America's 10 Best Banned Books

[moviegirl11]

http://www.yesweekly.com/main.asp?SectionID=21&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=612&TM=42584.87

America's Ten Best banned books

By Brian Clarey
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

by Mark Twain

To celebrate last week’s designation as ‘Banned Book Week’ by the American Library Association, we’ve taken a few selections from their list of the most frequently challenged books from 1990 to 2000. Let’s start off with this little gem, one of the finest works of American fiction ever penned. Written almost completely in dialect, this sucker offended the mothers of potential readers with its liberal use of the ‘N’ word.

The Grapes of Wrath

by John Steinbeck

The story of Tom Joad and his travels across the Dust Bowl is, in my opinion, Steinbeck’s greatest work, stunning in its portrayal of frustration, desolation and hope in the face of marginalization. I also don’t think he uses a single word with more than three syllables. It was probably banned because at the very end a woman’s breast makes an appearance, though in a completely unsexy way.

The Earth’s Children series

by Jean M. Auel

It all started with The Clan of the Cave Bear, a tale of Ayla, a Cro-Magnon woman abandoned at birth and raised by a tribe of Neanderthals set on or around the dawn of time. It was banned for several reasons, the most prominent probably being a few instances of rape-like sex, but what do you expect? They’re Neanderthals. Also, the story directly contradicts creation theory.

Blubber

by Judy Blume

This book about bullying a poor little fat girl was banned for foul language and because the bully never got what was coming to her. I say it’s indispensible because this is the book that taught me the meaning of the word ‘flenser.’ (It’s the guy who cuts the fat off of whales.)

James and the Giant Peach

by Roald Dahl

Honestly, I have no idea why this fanciful tale from the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was put on the banned list. All I can think of is that the giant peach in question looks even more like a butt than the giant peach next to the highway outside of Gaffney, SC.

Daddy’s Roommate

by Michael Willhoite

I’m pretty sure I know why this one got bumped from the curriculum. Written for children of same-sex couples during the gay renaissance of the 1990s and in the same spirit as another tome, Heather Has Two Mommies, it was just a little too far out for Middle America.

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

Can somebody please tell me why To Kill a Mockingbird was banned? Was the message too powerful? The prose too elegant? The characters too well-drawn? Was it because of Boo Radley, or maybe the incestuous rape? All I know is this was the first book I ever read that made my heart ache. And I didn’t know Scout was a girl until like 30 pages in.

The Catcher in the Rye

by JD Salinger

As a smart-mouthed, malcontented, chain-smoking teenager I identified with Holden Caulfield like no other character in any other book. It changed my life, and at one point I used to reread it every spring. It also gave me my first catch phrase: “Did you give her the time in Ed Banky’s car?”

In the Night Kitchen

by Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak gained notoriety with his cast of pencil-drawn, cross-hatched monsters that inhabit children’s nightmares in Where the Wild Things Are. How, you ask, did this illustrated book for little kids get banned? Nudity, for one. Mickey loses his pajamas when he falls down in the kitchen and you can clearly see his butt. Also cited as a reason for banning is persistent phallic imagery.

How to Eat Fried Worms

by Thomas Rockwell

They pulled this one from the shelves because it encouraged “inappropriate behavior.” Three guesses as to what kind of behavior they’re talking about. But in all honesty, I must have read this book 25 times before I turned 12 years old and I never once had the desire to eat one of the squiggly things. And even if I did, what’s the big deal? The way I see it, eating a worm is a mistake kids will make just the one time. But then, I’m still waiting on my Father of the Year award.

[Wiggum]

All I can think of is that the giant peach in question looks even more like a butt than the giant peach next to the highway outside of Gaffney, SC.

That brought out the Mith in me. :rofl

[moviegirl11]

All I know is this was the first book I ever read that made my heart ache. And I didn’t know Scout was a girl until like 30 pages in.

I couldnt agree more with the above.

[Justin]

what do you mean by banned?

Banned from school curriculums? Or just plain banned from publication / sales?

