9.26.2011

Banned Books Week and Some of My Favorite Banned Books


This week is Banned Books Week; a week that celebrates our freedom to read and began in 1982 in response to an increase in challenges to books across America's libraries, schools and bookstores. Everything from contemporary literature to the classics have been challenged, namely for exploring controversial topics.

In honor of banned books week, I have created a list of my favorite books that were banned or challenged in 2010/2011. Click here to see the full list of books banned in 2010/2011.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close/ Jonathan Safran Foer: This was my favorite read of 2010. It's a book about making sense of the world around you, coping with loss, and learning how to live. Banned because of it's "profanity, sex and descriptions of violence."

The Diary of a Young Girl/Anne Frank: I've read this one twice, once when I was a young girl and again in college. This is probably the most important diary to ever be published and was challenged because of "sexual material and homosexual themes."

Water for Elephants/Sarah Gruen: Gruen's story emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding, toward both people and animals. It was banned because of "the novel's sexual content."

The Awakening/Kate Chopin: It's actually really sad to see this one banned this year. Published in 1899, this book emphasizes a departure from the typical 1890's family structure and celebrates a woman's desire for independence. Banned because the cover shows a picture of "a woman's bare chest."

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time/Mark Haddon: This is another one of my very favorite books, told from the pov of an autistic child, I think the novel promotes tolerance and understand of those with disabilities. Banned because of "foul language."

The best way to celebrate Banned Books Week is to read a banned book!

Other banned books I have reviewed:
Slaughterhouse-Five/Kurt Vonnegut

13 comments:

  1. Curious Incident is one of my favorite books, too. It's incredible to me that books like this are challenged; what is 'foul' language anymore? I love Banned Books Week! It's a great way to add titles to my reading list.

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  2. I read Extremely Loud based a lot on your recommendation of it, so way to spread the banned book love, even before this week.

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  3. Trish, Yes it certainly is!

    Red, That's great to hear. I didn't even know it was banned until today...

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  4. I can't get over the fact that Maya Angelou was banned. This is the stupidest thing.

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  5. I guess there are knuckleheads everywhere! Every time I hear of a book that has been banned, or some idiot burns a copy of the Quran, all I can do is shake my head and wonder what misstep occurred in that person's upbringing? Good posting, and a topic we should always keep an eye on. Cheers! Chris

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  6. Hmmm the only banned book I have ever read is Anne Frank's diary. I was going to buy Water for Elephants last week at a book fair, I bought 2 classic books instead. I should have bought that book too >.<

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  7. I love the 5 books you listed! I still need to read Lady Chatterly and I Know Why. It's so disturbing that people are still banning books.

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  8. I loved Water for Elephants...had no idea it was on the banned books list. Another one of my all time favorites is The Awakening...
    I have Curious Incident and Extremely Loud on my TBR...need to get busy with those :)

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  9. I just get a kick out of books being banned because they use profanity.

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  10. I was totally surprised to see Water for Elephants on the banned list.

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  11. The Awakening is one of my favorite books and I loved Water for Elephants too.

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  12. Great post, Brenna! I will be celebrating Banned Books week by reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, challenged for "vulgar language, sexual explicitness, or violent imagery that is gratuitously employed." Since I enjoy thinking for myself, I dove right in!

    P.S. Also wanted to alert you to a typo: says "The Dairy of a Young Girl" instead of "The Diary of a Young Girl." :)

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  13. Wow. I knew about Diary of a Young Girl and The Awakening being banned/challenged (not that I agree), but the other three? Seriously?? I really enjoyed all of them and can't believe they came across as being so controversial.

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