This week is Banned Books Week in which the American Library Association brings attention to the issue of banned or challenged books in American school or public libraries. In every library, there is (or is supposed to be) a process for objecting to books and asking for a review of the book (or media these days). School libraries and public library children’s or young adults’ collections experience most of the challenges. Many, but by no means all, are from conservative religious groups or individuals holding such views.
A separate issue is the objection to books or media in the school curriculum. Books may be challenged on that basis, but without a request that the book be banned from the school library. In most schools, it is a simple matter to request that your child be assigned a different book and sent elsewhere in the building during class time when the objectionable item is being used.
I did this with my kids when each had a book I could not approve assigned in elementary school. Neither was for religious reasons–both had to do with a situation similar to their former lives. “Triggered” was not yet an over-used buzz word back then, but that was the reason. I had immediate agreement from all involved and my kids did the same sort of project with a different book being read in a different classroom. After elementary school, I saw no reason to intervene.
Of these, Captain Underpants, to me, is merely tasteless, but then I’m not an 8 year old little boy. My son loved the first two books, but found the rest of them “stupid.” (He grew up!) I took Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo to be a picture book for grown-ups, so never found any reason for outrage. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a classic among banned and challenged book. It is still on my TBR–I generally try to read one banned/challenged book each year so maybe for 2020 I’ll finally get to it.
Links to my reviews of some of 2018’s most frequently banned/challenged books, found here.
Please click on the book’s title to go to my review.
Looking for Alaska (scroll down for the review)
Here are some of my past Banned Book Weed posts
High School Banned Book Memory (2015)
Three More Banned…Books I’ve Enjoyed (2016)
A Few Banned Books I’ve Reviewed (2017)
Banned and Challenged Books Week: A Surprise Favorite (2017)
Ten of My Family’s Favorite Banned…aren’t Harry Potter or the Bible (2017)
Hopewell's Public Library of Life 
Such an interesting post!
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Thanks!
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I enjoyed this too. And I totally understand your reasons, well done Lisa, to protect your children from unnecessary pain or strain when they were little.
The older I get, I truly don’t see much reasons to ban books or challenge them. To me it’s more an issue of being sure there’s the best books along other ones which may be of less quality. What I don’t like it’s that there’s many newer and not that great books that push older and great ones out of the public schools. However, I won’t rely on public schools ore any school to provide them with an optimal offer of books. And I believe the conversation, and even those who want to ban or challenge books, it’s always interesting.
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Well said, Silvia–I agree on the conversation.
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I personally just found Captain Underpants to be a guilty pleasure where you read it just to get through something to laugh about. Not something that made me want to be disruptive. I wouldn’t have banned it for that reason honestly. It was just weird that they had a superhero wearing only his underwear and a cape! Great list and discussion topic.
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Thank you!
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Yes lol
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I appreciate a good banned books week discussion as a library specialist myself. I dont know if I’ve read one yet this year, my favorite previous years read was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
I’m surprised to see Beartown on the list-will look into that soon, thank you.
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I thought The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was excellent. That said, the accusations of sexual harassment against Alexie has changed my opinion of the author.
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