[Witch King]

All should be burned. All of them!
Except for Mockingbird (my favorite non-Tolkien book, and yeah, I though Scout was a boy, too).
I'm going to go start a fire. Who's coming with me?

[Justin]

Tequila Sunrise? By Harper Lee. Liked that.

I'll make a Guy Fawkes doll, put some double happies in his pockets, and put him on top.

Seriously, I'd reckon they'd ban The Young Ones, these people.

[Witch King]

It was a book, too?

[Justin]

Nope, a tv series. But there was one of those books with photos behind the scenes of the series, like you see in the entertainment section of the bookstores.

Fawlty Towers has aged better. TYO did seem a little dated last time I saw a rerun (about 10 years ago).

[Justin]

I've read two of these books, Huckleberry Finn, and Tequila Mockingbird, and loved them both.

James and the Giant Peach should have been banned for having such a stupid title, and because I remember all the other little kids at primary school talking about it. Which is why I avoided it. The little wankers.

:p

[Christine]

Originally posted by moviegirl11 The Earth’s Children series

by Jean M. Auel

It all started with The Clan of the Cave Bear, a tale of Ayla, a Cro-Magnon woman abandoned at birth and raised by a tribe of Neanderthals set on or around the dawn of time. It was banned for several reasons, the most prominent probably being a few instances of rape-like sex, but what do you expect? They’re Neanderthals. Also, the story directly contradicts creation theory.

The small rape parts were not graphic in the slightest, but other than that there isn't much to get in a fluster about.

[Justin]

the covers were a bit sexy, weren't they?

:D

[brassguy]

we’ve taken a few selections from their list of the most frequently challenged books from 1990 to 2000

I guess they mean that there have been attempts to ban them in certain areas of the country from schools and perhaps libraries?


I know that several of those books have been in my school curiculums and I have had to read them. :P

[Justin]

To Kill a Mockinbird was compulsory for us at high school. But I would have chosen to read it anyway.

But that wasn't in the US, so perhaps it doesn't count.

:rolleyes

[Karl Hungus]

I read three of thest books (Huck Finn, Catcher in the Rye and Mockingbird) in high school and some classes at my school read The Grapes of Wrath. I really think that if these are some of the most banned books then Americans aren't banning many.

[Witch King]

I had to read To Kill a Mockingbird, and I got to choose between the Hobbit and James and the Giant Peach (I chose the Hobbit).
My brother had to read Mockingbird, Peach and Catcher in the Rye.

[Justin]

Hmm, I tried to located The Catcher in the Rye in my university library once.

Looked up the reference number, but copies of the book had been borrowed and not returned!

Then I heard about the Mark Chapman thing, and (I know it's not the book or the author's fault) but I kind of lost interest in it after that.

[Justin]

Originally posted by Karl Hungus
I really think that if these are some of the most banned books then Americans aren't banning many.

I can't imagine why people would want to ban some of these books. They'd boo Santa Claus, these geezers.

[Christine]

Originally posted by Justin
Then I heard about the Mark Chapman thing

What "thing"? Do tell! :)

[Justin]

Not a very nice topic for a Friday morning, alas.

Mark Chapman who shot John Lennon. He said he was influenced by Salinger's book. Like I said, it's not the book or the author's fault what some crackpot does.

I'd still read the book if someone offered me a copy. But when I first heard the above I kind of lost interest in trying to locate a copy of the book.

[Witch King]

Originally posted by Justin
I can't imagine why people would want to ban some of these books. They'd boo Santa Claus, these geezers.
They're all Eagles fans? :lol

I found a nice list of all the killers who had Catcher in the Rye in their possession at the time of killing. It's kind've creepy.

[Justin]

Either Brisbane Broncos or Canterbury Crusaders fans, they'd all boo Santa

shocking sportmanship

[Witch King]

Originally posted by Justin
Either Brisbane Broncos or Canterbury Crusaders fans, they'd all boo Santa

shocking sportmanship
Well, the Eagles are actually known for booing and throwing snow balls at Santa Claus during a game once.
The same fans also booed children hunting for easter eggs during the 7th inning stretch in a Phillies game.
And cheered a man lying paralyzed on the turf.

