Banned/Questionable Books

[darkjedijaina]

In honor of Banned Books Week (which is observed during the last week of September each year) I thought we could discuss books that have been on the list and the like.

Here are twenty of the most challeneged books from 1900-2000.

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel

and a personal childhood favorite of mine that is on the list at number 90 is Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman. it was about a boy that lived in India and the tigers were going to eat him, but the boy gave the tigers his new coat and pants and shoes instead, and then all the tigers were jealous of each other and ended up chasing each other around a tree until they turned to butter, and little black sambo had tons of pancakes the next day.

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

When I was in college the bookstore had a display for Banned Books Week and I took the opportunity to get Lolita. One of the best books I have ever read.

[Ribbons]

I think it's hilarious that "Captain Underpants" is banned in some places.

[Vegeta]

Wow, alot of these books seem to have homosexual content.

I personally don't believe in banning/villianizing books for one reason:

FREEDOM OF CHOICE! If I am not interested in or (gasp!) intolerant of a books content, I can always choose not to read it. Problem solved. If other people are interested, cool on them! They have the freedom of choice as well ("what a country" in Yakov Schmirnoff accent).
The funniest thing about people who go all OUTRAGED regarding content of books that they have never read is, that they bring more attention to the very literary text that they are so obstenently opposed.

[Bob Samonkey]

Sex by Madonna

and a personal childhood favorite of mine that is on the list at number 90 is Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman. it was about a boy that lived in India and the tigers were going to eat him, but the boy gave the tigers his new coat and pants and shoes instead, and then all the tigers were jealous of each other and ended up chasing each other around a tree until they turned to butter, and little black sambo had tons of pancakes the next day.

First one: I saw the Sex book for the first time like six months ago. Never looked for it before and was really never that interested. I flipped through it to see what all the hub-bub was all about. Man that book was boring. Except the Madonna and Vanillia Ice. That was very very funny.

Second book: I still own my copy of Little Black Sambo. Somewhere in my many boxes of books. I recently saw the eited version of it. I think it was called the Tigers and the Pancakes. I laughed for no good reason...

[Peven]

hey DJJ, have you seen the news about the woman in your neighborhood, and mine, Gwinnett County Georgia, who is trying to get the Harry Potter books banned from school libraries?

[havocSchultz]

Everybody Poops!!!

Was B4NN3D in my school because there was this one kid who - alas - could not poop...

And the mennonites were big on the whole "lies are sins" thing - so they felt the b4nn1ng was their only fair choice...

[Bob Samonkey]

hey DJJ, have you seen the news about the woman in your neighborhood, and mine, Gwinnett County Georgia, who is trying to get the Grande Rojo Potter books banned from school libraries?

I love that. Is she giving the same reason that I heard that the books teach children how to do magic? Or just that it contains wizards and witches within its covers. As if these books are the first fantasy books to ever be published...

[Vynson]

Robert Cormier was one of the truly great writers of our time. The Chocolate War is a wonderful read, but his best was FADE. Great book.

Fellow author Michael Cart has said: “Robert Cormier is the single most important writer in the whole history of young adult literature.â€

[Vegeta]

I heard that a book called "Everybody flings poop" was banned.

Is that true Bob?

[havocSchultz]

I heard that a book called "Everybody flings poop" was banned.

Is that true Bob?

Albeit, "Everybody Poops on my Tummy" is still in full circulation...

[Bob Samonkey]

I heard that a book called "Everybody flings poop" was banned.

Is that true Bob?

Yes!! After I wrote all 4 pages and everything. And of course, by wrote I wrote I mean pooped on....

[darkjedijaina]

hey DJJ, have you seen the news about the woman in your neighborhood, and mine, Gwinnett County Georgia, who is trying to get the Grande Rojo Potter books banned from school libraries?

no, i had not seen that. i've been so busy remodeling that i haven't even turned on the television in a week. gasp!

[Lady Sheridan]

Everything I learned, I learned from reading banned books.

Especially those Clan of the Cave Bear books....damn.

Actually, in all seriousness, one of the most terrifying experiences I had as an undergrad was when I had to play the part of a person wanting to ban Huckleberry Finn. And I'm such a good debater that I won.

[Peven]

hey DJJ, have you seen the news about the woman in your neighborhood, and mine, Gwinnett County Georgia, who is trying to get the Grande Rojo Potter books banned from school libraries?

I love that. Is she giving the same reason that I heard that the books teach children how to do magic? Or just that it contains wizards and witches within its covers. As if these books are the first fantasy books to ever be published...

she is claiming they are a part of the indoctrination of kids into the wiccan religion.

[Peven]

Everything I learned, I learned from reading banned books.

Especially those Clan of the Cave Bear books....damn.

and just what was it that you learned?

[Bob Samonkey]

Everything I learned, I learned from reading banned books.

Especially those Clan of the Cave Bear books....damn.

and just what was it that you learned?

That explains the X-thread...

[darkjedijaina]

also on the list were the following:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lord of the Flies by William Golding

i read some of those in school. two for my senior year creative writing class, Brave New World and Lord of the Flies, and i really enjoyed those books.

