In my Young Adult Literature class, we read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. In this novel, it depicts themes of sexuality, violence, bullying, deaths, and a heavy use of profanity. Due to these issues, the novel has been banned from schools and libraries. Many parents did not want their children to be exposed to these topics. However, these are real issues that society deals with whether it’s the drunk father or the exploration of sexuality – these are situations children and teenagers encounter while growing up.
There are many books that are challenged but are not banned. The difference being that anyone can challenge a book. A parent, a teacher, or your next door neighbor can challenge a book they think is “inappropriate” due to its explicit content of violence, offensive language, homosexuality, and etc. But the American Library Association is actually the one who gets to decide if the books should be banned. In order for the challenge to be successful, the ALA must declare the material as proper to be censored from libraries and school systems.
Here are some of the top books that have been challenged in 2013:
- Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
- The Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
- A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
- Bones by Jeff Smith
These books and series are frequently challenged due to their themes of drugs, violence, offensive language, and reli
gious and political view points. Popular books in cultures that many people read regardless of its contradictory standpoints such as the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and Twilight by Stephenie Meyers are also challenged. Yet, children and teenagers will continue to pick up these novels on the bookshelves if it inte
rests them. Why should one group of people decide on what children should and should not read?
So the question arises – should we protect the younger generation from their exposure to these themes by getting rid of these books? Or is it better to let them pick the books they want to read and allow them to look into these topics themselves?
Until next time,
Daisy BEAUchanan