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41)
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Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up.
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Considered "dangerous" because of profanity and undermining of race relations. Challenged (temporaily banned) in Eden Valley, Minnesota, 1977; Vernon-Verona-Sherill, New York, School District, 1980; Warren, Indiana, township schools, 1981; Waukegan, Illinois, School District, 1984; Kansas City, Missouri, junior high schools, 1985; Park Hill (Missouri) Junior High School, 1985. Protested by black parents and NAACP in Casa Grande (Arizona) Elementary School District, 1985.
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42)
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At the center of Toni Morrison's fifth novel, which earned her the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, is an almost unspeakable act of horror and heroism: a woman brutally kills her infant daughter rather than allow her to be enslaved. The woman is Sethe, and the novel traces her journey from slavery to freedom during and immediately following the Civil War. Woven into this circular, mesmerizing narrative are the horrible truths of Sethe's past: the incredible cruelties she endured as a slave, and the hardships she suffered in her journey north to freedom.
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One parent in Sarasota, FL, complained of "sex, violence, cruelty, brutality, aberrant sexual behavior, offensive language and derisive names." In 1995 the Anaheim Union High School District banned it from the district's curriculum after a community member complained the story was too graphic for high school students. Board trustee Katherine Smith said, "I think that there are so many other wonderful creative works of literature out there we could use. We need literature that is uplifting and positive, and I don't think this book is."
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43)
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According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. This classic, written by S. E. Hinton when she was 16 years old, is as profound today as it was when it was first published in 1967.
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Most of the characters are from "broken homes." Complaints: Violence, offensive language.
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44)
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For sophomores John and Lorraine, the world feels meaningless; nothing is important. They certainly can never please their parents, and school is a chore. To pass the time, they play pranks on unsuspecting people. It's during one of these pranks that they meet the "Pigman"--a fat, balding old man with a zany smile plastered on his face. In spite of themselves, John and Lorraine soon find that they're caught up in Mr. Pignati's zest for life. In fact, they become so involved that they begin to destroy the only corner of the world that's ever mattered to them. Originally published in 1968, this novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Zindel still sings with sharp emotion as John and Lorraine come to realize that "Our life would be what we made of it--nothing more, nothing less."
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A parent in Plano, Texas, said: The first few words, including 'epic' and 'avocation,' made the novel seem normal, but following words, like 'raunchiest,' 'excruciatingly' and 'subliminally,' are strange words that imply ugly things."
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45)
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Trevor Hog believes a seance will be the perfect cure for his friend Dudley Stork's haunted house. According to PW , this comic tale achieves "stratospheric heights of tomfoolery. The deadpan telling could coax guffaws from a stone." Ages 5-8.
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Fears abound that this book will turn kids toward practicing witchcraft or mysticism.
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46)
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A thirteen-year-old girl seemingly destined for a modeling career finds she has a deformation of the spine called scoliosis.
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Themes "touch on" masturbation. Complaint: Sexual themes.
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47)
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Following his doctor's instructions, engaging simpleton Charlie Gordon tells his own story in semi-literate "progris riports." He dimly wants to better himself, but with an IQ of 68 can't even beat the laboratory mouse Algernon at maze-solving. Algernon is extra-clever thanks to an experimental brain operation so far tried only on animals. Charlie eagerly volunteers as the first human subject. After frustrating delays and agonies of concentration, the effects begin to show and the reports steadily improve: "Punctuation, is? fun!" But getting smarter brings cruel shocks, as Charlie realizes that his merry "friends" at the bakery where he sweeps the floor have all along been laughing at him, never with him. The IQ rise continues, taking him steadily past the human average to genius level and beyond, until he's as intellectually alone as the old, foolish Charlie ever was--and now painfully aware of it. Then, ominously, the smart mouse Algernon begins to deteriorate...
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"Explicit, distasteful love scenes" cited among reasons for opposition. Banned by Plant City, Florida, 1976; Emporium, Pennsylvania, 1977; Glen Rose (Arkansas) High School library, 1981. Challenged by Oberlin (Ohio) High School, 1983; Glenrock (Wyoming) High School, 1984.
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48)
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Garden's exceptionally well-rendered tale concerns two teenage girls who fall in love with each other. Ages 14-up.
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During a court trial in Oregon, school board members testified they believed their opinions about "Annie" and homosexuality were representative of people in the district. They said they believed they had a mandate to ban the book. The school board president testified that homosexuality is a mental disorder that leads to a destructive life.
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49)
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Ever since his best friend Scott dropped him to join a popular group, David feels certain he's been cursed. He follows along when the group harasses kind, old Mrs. Bayfield, but afterward he is overcome with guilt. And that's when the curse strikes: David insults his mother, cracks a window and embarrasses himself in class. It's bad enough that Scott's group excludes and taunts David, but the worst moment is when Tori, a girl he likes, sees his pants fall down. Two new friends help David to stand up to Scott's devious friends, rid himself of the curse and find the courage to ask Tori out. The story culminates with a hilarious rumble and a poignant realization. Sachar captures awkward junior high school experiences with humor and sensitivity. Readers will empathize with David's troubles and cheer his triumphs in this delightful, funny book. Ages 10-14.
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Removed from the Jackson Township Elementary School in Clay City, Ind. (1993) due to "unsuitable words." Complaints: Mysticism, offensive language.