[Peven]

also on the list were the following:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lord of the Flies by William Golding

i read some of those in school. two for my senior year creative writing class, Brave New World and Lord of the Flies, and i really enjoyed those books.

yeah, a lot of really excellent books on that list. i didn't see Mien Kampf on it though. which says something about the people who ban books.

[justcheckin]

also on the list were the following:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lord of the Flies by William Golding

i read some of those in school. two for my senior year creative writing class, Brave New World and Lord of the Flies, and i really enjoyed those books.

What... not The Outsiders, come on - gotta be one of the best old time coming of age books ever!!

[DennisMM]

Tonight Keith Olberman's "Worst Person in the World" included a bit about a family trying to get a book banned from the daughter's school. She was permitted to read a different book, but her family thought the book assigned to the class in general was not appropriate for students. Fahrenheit 451. Fifty years later it still challenges idiots who don't understand its themes. Or irony.

[Brocktune]

i was surprised to not find desade's "120 days of sodom" on the list.

you wouldnt believe the shit i caught for reading that book in school.

[darkjedijaina]

wow. yeah, i read that (Farenheit 451) while i was in school. but, i checked it out of the library myself. and i really enjoyed it.

i think perhaps the reason that people get so offended is because they don't understand it. but, how people can't understand books like these is a complete mystery to me.

[Ribbons]

a lot of really excellent books on that list. i didn't see Mien Kampf on it though. which says something about the people who ban books.

Let me revise my original statement: I think it's hilarious that Mien Kampf isn't on the list of b4nn3d/challenged books and "Captain Underpants" IS.

[RaulMonkey]

The woman who runs Canada's largest chain of bookstores, CHAPTERS, banned MEIN KAMPF for sale in all of her stores. I say it was a good call: the public shouldn't be exposed to the writings of such a filthy book-banner.

[HollywoodBabylon]

The woman who runs Canada's largest chain of bookstores, CHAPTERS, banned MEIN KAMPF for sale in all of her stores. I say it was a good call: the public shouldn't be exposed to the writings of such a filthy book-banner.

As loathsome and as badly written as it's supposed to be, I suppose Mein Kampf is an important book historically in the context of 20th Century history - hence why it's still on the bookshelves and should remain so. If not else, it's a good example of showing people that Herr Hitler was as awful a writer as he was a painter.

[Doc Holliday]

What, no "Ulysses" by James Joyce? No "Lady Chatterley's Lover" or "Sons and Lovers" by D.H.Lawrence?

All shocking B4NN3D's in their day. Never knew "Of Mice and Men" was B4NN3D though - love that book...

[HollywoodBabylon]

What, no "Ulysses" by James Joyce? No "Lady Chatterley's Lover" or "Sons and Lovers" by D.H.Lawrence?

All shocking B4NN3D's in their day. Never knew "Of Mice and Men" was B4NN3D though - love that book...

Worse still, why no mention of Jeffrey Archer? NOW there's an author whose books should be consigned to the rubbish bin of literature.

[Chairman Kaga]

Weird a lot of these mentioned so far were required reading while I was in High School

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

as well as 1984, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer though I hand't seen them mentioned yet. I can see what white bread douche bags would object to in most of these....except Of Mice and Men. I can't recall what would get people riled up over that book.

[HollywoodBabylon]

Weird a lot of these mentioned so far were required reading while I was in High School

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

as well as 1984, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer though I hand't seen them mentioned yet. I can see what white bread douche bags would object to in most of these....except Of Mice and Men. I can't recall what would get people riled up over that book.

The political correctness zealots would find anything wrong, even in the most innocuous books. Maybe Of Mice & Men (a great, great book) offends the mentally impaired in their blinkered eyes.

[Peven]

it isn't the "political correctness" crowd that bans a lot of those books, like H@rry Potter, Captain Underpants, Goosbeumps, or even books like To Kill a Mockingbird. it is the biblethumping, pseudo-conservative whackos who are uncomfortable with any point of view not their own being put out there for their kids to see that might contradict the bigoted, assbackward world view they have.

[HollywoodBabylon]

it isn't the "political correctness" crowd that bans a lot of those books, like H@rry Potter, Captain Underpants, Goosbeumps, or even books like To Kill a Mockingbird. it is the biblethumping, pseudo-conservative whackos who are uncomfortable with any point of view not their own being put out there for their kids to see that might contradict the bigoted, assbackward world view they have.

True, Peven. Two sides of the same coin really. The Yin and Yan of moral fascism.

[Peven]

i agree, HB

[Doc Holliday]

it isn't the "political correctness" crowd that bans a lot of those books, like H@rry Potter, Captain Underpants, Goosbeumps, or even books like To Kill a Mockingbird. it is the biblethumping, pseudo-conservative whackos who are uncomfortable with any point of view not their own being put out there for their kids to see that might contradict the bigoted, assbackward world view they have.

True they don't ban the book....but they do try to prescribe what views you are allowed to divine from them. And discussing them in open conversation is positively frowned upon

[minstrel]

It appals me that there are still people - large groups of people - in modern societies who advocate the banning of books. It's actually hard to imagine anything more idiotic.

