Ok

  I standup and proudly declare I have read quite a few of those books. And enjoyed every one them.

 I am over 18 and no one is going to tell me what I can read..  As for my childern I will decide what they can read.

Not big brother.

So a big fat, juicey raspberry to the censors!!

I agree with you all!  If you don't want your child to read a certain book, then don't let them.  But don't ask that it be pulled from a library so than NO child is able to read it. 

Plus, don't folks know that the surest way to get a kid to read a certain book is to tell them they CAN'T?

Katrina

There are two questions I would love to ask of would-be book banners:  1) Have you read the book? and depending upon that answer: If you have, why are you uniquely (sp?) privilaged to be able to read it, or if they have not read the book, How are you qualified to judge a book you have not read? To me it is like a critic writing a review of a restaurant without eating there or writing a review of a movie without viewing it first.  They all lack credibility.

Edited for spelling.

I am curious to know if any of the challenged books were actually banned?   Does anyone know?  I didn't find the answer to that on the site provided. 

I don't understand why some of them are challenged in the first place...like Bridge to Terabithia and The Pigman. Can't figure those out. I read both of those as a child.

Cozette,

generally speaking if they have been "banned" it's been at one school or public library (or maybe a school distrcit)

For example, currently there is a case in Flordia where the book "vamos a cuba" was pulled from the Miami-Dade school district  because some people where upset that it doesn't portray Castro as a bad man (it is a book about cuba for young children in a series of books about visiting different countries .)  The district was sued and the court ruled the book should be put back -- I think it's currently in appeal.

I get the American Library Association magazine every month, and there are generally 2-3 cases mentioned each month from somewhere in the US -- most of the time the books stay on the shelf, or are put back after being pulled.

My DH, DS and I had a conversation about this list a few months ago. The Houston Chronicle did an article about it during Banned Book Week which I am proud to say our (conservative) school district participates in. If you're not familiar with it check out the site below. It's tag line is "Free People Read Freely." I was really surprised to see some of the books listed....always thought Huck Finn was considered a classic. I remember reading it in 5th grade at the Christian school I attended.

http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm

I was wondering why they felt that books on the changes in a childs body as they grow up should be banned.  If they are read with an adult close by to help them understand the changes why should there be a problem with the child reading them???

As for some of the other books on the list....I read several of them and found no problem with them.  When my kids were just starting to pick out their own books to read I would make sure they were age appropriate and then let them read them.  I have to agree with several of you in saying that if the parent does not want their child to read a certain book then don't let them but don't make it so my child can not read it by trying to get the book you don't like banned.

Ivy

(Mother of two grown bookworms, grandmother to one beginning reader)