Banned Books Week

Photo courtesy of ASJA

Banned Books Week is coming up in a few days! It is probably one of my favorite book themed week on the calender because it draws attention to books that have been deemed to be controversial. I also like to laugh about some of the reasons certain books make it on the list (Captain Underpants?!). While I do not condone banning books -- becoming a banned book kind of gives the book some street cred and instead of discouraging people from reading them, it encourages readers to seek these books out.

So in honor of Banned Books Week here is the American Library Association's Top Ten Most Challenged Books from 2013:

Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit

Bone (series) by Jeff Smith
Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence



In the comments section feel free to tell me: What are your favorite banned books? Has your school or library banned a book? How do you feel about the subject?