The World's Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

ALA Banned Books

Hey, ya'll! I was just looking at the American Library Association's top 100 banned books from 1990-2000 (I only found a top 10 for the 21st c., but didn't look TOO hard). I was just wondering what any of ya'll thought about any of these books or relative topics. I'm reminded of the community (in Virginia?) a year or so ago that actually BURNED copies of Fahrenheit 451 because it was on the public school system's reading list. Ya think they knew what they were doing???? Anyway, as I am unable to figure out how to post the link on here (would appreciate any tutelage), I just googled "banned books" and ALA's site was the first (and certainly relevant).

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jeffrey on July 27, 2008 at 12:31pm

They burned copies of Fahrenheit 451? That's ironic!

Permalink Reply by Buffy on July 27, 2008 at 10:00pm

I'm sure they had no clue what they were doing, because no doubt none of them had read it. Likely they were all the type that if it's not the Bible or an "approved" Christian book it's evil.

I always loved doing the "banned books" displays in the other bookstores I worked in (I made sure I got to do them each year during "banned books month". What always amused me is that the very people who want to ban everything don't seem to realize their precious Bible is on the list of banned/challenged books. Fools.

Permalink Reply by Mary Lupin on July 28, 2008 at 7:47pm

ALA Banned Books

I looked around a bit and found the most amazing thing. Here's the headline:

Children’s book on male penguins raising chick tops ALA's 2007 list of most challenged books

Here's the first paragraph:

CHICAGO – For a second consecutive year, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s award-winning "And Tango Makes Three," a children’s book about two male penguins caring for an orphaned egg, tops the list of American Library Association’s (ALA) 10 Most Challenged Books of 2007.

Stars...wouldn't want to realize that same-gender parenting was just a function of being an animal. Wonder if those that "challenged" the book had any particular religious affiliation?

Permalink Reply by Fabio on July 29, 2008 at 2:15am

Burning books should be criminal, regardless of their quality, and not only because it's a waste of precious paper. I wouldn't burn even a Bible, even though that might save a considerable number of synapses. A couple of years ago, groups of people in some municipalities in all parts of Italy gathered under the leadership of their parish priests and burnt copies of The Da Vinci Code.

Madness. As Heine put it, "wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings."

Permalink Reply by Vitomama on July 29, 2008 at 11:12am

Yeah, I remember the Da Vinci Code burning. Don't these people realize that burning the written word does NOTHING to obliterate the idea? In fact, I would suggest that it actually stokes curiosity. Just like those folks who burned all those Beatles records when Lennon stated that they were "bigger than Jesus" (which they WERE).

Permalink Reply by cognitive dissident on July 31, 2008 at 11:52am

Last year, I celebrated ALA's "Banned Books Week" by reading Kerouac's On the Road, Ginsberg's Howl, and Burroughs' Naked Lunch. (I was really beat by the time I finished...)