[Justin]

Ha! Actually on the same wave length. By accident.

I thought you were referring to fans of the rock band The Eagles.

:D

[Salve]

To the best of my knowledge, there are no banned books in this country. Heck, you can get the Anarchist's Cookbook and similar works all over the net. One place is:

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=94083

Book banning, as it truly exists, is a crime of omission, not of comission. Librarians and teachers often avoid books with certain types of content (especially politically incorrect stuff like racism.) Others don't want to deal with the separation of church and state doctrine, so they avoid books like the Holy Bible or Koran which are probably best presented in the proper (place of worship) environment.

Some schools have rules which in effect ban certain books without naming them. For example, a lot of gun-related stuff is banned at schools nowadays. It's probably not a good idea for your kid to bring a book on automatic rifles to school.

You could spend a long time looking and not find a single incidence of book banning in this country. The Ayatoilet banned Satanic Verses (and encouraged his people to kill Rushdie) but that only resulted in the book becoming an international bestseller. Most authors would probably pay to have their books 'banned' :D

No book is worth reading just because it's on someone's 'banned' list. Read whatever floats your boat. Life is too short to read crap on principle.

While schools may avoid certain works by an author, they often introduce that same author to young readers. Huckleberry Finn wasn't taught at my school but we were required to read several of Twain's short works and we saw a movie version of Tom Sawyer. I think that's where a school's obligation ends ... at opening doors to the world of fiction. Reading one good book entices you to seek out more.

Can anyone actually point out a link to a school or library's policy which specifically bans a particular book?

[Justin]

Ayatoilet. I like that. You better careful, you might attract a fatwa.

What's blond, got big knockers, and lives in Sweden?

:lol

[eandcdad]

The author of the original article seems to use the words banned and challenged interchangeably. I think it's a list of books people most often ask to be banned, not necessarily what is actually banned.

So if I write an email to my local school or library or bookstore and say "git that there "How to Eat Fried Worms" out of here, we don't be needin' none of that there filth," then it becomes a challenged book, even if the response is "go pound sand" and the book stays.

[Salve]

BTW, one of the 'most-banned books' according to many lists is The Catcher in the Rye. A friend of mine is enrolled in a Library Science degree and last semester Catcher was REQUIRED READING for the course. His professor touted it as one of the most important books to have in a young adult section.

[Justin]

I'm thinking that there's a lot of poetry out there that would more likely attract the ire of our self appointed moral guardians.

Only, because it's poetry, and not a novel, it tends to slip in under the radar.

I once did a course on modern American poetry. Some of it was great: the likes of Alan Ginsberg, Bukowski, Kerouac - but very politically incorrect.

In case you're wondering, I regard "neo conservatism" as the same thing as political correctness. I like to be difficult, and I've decided to start applying my own definitions to things heh.

[Witch King]

Originally posted by Justin
In case you're wondering, I regard "neo conservatism" as the same thing as political correctness. I like to be difficult, and I've decided to start applying my own definitions to things heh.
Wait, I'm confused by what you're saying. Particularly because, as a neo-conservative, I despise political correctness in most of its forms.

[Justin]

And you admit to that LOL.

Well, the way I'm applying the label "politically correct" (PC)is fairly unconventional.

But you take my point. PC is a bit like the slogan "family values", it's a term of art that could potentially mean different things to different people. It'often used by people to score points, which I find tiresome. I notice that those who rabbit on about political correctness are usually opposed to any form of increased recognition for those desiring equal or civil rights.

Now I agree that PC can be taken to ridiculous lengths, like calling short people "vertically challenged". However, a lot of its excesses have been a beat up and turned into a bit of a mythology.

Politcal correctness to me means thought police. Which is why I would regard book banners as politically correct, particularly in a conservative climate.


:rolleyes

[Karl Hungus]

Politcal correctness, in America, is like what you said about calling short people "vertically challenged." The term has nothing to do with moral or conservative values, although people have recently co-oped it to mean that. PC people are often the ones who are the most vocal for "civil or equal rights."

