I think it is always interesting to know what books people choose to ban. The titles give me a little insight into them and their philosophy. However, I also look at some of them and say "Whyyyyy?????"
Banned Books Week runs from September to October 2. Here are some of the titles banned in the past--you can tell which ones are current by the dates given, although several have been censored throughout many years. This is from a feature article in the AARP Bulletin.
Too Political (thought by some to be):
Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1852
A Farewell to Arms, 1929
The Grapes of Wrath 1939 (our book club read this one as our classic this year)
Doctor Zhivago, 1957
Animal Farm, 1945
Too Much Sex:
Madame Bovary, 1856
Tess of the d'Urbervilles, 1891 (easily one of the most boring books I ever tried to read)
Peyton Place, 1956 (And it was badly written too)
Forever, 1975 (Hidden behind many student books at Cooper High School where I was librarian)
The Prince of Tides, 1986 ( a favorite of many baby-boomers)
Irreligious:
On the Origin of Species, 1859
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, 1954 (Whyyy??)
Bless Me, Ultima, 1972 (Now on every college reading list I know)
Harry Potter series, 1997-2009 (Whyyyyy????)
Socially Offensive: (This category stimies me? What is it really?)
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, 1791
The Scarlet Letter, 1850 (One of my all-time favorite books to teach)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Another all-time teachable book)
As I Lay Dying, 1930 (Another book I could never finish--I believe most people who read Faulkner have fallen love with his Southern persona more than with his books.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, 1947 (Why????)
The Catcher in the Rye, 1951 (The first book I got in trouble with as a librarian)
Fahrenheit 451, 1953 (A very important book that should be taught in every high school)
To Kill A Mockingbird, 1960 (Whyyy???)
James and the Giant Peach, 1961 (I just don't like Rouald Dahl)
The Color Purple, 1982
Cujo, 1981 ( I don't like Stephen King, either)
Of course not listed in the article and the most often censored book of all time is the Bible. Do you want a copy of it in your school library?
