Sunday, September 21, 2014

Banned Book Week - Fun Facts & Giveaways


For more information on Banned Book Week and banned books in general, see this site:
http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek

Cheesy is as Cheesy Does
(A ridiculous playwright by Kristin Aragon)

<Librarian (only doing her job)>STOP! You can't read that!

<Miffi>I can't read what? Thirty Steps from Red?

<Librarian>That's right ma'am. Our public library voted to ban that book. It shouldn't even be in the database anymore.

<Miffi>I'm Twenty. Four. Years old. This is a public library, right?

<Librarian>Yes ma'am.

<Miffi>And someone else made the decision to tell me what I was allowed to read?

<Librarian>Well, it's not that simple. What if a child had checked out that book?

<Miffi>We've carded people for tobacco, alcohol, lottery tickets, why not a book? Please don't give me a speech on all the reasons this book has been removed from this library. I'm sure I already know them equally as well as you, but when tax payers fund a building such as a library, the government cannot censor what we read. Parents can censor their children's reading and should be aware of it, but you ma'am, can't tell me I can check out Dante's Inferno but not some smexy love story because I just broke up with my boyfriend.

<Librarian>*Small smile on her face* No, I can't. Which is why I'm loaning you the copy I keep in my purse.

They walk to Librarian's desk where she pulls out her purse and several copies of the wanted book sit quietly awaiting someone to devour them. Librarian reaches in and pulls a brand new copy out. Handing it to the young lady in front of her, Librarian says, "I've left the single book in our system because I think censorship is wrong. I pass the books out for free hoping women like you will stand up to the Powers That Be and make a change. Good, Bad, or Indifferent... it is up to a grown individual or a guardian to censor what they read. Not me."

Obviously, I'm not a playwright and I'm sure you're all sighing in relief right now. I'm also not very clever when trying to disguise things...you know what I mean. But the story is obvious.

Every year at this time, the book community comes together to post its stance on Book Banning. Technically, in the United States, there is truly not much Book Banning, but there is a big, ginormous amount of Book Challenging. There are places where such things get sticky, such as in school libraries. The important thing for you to take away from this event is as an adult, you always have the right to read what you want. I've heard examples of certain libraries banning the book I mentioned above, but having to reshelve it because they were having to order it from other libraries so much. THIS. IS. YOUR. RIGHT. Simple & True.

School libraries are different. How many of you want Fifty Shades of Grey stocked in any of your high school libraries? Not me. I don't want a lot of the books I read shelved in the libraries, but then again, I'm a forty year old adult. If it were only that simple. Then there's the line of when is it too young to read Are You There God: It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume? At what point do we shelve the Twilight Saga? Or are the Hunger Games too violent for school libraries to carry? Those are questions that have to be talked about between families, they should be made between school boards and parenting committees.

My oldest always read exactly what I did from the time she turned thirteen. I'll be honest, she read several of Ellen Hopkins's books which are always on the banned/challenged lists that I didn't read because I don't care for verse. We bonded over the books we read. I knew she wasn't taking any crazy immoral lessons from the books. BECAUSE we talked. Besides, she never really wanted to be a vampire anyway.

My youngest prefers tragic, life-altering books. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, she's read twice and seen the movie twice. I've read and seen it once. John Green can spin a story of heartache and destruction and make people laugh at the same time. How does that even work? I don't read many of these books, my heart's too fragile. But as long as she's reading in her age range and TALKING to me about the books, then I'm okay. She's had a few questions along the boy/girl line (she's nearly 14), so we talk those out. I often find when she comes to me with questions, the talks none of us really want to have becomes much easier because both sides are ready to listen.

I always like to give the past years most banned/challenged books. I usually look for the most banned/challenged current books. All the classics have been banned for something. (On a side note, children grow up and they go to college where parents have no say over the books their professors assign...what a trip!)