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50)
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Superstitions about such topics as love and marriage, money, ailments, travel, the weather, and death.
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In a request seeking removal of the book from eight Lawrence elementary school libraries, a Kennedy School parent wrote "Cross Your Fingers" should be withdrawn because it promoted Christian faith and portrayed Wiccans as dangerous. "Witches would not kill, drive people crazy, make one sick or do any type of spell against anyone," she wrote.
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51)
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Here in the attic of Shel Silverstein you will find Backward Bill, Sour Face Ann, the Meehoo with an Exactlywatt, and the Polar Bear in the Frigidaire. You will talk with Broiled Face, and find out what happens when Somebody steals your knees, you get caught by the Quick-Digesting Gink, a Mountain snores, and They Put a Brassiere on the Camel. From the creator of the beloved poetry collections Where the Sidewalk Ends and Falling Up, here is another wondrous book of poems and drawings.
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Challenged at the Fruitland Park Elementary School library in Lake County, Fla. (1993) because the book "promotes disrespect, horror, and violence." According to the publisher, it's been challenged because it "encourages children to break dishes so they won't have to dry them."
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52)
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"Community, Identity, Stability" is the motto of Aldous Huxley's utopian World State. Here everyone consumes daily grams of soma, to fight depression, babies are born in laboratories, and the most popular form of entertainment is a "Feelie," a movie that stimulates the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Though there is no violence and everyone is provided for, Bernard Marx feels something is missing and senses his relationship with a young women has the potential to be much more than the confines of their existence allow. Huxley foreshadowed many of the practices and gadgets we take for granted today--let's hope the sterility and absence of individuality he predicted aren't yet to come.
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Challenged as required reading in the Corona-Norco, Calif. Unified School District (1993) because it is "centered around negative activity." Removed from classroom, Miller, Missouri, 1980. Challenged frequently throughout the U.S.
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53)
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Anne Rice writing as A. N. Roquelaure. In the traditional folk tale "Sleeping Beauty," the spell cast upon the lovely young princess and everyone in her castle can only be broken by the kiss of a Prince. Anne Rice's retelling of the Beauty story probes the unspoken implications of this lush, suggestive tale by exploring its undeniable connection to sexual desire.
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Complaints: Sexual themes.
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54)
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Today's children hear about sex all the time-on television, in the movies, and from their friends. But what they hear and see does not always give a healthy or even an accurate view of sexuality. This unique book, the only one of its kind for preteens, uses a question-and-answer format to offer straightforward information on a wide variety of subjects that often concern and mystify young people.
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Complaint: Sexual themes and homosexuality.
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55)
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Cujo is so well-paced and scary that people tend to read it quickly, so they mostly remember the scene of the mother and son trapped in the hot Pinto and threatened by the rabid Cujo, forgetting the multifaceted story in which that scene is embedded. This is definitely a novel that rewards re-reading. When you read it again, you can pay more attention to the theme of country folk vs. city folk; the parallel marriage conflicts of the Cambers vs. the Trentons; the poignancy of the amiable St. Bernard (yes, the breed choice is just right) infected by a brain-destroying virus that makes it into a monster; and the way the "daylight burial" of the failed ad campaign is reflected in the sunlit Pinto that becomes a coffin. And how significant it is that this horror tale is not supernatural: it's as real as junk food, a failing marriage, a broken-down car, or a fatal virus.
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Complaint: Violence.
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56)
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When James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, the peach at the very top of the tree starts growing. Before long it's as big as a house, and James discovers a secret entranceway into the mammoth fruit. When he crawls inside, James meets a bunch of friendly oversized insects. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling, and the adventure begins! Fans of this popular story will delight in the new humorous illustrations by Quentin Blake.
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Challenged at the Deep Creek Elementary School in Charlotte Harbor, Fla. (1991) because it is "not appropriate reading material for young children." Challenged at the Pederson Elementary School in Altoona, Wis. (1991) and at the Morton Elementary School library in Brooksville, Fla. (1992) because the book contains the word "ass" and "promotes" the use of drugs (tobacco, snuff) and whiskey. Removed from classrooms in Stafford County, Va. Schools (1995) and placed in restricted access in the library because the story contains crude language and encourages children to disobey their parents and other adults.
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57)
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From the author:Warning! Read this book, but keep in mind that the topics written about here are illegal and constitute a threat. Also, more importantly, almost all the recipes are dangerous, especially to the individual who plays around with them without knowing what he is doing. Use care, caution, and common sense. This book is not for children or morons.
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58)
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Discusses the physical, emotional, and ethical aspects of sex including such topics as pre-adolescent sex play, masturbation, homosexuality, dating and petting, intercourse and its consequences, and other related topics.
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Banned in 1990 in Black River Falls Wisconsin, in part because it dealt with homosexuality and masturbation. Four years later banned in Rangely Colorado for the same reasons.
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59)
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Seventeen-year-old Conrad Jarrett returns to his parents' home and tries to build a new life for himself after spending eight months in a mental institution for attempted suicide.
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Called "obscene" and "depressing" and banned by Merrimack, NH High School, 1982.
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The controversial novel about a handsome serial killer who moves among the young and trendy in 1980s New York.
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Complaints: Violence, obscene language, sexual themes. |