't believe that The Kite Runner was intended for young audiences. Other reasons for banning books have included occult/satanist themes, inappropriate language and homosexuality. You have to read them for yourself, though, to determine whether theses themes are offensive or if they fit the overall theme of the story.

But to read them you'll need to know what they are. And so here's a list, as reported by the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom, of the most challenged books of 2008. I encourage you to find them, read them and pass them on.

Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, 2005

This picture book is based on the true story of two male penguins at New York's Central Park Zoo who were given a penguin egg to care for.

Reasons for ban: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group

Philip Pullman, 1995-2000

A fantasy series set in an alternative dimension, the story is about a young woman, Lyra, who grows up amid radical changes in her world. Pullman cites John Milton's Paradise Lost as the primary inspiration of his story. The strong anti-religion theme running through the book has incurred the wrath of many.

Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence

Lauren Myracle, 2005-2008

This series is about three friends who experience typical high school drama: boys, drugs, alcohol, parties, driving, and preparing for college.

Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

Alvin Schwartz

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981), More Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark (1984), and Scary Stories 3 : More Tales to Chill Your Bones (1991) are a series of ghost stories and urban legends collected and adapted for younger audiences.

Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence

Rudolfo Anaya, 1972

One of the first stories to bring Chicano culture to the mainstream American audience, it focuses on the questions a young boy faces while growing up in a Catholic family. While his mother wants the boy to grow to become a priest, as the boy learns more about his father's family, he finds other religious ideas that conflict with what he has grown up with.

Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence

Stephen Chbosky, 1999

The story explores one teenagers day to day life in the form of letters written to an anonymous person. The topics cover introversion, teenage sexuality, abuse, and the awkward times of adolescence. The book also touches strongly on drug use and Charlies' experiences with this.

Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group

Cecily von Ziegesar, 2002

The book that became the basis for the TV series, it follows the lives of Blair Waldorf and her best friend, Serena van der Woodsen through high school, up through their graduation and moving on to college.

Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

Sarah S. Brannen, 2008

A children's picture book that tells of the marriage of two male guinea pigs, and the niece who is afraid her uncle won't have time for her anymore. Focuses less on the gender of the couple and more on the relationship of the little girl . 

Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group

Khaled Hosseini, 2003

The story about the life of a man growing up in Kabul, from the time of the Soviet invasion through the rise of the Taliban.

Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

Charise Mericle Harper, 2007

Emily is a typical teenager who is having a hard time keeping everything straight in life. When she gets a pack of flashcards for her birthday, they provide her with ideas to start journaling, giving her a way to start making sense of things.

Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group

And Tango Makes Three has been the most challenged book for three years running. Do you think it'll make four in 2009? What books do you expect to see next year, or thought you would see here? Any thing that you feel should be banned, and if so why? I'd love to hear your comments.