Only in Saudi Arabia, Iran and oh, the USA

[tay]

This week is Banned Books Week, designed for people to read and celebrate those books and authors once deemed too offensive for a reader’s pysche, and remember that there are still people and organizations that try to keep books out of other people’s hands. (Here’s a list of the 10 Most Challenged Titles of 2011, if you can believe it.)

1. ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
   Reasons: offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
2. The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
   Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
3. The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
   Reasons: anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence
4. My Mom's Having A Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
   Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
6. Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
   Reasons: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint
7. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
   Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit
8. What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
   Reasons: nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit
9. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
   Reasons: drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit
10. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
    Reasons: offensive language; racism

more


Banned Books Week: The Raw Story editors remember | The Raw Story

 

[EagleSmack]

Are these books banned in the USA?

The answer is No... this makes you a liar Tay.

 

[tay]

If you read the post and the articles referenced in the story it talks the 10 most challenged and other banned books.

I ,did not write the article so I could not be lying about it, but posted it so all could consider the points of views of the various authors the story links to.

Possibly if you read said articles you may have a comment worth considering................

 

[EagleSmack]

You titled the thread... liar

...plus coming from a country that actually does restrict free speech you're quite a hypocrite.

 

[WLDB]

Challenged is not banned.

 

[damngrumpy]

The banning of books is the stifling of ideas regardless of how offencive or enlightening
they might be. Societies that actually ban them demonstrate their insecurities as to their
own belief system. The Arab world is not comfortable in its own skin when it comes to
interacting with the rest of the world and that is demonstrated by their actions when ever
and where ever a criticism comes from.
Even in America, some groups want to ban something in a book, be it nudity or for some
other reason they are thinking of their own vested interest and how it might effect their
members mostly. Is God that insecure that he can't be criticised? Some people think so.
As for America banning these I have seen no evidence of that, but there are elements in
America and indeed Canada that would like nothing better. The truth is you can't judge
entire societies by the measured actions of a few, or even the actions of a government.
For every law in the Arab world for example, how many contraventions to it are hidden
under the beds of homes in that part of the world?

 

[SLM]

If you read the post and the articles referenced in the story it talks the 10 most challenged and other banned books.

I ,did not write the article so I could not be lying about it, but posted it so all could consider the points of views of the various authors the story links to.

Possibly if you read said articles you may have a comment worth considering................

I read the article, and I further read the links contained within the article, and did further research on my own. Does that qualify as comment worthy in your esteemed opinion?

You specifically included the USA in the title of this thread, a clear indication that you believe that books are banned in the USA. And it's also obvious that you are drawing a direct correlation between nations prone to censorship and the USA by including them in the title. Got an axe to grind?

The article and links within the article speak of challenges, not bannings. Banned Book Week is actually sponsored by the American Library Association.

But since you seem to feel that book "challenges" are akin to banning books in the USA I would assume then as a Canadian you would feel somewhat hypocritical chastising the USA when the same thing still occurs in Canada?

Censorship in Canada

In Canada there also are challenges brought forth to have books banned for a variety of reasons. In Canada the CLA (Canadian Library Association) not unlike the American Library Association, is the group spearheading the fight against banning books. Publishing the "Banned Book" list is not about chastising the US for banning books, but celebrating the individuals and organizations who fight to prevent book banning from occurring.

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read.

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Freedom to Read | American Library Association

It's not perfect in the USA, but neither is it perfect here. There are still a myriad of stupid decisions made every day, people on both sides of the border who think they should be able to dictate what information other people have access too. Fighting against oppression and censorship is an ongoing battle, something that is evidently clear in the link to the article written by James Klise. And a very worthy cause by the way.

But go ahead, you use it to take a cheap shot at the US. It's a shame that it's wasting an opportunity to speak up about something worthwhile.

 

[EagleSmack]

I can walk into any library or Barnes & Nobles and take out or buy those books without being challenged. I had to read a few of them in HS for that matter.

 

[tay]

Being banned in Public Libraries based on religious intolerance has a certain ring to it...........



Once again its that time of year when the Religious Right and their apologists will start whining that complaints about book censorship are a liberal plot. Fortunately,they will mostly be ignored.

And that's because every year, there are hundreds of documented efforts to restrict or outright ban books from school and public libraries. Many of those responsible for such efforts are groups and individuals affiliated with the Religious Right. The annual list of banned or challenged books have run a wide range, in recent years. Books that have accepting views of homosexuality are frequently targeted along with stories involving magic, such as Harry Potter books. These are banned alongside such perennial targets as To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye.



| Banning & Burning Books in America

 

[earth_as_one]

I'm pretty sure every country has banned books.

Thumbs down for rudeness. Debate good, personal attacks bad.

 

[jariax]

There is a pretty significant difference between banning books and not making them easily accessible to eight year old children.
Otherwise, every country on Earth would be 'banning books' under that definition.

Even then, most countries will ban books under extreme circumstances.
Holocaust denial books, Pedophile how-to-books are usually banned. Feel free to protest it.

 

[EagleSmack]

. Books that have accepting views of homosexuality are frequently targeted along with stories involving magic, such as Harry Potter books. These are banned alongside such perennial targets as To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye.

Once again... more lies.

Harry Potter books are banned alongside To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye?

Liar.

Not to mention the CBSA seizing books at the US-Canadian Border. Take care of your own country before you start on another's country you hypocrite.

 

[coldstream]

The titles i think are banned by some school districts and libraries... not 'Banned' by law. And that includes such stalwart literary classics as Huckleberry Finn (for racist language).

Smart parents and smart readers do not rely on pendantic school administrations or librarians to dictate their own or their kid's reading.. and are quite able of gleaning the underlying message, and the conventions of expression of the times in which they were written.. for books like Huck Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird.

I don't think its as big an issue as the fact that the average person in North America reads one book a year... and given the fact that some read 20 or more.. most don't read books at all.