Tomorrow begins the 25th annual Banned Books Week (BBW), which “celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.”
Despite the event’s title, the majority of the books featured during the week were not banned, but “merely” challenged. As the American Library Association (ALA) explains, however, “Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.” Even challenges, therefore, go against fundamental First Amendment rights.
The most-challenged book of the past year, according to the ALA, was It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health “for homosexuality, nudity, sex education, religious viewpoint, abortion and being unsuited to age group.” The same author, Robie H. Harris, also had the tenth most challenged book, It’s So Amazing! A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families.
Yep, sex scares some people. Same-sex sex scares them even more. LGBT-themed books get challenged every year. Michael Willhoite, author of Daddy’s Roommate, even made the list of Top Ten Challenged Authors 1990 to 2004. Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Leslea Newman’s Heather Has Two Mommies and Nancy Garden’s Annie on My Mind also rank high.
Classic older works, not necessarily LGBT themed, received their share of challenges, too, The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird among them. Harry Potter shows up as well.
As a parent, I believe there are some books that are not appropriate for children at certain ages. I also believe it’s a parent’s right to make that decision for her or his children, and not have it made by someone else.
The ALA site has a lot more information about challenged and banned books, censorship, and what you can do if you experience book censorship in your community.
