Rarely do I read a book because someone tells me to. I don't read one because of the cover. CHOICE reviews are great for selecting academic books to purchase but for leisure, I am going to pick it by topic and by the story synopsis, or because it was banned. I won't bother you with what topics I like to read or what story lines catch my attention. But, reverse psychology does work on me and I don't like being told not to do something. So, just seeing a book on the banned book list is enough to peak my curiosity. I appreciate my freedom to read what I want and I am glad someone somewhere defended it.
My favorite banned book is Animal Farm by George Orwell. I can't say I actually enjoyed the read. Honestly, my kids wish it were still banned and that this would not be required reading in junior high and high school.But, I have to appreciate that George Orwell managed to offend two sides of an argument by agreeing with both. This book was banned in the United States for its pro-communist sentiment and it was banned in the U.S.S.R. for its anti-communist sentiment. I personally didn't walk away feeling any different about communism than I did before I read it but I am glad it upset politicians. Politicians upset me all the time.
And I am a bad influence on children. My kids read banned books too. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a childrens book which was removed from libraries in Herefordshire during a healthy eating campaign due to their interpretation of it promoting over-consumption and obesity. My kid happened to own it at the time. We made a point of eating too much and reading that book. How dare a library tell us we can't eat too much? We can! and we like it!and we didn't do it because the catepillar made us. We read it and we ate too much because we wanted to . :)
Seriously, And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson is another kids book that was banned. This children’s story tells of two male penguins at a zoo who care for an egg together. Despite the reality that male penguins bond together to care for their eggs in nature and that the two characters in the book are based on actual penguins from the Central Park Zoo, the idea of two males creating a family has forced many to ban the book due to reasons of homosexuality and anti-family issues. We not only want to tell other humans what to do with their sex lives but we are now judging the penguins too. Suppose we'll stop tolerating the earthworms for being asexual? Maybe kids wills top dissecting them in school because they are different.
What is your favorite banned book?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Ten most farfetched (silliest, irrational, illogical) reasons to ban a book.
Ten most farfetched (silliest, irrational, illogical) reasons to ban a book.
“Encourages children to break dishes so they won’t have to dry them.” (A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstien)
“It caused a wave of rapes.” (Arabian Nights, or Thousand and One Nights, anonymous)
“If there is a possibility that something might be controversial, then why not eliminate it?” (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown)
“Tarzan was ‘living in sin’ with Jane.” (Tarzan, by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
“It is a real ‘downer.’” (Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank)
“The basket carried by Little Red Riding Hood contained a bottle of wine, which condones the use of alcohol.” (Little Red Riding Hood, by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm K. Grimm)
“One bunny is white and the other is black and this ‘brainwashes’ readers into accepting miscegenation.” (The Rabbit’s Wedding, by Garth Williams)
“It is a religious book and public funds should not be used to purchase religious books.” (Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, by Walter A. Elwell, ed.)
“A female dog is called a bitch.” (My Friend Flicka, by Mary O’Hara)
“An unofficial version of the story of Noah’s Ark will confuse children.” (Many Waters, by Madeleine C. L’Engle)
“Encourages children to break dishes so they won’t have to dry them.” (A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstien)
“It caused a wave of rapes.” (Arabian Nights, or Thousand and One Nights, anonymous)
“If there is a possibility that something might be controversial, then why not eliminate it?” (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown)
“Tarzan was ‘living in sin’ with Jane.” (Tarzan, by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
“It is a real ‘downer.’” (Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank)
“The basket carried by Little Red Riding Hood contained a bottle of wine, which condones the use of alcohol.” (Little Red Riding Hood, by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm K. Grimm)
“One bunny is white and the other is black and this ‘brainwashes’ readers into accepting miscegenation.” (The Rabbit’s Wedding, by Garth Williams)
“It is a religious book and public funds should not be used to purchase religious books.” (Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, by Walter A. Elwell, ed.)
“A female dog is called a bitch.” (My Friend Flicka, by Mary O’Hara)
“An unofficial version of the story of Noah’s Ark will confuse children.” (Many Waters, by Madeleine C. L’Engle)
Banned Book Week Proclamation
Banned Books Week Proclamation
WHEREAS, the freedom to read is essential to our democracy, and reading is among our greatest freedoms; and
WHEREAS, privacy is essential to the exercise of that freedom, and the right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one's interest examined or scrutinized by others; and
WHEREAS, the freedom to read is protected by our Constitution; and
WHEREAS some individuals, groups, and public authorities work to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries of materials reflecting the diversity of society; and
WHEREAS, both governmental intimidation and the fear of censorship cause authors who seek to avoid controversy to practice self-censorship, thus limiting our access to new ideas; and
WHEREAS, every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of American society and leaves it less able to deal with controversy and difference; and
WHEREAS, Americans still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression, and can be trusted to exercise critical judgment, to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe, and to exercise the responsibilities that accompany this freedom; and
WHEREAS, intellectual freedom is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture; and
WHEREAS, conformity limits the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend; and
WHEREAS, the American Library Association's Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year as a reminder to Americans not to take their precious freedom for granted; and
WHEREAS, Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that William S. Smith Library celebrates the American Library Association's Banned Books Week, (September 26, 2009- October 3, 2009), and be it further
RESOLVED, that William S. Smith Library encourages all libraries and bookstores to acquire and make available materials representative of all the people in our society; and be it further
RESOLVED, that William S. Smith Library encourages free people to read freely, now and forever.
________________________________________
Adopted by William S. Smith Library
September 17, 2009
Douglas, Georgia
WHEREAS, the freedom to read is essential to our democracy, and reading is among our greatest freedoms; and
WHEREAS, privacy is essential to the exercise of that freedom, and the right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one's interest examined or scrutinized by others; and
WHEREAS, the freedom to read is protected by our Constitution; and
WHEREAS some individuals, groups, and public authorities work to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries of materials reflecting the diversity of society; and
WHEREAS, both governmental intimidation and the fear of censorship cause authors who seek to avoid controversy to practice self-censorship, thus limiting our access to new ideas; and
WHEREAS, every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of American society and leaves it less able to deal with controversy and difference; and
WHEREAS, Americans still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression, and can be trusted to exercise critical judgment, to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe, and to exercise the responsibilities that accompany this freedom; and
WHEREAS, intellectual freedom is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture; and
WHEREAS, conformity limits the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend; and
WHEREAS, the American Library Association's Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year as a reminder to Americans not to take their precious freedom for granted; and
WHEREAS, Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that William S. Smith Library celebrates the American Library Association's Banned Books Week, (September 26, 2009- October 3, 2009), and be it further
RESOLVED, that William S. Smith Library encourages all libraries and bookstores to acquire and make available materials representative of all the people in our society; and be it further
RESOLVED, that William S. Smith Library encourages free people to read freely, now and forever.
________________________________________
Adopted by William S. Smith Library
September 17, 2009
Douglas, Georgia
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