The book-banners are conservatives? The same people who were most vociferous in fighting the Soviet Union in the communist era? I read a bunch of interviews with Russian authors such as Joseph Brodsky and Boris Pasternak in which they said they were compelled by the State to restrict what they could write about to a list of Soviet-approved subjects - that their works would be banned if they strayed from the approved material and the approved attitudes about it.

This is the sort of thing comedians make their livings on. Come on, Jon Stewart! Lampoon the book-banners!

[Chairman Kaga]

Honestly isn't it both the Super Leftist PC folks and the Super Right Wing Religious Whackos who are responsible? Obviously working from different ends of the spectrum and for different reasons but with the same banning goal in mind?

How I was able to read all of the above in a Florida public high school is mind boggling really considering the nuttty political hacks in this state.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

Tonight Keith Olberman's "Worst Person in the World" included a bit about a family trying to get a book banned from the daughter's school. She was permitted to read a different book, but her family thought the book assigned to the class in general was not appropriate for students. Fahrenheit 451. Fifty years later it still challenges idiots who don't understand its themes. Or irony.

did you read the Boing Boing article as well?

great pull quote from the Houston Courier...

"It's just all kinds of filth," said Alton Verm, adding that he had not read Fahrenheit 451.

[Peven]

Honestly isn't it both the Super Leftist PC folks and the Super Right Wing Religious Whackos who are responsible? Obviously working from different ends of the spectrum and for different reasons but with the same banning goal in mind?

How I was able to read all of the above in a Florida public high school is mind boggling really considering the nuttty political hacks in this state.

there is no doubt that an extreme political correctness bunch have had their hand in getting some material banned or censored, but when i look over that list i see many more books that would have been banned by the right than the left. i mean, the ACLU is considered a bastion of left-wing liberal ideals and they get criticized for defending nazis and white supremecists due to their belief in freedom of speech. one of the cornerstones of the democrat/left-wing/liberal belief system is the 1st Amendment. meanwhile, you have people on the right that have spent money and time trying to get stuff like Spongebob Squarepants and Teletubbies off the air, or like this woman in the next county over from me trying to get H@rry Potter books banned from all county school libraries. in this country, historically, it has been the right-wing, fundamentalists who are by far the most guilty of book banning and censorship.

[Pacino86845]

Books shouldn't be banned, PEOPLE SHOULD BE B4NN3D!!!!

[Peven]

Books shouldn't be banned, PEOPLE SHOULD BE B4NN3D!!!!

spoken like a true alpha-mod

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

I read Fahrenheit 451 for the first time last year and I am at a loss to think of what could possibly be the "filth" the guy is talking about. Unless he means the stuff about the government lying to the people and sustaining a war to trod upon civil liberties.

[buster00]

I read Fahrenheit 451 for the first time last year and I am at a loss to think of what could possibly be the "filth" the guy is talking about. Unless he means the stuff about the government lying to the people and sustaining a war to trod upon civil liberties.

Jeepers, that couldn't possibly happen in the year 2006, could it? Lying to sustain a war in order to shit all over our civil liberties? Who would possibly do such a thing?

[darkjedijaina]

as well as 1984, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer though I hand't seen them mentioned yet.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

those two are definitely on there.

[The Thin Man]

When I was a child my local library banned Enid Blyton. For all you Americans, she wrote books about middle class children in the 1930's getting up to adventures. The librarian said that they promoted white, middle class values that would make working class children feel inferior.

[Chairman Kaga]

as well as 1984, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer though I hand't seen them mentioned yet.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

those two are definitely on there.

I just meant no one had mentioned them in the thread yet.

[havocSchultz]

My church back home once told all the people in it to get rid of/destroy/trash/burn any and all secular books and movies and etc...

My parents were alot more heavily involved with the church back then.

I was young. But I remember standing at the local dump watching all these books being tossed...

We did seem to hang onto all our movies though...

Go figure...

[Keepcoolbutcare]

My church back home once told all the people in it to get rid of/destroy/trash/burn any and all secular books and movies and etc...

I was young...being tossed...We did seem to hang onto all our movies though...

from what I understand of the church, they like those family tosser flicks...

[The Vicar]

I heard that a book called "Everybody flings poop" was banned.

Is that true Bob?

Albeit, "Everybody Poops on my Tummy" is still in full circulation...

Sadly, the Golden Shower Primer is only available on Ebay, and you have to perform some disgusting sex acts just to bid on it.

Several Zoners just left for the Ebay auction.

[Al Shut]

Just out of interest, in most cases were not talking about real banning are we?

Since most of you are talking about US/UK/Canada, mostly this is about self imposed we're not going to sell/buy/lend/publish this actions.

Or is it really possible to completly outlaw books?

[HollywoodBabylon]

Just out of interest, in most cases were not talking about real banning are we?

Since most of you are talking about US/UK/Canada, mostly this is about self imposed we're not going to sell/buy/lend/publish this actions.

Or is it really possible to completly outlaw books?

I'd think in most 'democratic' countries it would be hard nowadays to completely ban a book. It would have to be something exceptionally bad or a book that breaks the actual obscenity/incitement to violence law (though the latter law is a pretty grey area, I grant you).