Intellectual Freedom/Censorship
Banned Books Week is promoted nationally to emphasize people's right to this.
What is the freedom to choose what to read. Banned Books Week was created by the American Library Association to emphasize the importance of literary freedom and to oppose literary censorship.
This author of children's book Frecklejuice and young adult book Are You Thre God, It's Me Margaret, has been frequently challenged and said - "This is America, I thought books did not get banned, But then they did."
Who is Judy Blume?
In 2010 this nonfiction picture book, meant for young children, about two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo that take care of an egg until it hatches was frequently challenged.
What is And Tango Makes Three.
This is the name of the process if someone wants to challenge or remove a book from a school or library
What is the challenge process?
Persons or groups challenging a text or material must go thru a process with a committee to remove it from the library or school. The process requires paperwork and having read the entire work. All of these authors and many other young adult authors have had their books challenged and/or banned in school libraries, public libraries, and classrooms.
This book is often quoted as being the number one bestseller. It has been translated into many languages and read by people all over the world. What is the name of the book?
What is the Bible?
The Bible has been banned many, many times over the centuries.
Every year, challenges are made to certain books when a person or group objects to their content. However, most challenges do not lead to banning. True or False.
What is True. In 2000, over 600 books were challenged, but most of these did not lead to banning because school officials, teachers, and librarians refused to remove the books. The real number is probably much higher, but not everything gets reported.
This famous American author wrote two related books about the adventures of two young boys. Despite being classics, both books have been banned in some schools. At first, they were banned for being too "racially tolerant." Today they are considered "too racist."
What is Mark Twain? The books are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. They have been banned because they are said to contain racial stereotypes and the use of language that is inappropriate today but was acceptable when the books were published.
This hero of the series by Dav Pilkey, has been challenged for its “anti-family content?"
Who is Captain Underpants?
Pilkey, who was diagnosed with learning disabilities as a child, designed the books to draw the attention of kids who may not like to read.
In this satire of the Communist Revolution in Russia, animals can talk.
What is Animal Farm by George Orwell. It was banned in the USSR until the 1980's for being anti-Communist but also banned in the USA for the Communist text in its introduction.
This reason is given most often for challenging books used in public schools.
What is sexually explicit content?
From 1999-2000: Sexually Explicit = 1,446 books Unsuited to Age Group = 1,167 Occult/Satanism = 773 Violence = 630 Homosexuality = 47 Source: American Library Association
Even books by Dr. Seuss have been challenged. This Dr. Seuss book was challenged because it offended forestry workers.
What is The Lorax? It is a story that teaches children about the impact humans can have on the environment. In the story, Once-ler cuts down too many trees and pollutes the environment. People in the logging industry felt threatened by the book.
This book by J. D. Salinger is not about bread. The main character of this often challenged classic book is a teenager. He mourns the loss of his younger brother, hangs out with his younger sister, and in the end ends up in an institution. What is the name of the book?
What is Catcher in the Rye.
It is often challenged because of the excessive use of swear words in the book and the feeling that it is not appropriate for teens. It was the most frequently banned book in schools in the 1960's and 1970's, but is still challenged today.
Most book challenges occur here.
What are schools? Most challenges occur in school classes, followed closely by school libraries and then by public libraries. From 1990-2010: school classes = 4,048 school libraries = 3659 public libraries = 2679 Source: American Library Association
The classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird has been challenged many times due to profanity and racial slurs, however, it is often still taught in schools. This is the author.
Who is Harper Lee? She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Her second book Go Set a Watchman was published right before her death.
Name one of Shakespeare's plays that has banned by some schools?
Any of them - Twelfth Night, Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello...
All of Shaespeare's play have been challenged because of sexual content, and the use of death and violence.
Which famous novel, whose title is the temperature paper burns, by Ray Bradbury, about censorship has been both banned and challenged numerous times?
What is Fahrenheit 451.
Can you say irony? This book about book burning and censorship has been challenged and banned for unsuitable language and “questionable themes.” One of the main themes is that any government that tries to oppress freedom of thought should be opposed.