2014 Most Banned/Challenged Popular Titles

The Perks of Being a Wildflower by Stephen Chbosky
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Middle School Survival Guide by Arlene Erlbach
Looking for Alaska by John Greene (My Favorite Author)
Elanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (Um... Seriously?)
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Amazing Book)
Betrayed (House of Nights Series) by Kristin and P.C. Cast

Again, I only named a few I thought you might recognize. Yes, there are many, many more and sometimes when you read the reasons they are challenged, all you can do is laugh. So, my friends, I encourage you to research. Use this link: http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek

Now Ya Wanna Win Stuff, Right?
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a Rafflecopter giveaway




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76 comments:

  1. THE COLOR PURPLE is a favorite of mine.

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  2. i have read the diary of anne franck it was even a school assigment here^^;; i must say i'm quite shocked when i discover which book are banned or cjhallenged in the USA since it's ofeten see as the country of free right.... so giving a gun to child is oki but not the book they wish to read..... completely absurd for me
    thanks for the giveaway

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  3. I read the Harry Potter books, as well as To Kill a Mickingbird, Fahrenheit 451, The Hunger Games, Catch 22, The House of the Spirits, etc. In fact, many of the books we read in school are on the list, too. It's surprising, some of the books that are included, though no book should ever be censored.

    Thank you so much for the giveaway! Fingers crossed. :-)

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  4. Captain Underpants - a funny series; The Hunger Games, the Bible

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  5. Two of my favorite authors books have been challenged many times. I don't think they'd actually mind, they challenged people's narrow-mindedness every time they wrote. Here's my shout-out to Catch 22 by Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.s Slaughterhouse-5

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  6. +JMJ+

    The last banned book I read was The Praying Man by Bienvenido M. Santos. It was banned in the Philippines, and a warrant put out for the author's arrest, because the president at the time thought that the unflattering portrayal of the novel's fictional president was based on him! =P

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  7. i've read Eleanor and park, harry potter, the hunger games... i didn't even know they were censored! that's crazy!

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  8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

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  9. Thanks for the giveaway! I love To Kill a Mocking Bird. <3

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  10. I have read the Harry Potter series.

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  11. Harry Potter was definitely one book series I read as a kid that was challenged at school as was Catcher in the Rye (even in the 2000s!)

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  12. The strangest one was when my 15 year-old daughter was prevented from checking out a book on her family's genealogy because the library didn't allow minors to check out adult books. This was in Massachusetts in 1978.

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  13. The Harry Potter series, Hunger Games etc. I find it hard to believe some of the books that get challenged and the whisper thin reasons why.

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  14. I took a chance and read fifty Shades of Grey. It was very explicit and all but somehow I manage to read all the books in the series

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  15. I personally have never witnessed the challenging of a book. I think it is ridiculous! Aren't there more important things to worry about than a book banning? The state of the world perhaps? Anyhoo, I did not know that the Harry Potter books were on the banned list, and they are probably my all time faves, other than anything by Charles Dickens.

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  16. I read The Hunger Games trilogy and 1984. And now I wish I win this because I so wanna read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I saw the movie and would love to read the book :3

    Thanks so much for the giveaway and the chance tow in <3

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  17. I've read Johnny Got His Gun and Thirteen Reasons Why.

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  18. I've read pretty much most of the classics that have been banned (growing up in the 70s, there were many, many banned in that era).

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  19. Harry Potter and The Hunger Games! Lots of love for both.

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  20. Almost all of my favorites have been challenged or banned, including Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Lolita.

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  21. I like Gone With the Wind- so many of the books banned were mandatory in high school in the 60's.

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  22. I've read Fifty Shades of Grey and Harry Potter. I would love to read The Hunger Games because I loved the movie.

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  23. I have read Diary of Anne Frank, A Wrinkle in Time, The Bible, Gone with the wind, Huck Finn, Enders Games and more!

