According to this article, a group named Called2Action has resurrected the fine art of book banning. Ah, but it's much bigger than one little county in one little state - libraries and school boards all over this country have bowed to pressure from very vocal, very connected groups and deprived their patrons of some fine literary works. There are lists of challenged and banned books - they read like an inventory of some of my favourite authors! Judy Blume, Maurice Sendak, Roald Dahl, Louis Sachar... they're kid lit standards. Many libraries, in fact, hold Banned Book Week events (quietly in most cases) to protest the will of the few being forced on the rest of us. I think I shall select a few new titles for our school's library. (Oh, and Mr. Sendak's crime? Mickey's got a bare bottom. The horror!)
5 comments:
Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see the one book that *I* think should be on that list... "Flowers in the Attic" by V.C. Andrews. The brother has sex with his sister... and they actually published it as a teen book. Ugh!
I don't think ANY books should be on that list, personally, but we're each entitled to our own opinion. I agree that Ms Andrews (yep, a woman wrote that crap) books are trash, but I cannot imagine telling any bookstore or library that they should not be allowed to offer it because it offends *me.* There are MANY more lists that Ms Andrews books do appear on - Google "banned books list" and marvel at the thousands of titles that individuals and groups have demanded be banned from public consumption. It's not just J.D. Salinger and Judy Blume, it's Shakespeare and Walt Whitman and Jack London.
"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the priviledge to do so to." (What Voltaire REALLY said)
I think I should have said that the VC Andrews book was in the wrong catagory. It's promoted as a Young Adult book when it should be in the romance or adult section. Not all of her books are that sadistic, but as a teenager just nosying around for more books, it was definately a shock where Flowers in the Attic led to.
I have read other books on the "no no" list with no bad memories or such. Just that one book above has left a bitter taste in my mouth.
My grandchildren read all the Goosebumps and Harry Potter books and their perfectly normal,well ajusted, law abiding young people. Go figuare! LOL
Thanks for calling my attention to this. My blood is boiling.
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