The 2014 Banned Book Week is Sept. 21-27, 2014.American Library Association
We hate to break it to you, but the book that's nearest and dearest to your heart for reasons you can't even begin to say but could talk about all day is probably a banned book. In fact, if you like the Harry Potter series (challenged for anti-family, occult content and violence), "Fifty Shades of Grey" (sexually explicit content) or the "Hunger Games" series (religious viewpoints) you should check with your local public library. Or shouldn't, depending on how much you like being let down. Even Dav Pilkey's scandalous "Captain Underpants" series was challenged for offensive language, violence and being "unsuited for age group."
This week, the American Library Association (ALA) is celebrating Banned Book Week by heralding books and graphic novels that have been challenged, removed, restricted or banned from schools and public libraries. Authors, librarians and celebrities are encouraging the public to check out a banned book -- and readers have quite a long list to choose from.
In 2013 there were 307 challenges were reported to the ALA. Between 1990 and 2014 there have been over 18,000 challenges and removals, two thirds of which occur in school libraries and classrooms. Sexually explicit content is the most cited reason for challenging a book but over the past decade homosexuality and the occult were also named as reasons a book should be removed from a classroom or library. Readers who like their classics with the added thrill of censorship are in luck; 46 of the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century have been challenged or removed.
Take our quiz to see which of your favorites have been banned or challenged in 2013 and 2014!