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  24. I have read of the Harry Potter series and Cirque Du Freak series. Both which were removed from my middle school. So bc of those conservative parents I read the series and since then have been a huge fan of both! Thanks book banners! ;)

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  25. I have read a lot of banned/challenged books ( The Perks of Being a Wildflower, Animal Farm,
    Looking for Alaska, and Speak to name a few.)

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  26. I've read several. some of them are The Hunger Games Trilogy, Looking For Alaska, Fifty Shades series, Thirteen Reasons Why, Eleanor and Park.

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  27. My daughters are in high school. Their high school has both The House of Night books and from what I know a lot of the Ellen Hopkins books. (I make them bring them home for me to read.lol)

    Ya wanna guess which books require a parents note saying it's ok for their children to read?

    For those who don't want to guess it's the House of Night books. Honestly I would never tell anyone what they can or can't read. But I think it's friggin' hysterical that they have an issue with HON but not CRANK or TILT or any of her other works.

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  28. I was surprised to see ANASTASIA AT YOUR SERVICE (a childhood favorite) on the list, and I've read TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARIES OF A PART-TIME INDIAN, among others...

    Trix, vitajex(at)Aol(dot)com

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  29. My favorite banned book is To Kill A Mockingbird

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  30. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

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  31. "Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut! It's an amazing book that surprised me in a lot of ways. So strange to think that anyone would want to ban it! It's amazing! :)

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  32. I remember the banning of Harry Potter books..I'm like, "are you insane????!!!"

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  33. My daughter has read many books on the list and gets frustrated by books being banned. She had great experiences reading the Chocolate War, Go Ask Alice, and the Outsiders; not to mention, Harry Potter. There are so many banned books that are good.
    savewish@yahoo.com

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  34. One time I will never forget happened in my seventh grade AP English class. We were going to read "To Kill a Mockingbird" and there was one student in the class who wasn't allowed to read it(the teacher sent home permission slips)and I remember the classmate saying his parents didn't want him subjected to that kind of material and I couldn't imagine what was so wrong with the book. Even before reading the book, my dad had me watch the movie with him because he wanted me to see how people are and I couldn't believe what an important lesson this classmate was missing out on.

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  35. Harry Potter, 50 Shades, The Hunger Games and a few more. Thanks for the great giveaway!

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  36. I've read Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, 50 Shades...

    Rafflecopter name is Bex Smith

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  37. I recently read The Miseducation of Cameron Post and it was awesome! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  38. When I was very young I would get in the attic I saw 2 books about Stalan in there. When my dad saw me with them he said they were banned in us and I could not read or have them. I always wondered what the 2 books were about but he never would say and I never saw them again

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  39. I've read quite a few, from your list:
    The Perks of Being a Wildflower by Stephen Chbosky
    Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
    Looking for Alaska by John Greene (My Favorite Author)
    Elanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (Um... Seriously?)
    Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

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  40. I'm starting to believe almost every book I've ever read has been banned in one place or another! Only for class I've read: Animal Farm, 1984 and To Kill a Mockingbird. All of them banned!

    Daniela

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  41. I've read a lot of banned books but Eleanor and Park is one of my all time favs! Not surprised it got banned though. I am quite pleased to see that a lot of the books I've read in high school. I was really fortunate enough to go to a more open minded school!

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  42. The Hunger Games.
    Thanks a lot for the giveaway!

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  43. I've read too many to name but my goal for this year was to read at least 5. So far I've read 'Speak' by Laurie Halse Anderson, 'Tiger Eyes' by Judy Blume, 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison, and 'Child of God' by Cormac McCarthy. I plan on re-reading 'The Giver' by Lois Lowry as my 5th for the year since it's been over a decade since I read it last and I'd like to re-read it before I see the movie adaptation! :)

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  44. I read and loved the Hunger Games series and The Giver! Thanks for this amazing giveaway - I would love to win!

    Suz Reads

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  45. I've read a lot of banned books but my favorite is probably 1984 by Orwell.

