Read Banned Books This Week
Thank you to on-the-ball “Mom” of Mom and Kiddo for reminding me that this is Banned Books Week sponsored by the American Library Association. Between last week’s Turnoff Week, our weekend trip to Phoenix, and my littlest home with the flu, I just plain forgot.
Since Banned Books Week doesn’t end until Sunday, October 3rd, there is still time to read a banned (or almost banned) book to your children. Remind them that they have a right to read!
Did you know that there are some fantastic children’s and young adult books that have either been banned, or attempted to be banned?
(TIP: I love these books, but obviously please make make sure that the subject matter meets with your child’s maturity level before offering as a reading choice. My children are still too young for some of these, but I have most of them saved from my childhood - or later - because I enjoyed them so.)
Here’s a list of some of my favorites:
- Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
- The Little House Books
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
also by Roald Dahl
- The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss
- Strega Nona
by Tomie dePaola
- Charlotte’s Web
by E.B. White
- A Light in the Attic
by Shel Silverstein
- Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings, again, by Shel Silverstein
- The Giving Tree
, yet again by Shel Silverstein (you naughty boy!!)!
- Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
- Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott
- Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
by Anne Frank
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain (again)
- 1984
by George Orwell
- Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
- Lord of the Flies
by William Golding
- Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
- The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
- Flowers for Algernon
by Daniel Keyes
- All of the Harry Potter Books
by J.K. Rowling
- A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L’Engle
The oddest ban that I found?
or maybe
- Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary
(you can get one of these dictionaries for as little as $0.01 plus shipping on Amazon if you want to read through it and try and figure what all the fuss is about)
And in my opinion, the most hypocritically banned young adult book of all time:
- Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury
There are many more:
MORE BANNED BOOKS LINKS:
Books Banned at One Time or Another in the United States
Amazon: So You’d Like to Read Banned Children’s Books
Banned Books: From Harriet the Spy to Catcher in the Rye
S-Collection: Challenged Children’s Books
Themocracy
You have GOT to be kidding me! I just started reading Little house in the big woods to my boys -4,6 and 8 today. They LOVE it (as much as I did) and now want to make homemade food coloring from carrots! And Roald Dahl - my all time favourite! Could it be that KNID that got him in trouble????? (backwards…..) I should be going to bed but now I have to go find out why all my fav books are banned! Love your blog!
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Mom Unplugged Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:11 am
“James and the Giant Peach” was challenged “for containing mild profanity and depicting positive anti-authority behavior and cruel aunts.” (This according to the Amazon-So You’d Like to Read Banned Children’s Books link). That Amazon link has information on why many of these books were challenged if you want to check it out. Glad you like the blog and thanks so much for your comment!
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I didnt]r elize it was banned Books week… after reading your post I am writing a post for my blog…its too important not to. My house isn’t unplugged but we do read books every night, reading has always been very important to me and quite a few of your faviour books are my favourites too, I have been reading alot of Shel Silverstein to my son recently and it makes me happy to do so, I can remember when my dad gave me a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends and sitting under the christmas tree all day reading it.
Apryl´s last blog ..an apron, a robot, and a giveaway
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Mom Unplugged Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:08 am
Yes, it’s rather astonishing what people try to ban. I’ll have to stop by and read your post. Thanks for your comment!
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Do they just ban any book that gains a reasonable level of popularity?
maryanne´s last blog ..Month in review and October goals
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Mom Unplugged Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:08 am
Seems so doesn’t it. Pretty eye-opening.
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I am proud to say I have read all of those books except one so now I am off to the library to check out Brave New World!
Mom and Kiddo´s last blog ..Comparing Apples to Apples
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Mom Unplugged Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:10 am
Oh you will LOVE “Brave New World!” I first read it as a teen and I think I like it even more than “1984.” When I wrote up this list, I was just thinking it was time to pull out my old copy of “Brave New World” and reread it.
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How funny! I did not realize all these books had been banned or almost banned. This list includes many favorites, as well as things I’ve read to my kids. I’m such a rebel.
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Mom Unplugged Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:12 am
LOL! I felt like a rebel too as I wrote up the list! I think I’ll live on the edge and go read the next Little House book to my kids…
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That list is just crazy! That’s about all I have to say. :)
Hope your little one is feeling better!
Becky@BoysRuleMyLife´s last blog ..stArt: Planes and How They Work
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