[Salve]

>>>
I'm thinking that there's a lot of poetry out there that would more likely attract the ire of our self appointed moral guardians.

Only, because it's poetry, and not a novel, it tends to slip in under the radar.
<<<

A great YA novel written in poetry is CRANK by Ellen Hopkins. It deals openly with teen sex and drug use, as it's a (barely) fictionalized retelling of Ellen's daughter's drug addiction.

Some censors would drop dead reading the novel, and wouldn't that be a good thing.

:p

[Justin]

Originally posted by Karl Hungus
PC people are often the ones who are the most vocal for "civil or equal rights."

Or so the neo cons would have it.

But put it this way, if "political correctness", whatever that absurd term means, does equate to being more vocal about civil or equal rights....

then we need more of that political correctness. But that's just my 5 cents worth.

:)

[Karl Hungus]

I forgot to consider the neocon conspiracy when I made my previous statement. Sorry, you're probably right.

[Justin]

It's not a conspiracy.

It's just that a certain view gained traction, dating from the late 80s.

Otherwise called a backlash. The neo conservatives are simply hithcing their wagon to that backlash.

[Witch King]

Originally posted by Justin
It's not a conspiracy.

It's just that a certain view gained traction, dating from the late 80s.

Otherwise called a backlash. The neo conservatives are simply hithcing their wagon to that backlash.
I'm still not in anyway understand what you're talking about.

[Karl Hungus]

Originally posted by Witch King of Angmar
I'm still not in anyway understand what you're talking about.

That's because you're part of the conspiracy. :noevil

[Justin]

Karl, you're being a galah.

If you care to re-read your own post, you'll see by your own admission you believe certain words have been co-opted into political discussions.

Please explain to me where I used the word "conspiracy". Next thing you'll say I'm politically correct.

WK, you never understand me, so what's new.

[Karl Hungus]

Originally posted by Justin
Karl, you're being a galah.

That's me. :salute

[Justin]

Yes. A dropkick.

[Witch King]

English people. English.

[Justin]

No. That's redundo. If nothing else you're getting a few new words to use as insults.

[crappertay]

Political correctness is censorship under the guise of equality.

You can't do/wear/say/print/make anything that may be construed as offensive another minority. And if we can't ban it we can give it a ridiculous name that will convey it in a supposedly perceptively less offensive way.

The problem with political correctness is, it started of as politicians having more say in what's deemed offensive to the minorities than the minorities do, hence POLITICAL correctness.

And that's the whole route of the problem. Most of the people deciding what's "politically incorrect" or not these days tend to be high powered white christians who really don't have a clue about the issue they are tackling so you end up with stupid decisions like banning piggy banks or having window cleaners renamed something like 'Optical Ilumminatory Technicians' (I can't remember what the exact phrase was).

Political correctness is making judgements on other people's behalf, usually without consulting those people.

[Witch King]

Mark the day on the calender I was nodding my head to something Tay said politicaly.
:lol

[crappertay]

I think I've just been offended in the same way Matt was when someone called him liberal. :lol

[Witch King]

You should be.
Come to the dark side!

[Justin]

A lot of what I don't like about political correctness (in the conventional definition of the word), is its inconsistency.

This deems that some minorities get uber protection and others none at all.

Some low points of PC:

1. Noddy and Big Ears get banned
2. The term "home executives" = housewives

Desperate Home Executives

[Wiggum]

How come you haven't tried to incorporate Australia into this thread yet?

[Justin]

Well I can do, Australians are a very noisy minority.

[Justin]

Oh shit. Just realised that I inadvertantly got around to mentioning Australia in the World Series thread, of all places.

:o

[Justin]

Originally posted by Tay

The problem with political correctness is, it started of as politicians having more say in what's deemed offensive to the minorities than the minorities do, hence POLITICAL correctness.

Political correctness is making judgements on other people's behalf, usually without consulting those people.

But what if a specific minority group finds something offensive? Is that political correctness? Do they have a say?

:harry

[Wiggum]

Horse is dead, lets stop beating it.