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  46. Harry Potter & Fault in Our Stars <3

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  47. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  48. I've read The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Gone with the Wind!

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  49. I've read Harry Potter, To Kill a Mockingbird, Looking for Alaska, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Hunger Games and Eleanor & Park. Thank you for the giveaway, enjoy your day. :)

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  50. ive read quite a few books on the banned list. my favorite ever is probably of mice and men. a couple others of the top of my head i can think of without looking at the list are harry potter, twilight, 50 shades, my daughter has read captain under pants, and te color purple.

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  51. I've read and loved the Harry Potter series, Twilight Saga, Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings trilogy. I've read Anne Frank's diary and Betrayed too.

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  52. I've never witnessed a book being challenged. The library in my hometown is really awesome and they've put together a cool anti-censorship campaign this week to celebrate reading banned books. :) Previously banned books I've read and enjoyed include The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter, The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird, and A Wrinkle in Time.

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  53. I've read Eleanor and Park and The Hunger Games books.

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  54. Some of the books that I have read that were banned/challenged are The Giver, Of Mice and Men, and several books by Ellen Hopkins. Thank you for the giveaway!!

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  55. I don't really have a interesting story but it seems everyone else does.

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  56. My mother was a librarian and we always celebrated Banned Books week by reading one or two from the current list. My favorite banned book is The Color Purple.
    Thanks for the contest.

    slehan at juno dot com

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  57. The banned books I've read have mostly been classics (Brave New World, To Kill a Mockinbird) and coming from a very liberal state and city there haven't been many issues with books being challenged. This is an issue though in other parts of the country for sure!

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  58. I've read a lot of banned books but my favorite is The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I want to read Elanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.

    Rffle name: Artemis Giote

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  59. I've read The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Gone with the Wind!

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  60. I have read the Harry Potter series.

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  61. I read the harry potter series . the hunger games and The Diary of a Young Girl .I never thought any of them should have been banned

    rafflecopter name Karin Shaim

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  62. A Wrinkle of Time is on the list, and that was my favorite when I was a child.

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  63. I really love The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    -Amber Terry-

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  64. Wow.....I read a lot of banned books.....in school! Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl (7th grade); Catcher in the Rye and Slaughterhouse Five (9th grade); of Mice and Men (10th grade); Brave New World and 1984 (11th grade); Atlas Shrugged (12th grade).

    Thanks for the amazing giveaway!

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  65. I read the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games! They are both some of my favorite series ever! I'm sure there are others on the list I've read too!

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  66. I've read Harry Potter, the Hunger Games and a lot of Goosebumps books. Loved all of them :)

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  67. Mark Twain's novels, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Perks of Being a Wallflower and many other books I have reads.
    I once worked at a thrift store where the manager refused to sell Fantasy or paranormal books because it went against her personal beliefs.

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  68. Harry Potter and the Hunger games!

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  69. Harry Potter. 50 Shades of Grey. A few classics. No story to tell sadly. Although, am really surprised these were banned in the first place! Ok, maybe 50 was asking for it. But HP? Really now.

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  70. I read books way back in the past that I know were banned like Lolita and Chocolates for Breakfast (which is now out once again).

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  71. I've read several banned books such as Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies. My daughter(9) recently finished the Harry Potter series.

    Thanks :)

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  72. I've read lots of books that have been banned or challenged at some point. All of the Harry Potter books, Hunger Games, To Kill a Mockingbird, to name a few.

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  73. (Alisha Sienkiel in rafflecopter)

    A lot of my favorites have been banned at some point including Harry Potter, 1984, Gone with the Wind and A Wrinkle in Time.

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  74. i've read the fifty shades series and the twilight series and the captain underpants series.

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  75. I have read many of the banned classics, and in fact many were required high school reading. I have read all the Harry Potter books. I have the hunger games triligy, but they are still on my tbr list.

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