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Banned Books Week – The 10 Most Challenged Titles Of 2014
In this post to celebrate banned books week, we share the most challenged titles of 2014.
27 September – 3 October 2015 is Banned Books Week
What is Banned Books Week?
Banned Books Week is the book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookshops, and libraries. More than 11 000 books have been challenged since 1982. (Have a look at our previous posts 2013, 2012, 2011)
The 10 most challenged titles of 2014 were:
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie. Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs / alcohol / smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: ‘depictions of bullying’.
- Persepolis
by Marjane Satrapi. Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: ‘politically, racially, and socially offensive’, ‘graphic depictions’.
- And Tango Makes Three
by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: ‘promotes the homosexual agenda’.
- The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison. Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: ‘contains controversial issues’.
- It’s Perfectly Normal
by Robie Harris. Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: ‘alleges it child pornography’.
- Saga
by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.
- The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini. Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky. Reasons: drugs / alcohol / smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: ‘date rape and masturbation’.
- A Stolen Life
by Jaycee Dugard. Reasons: drugs / alcohol / smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group
- Drama
by Raina Telgemeier. Reasons: sexually explicit
by Sherman Alexie. Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs / alcohol / smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: ‘depictions of bullying’.
by Marjane Satrapi. Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: ‘politically, racially, and socially offensive’, ‘graphic depictions’.
by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: ‘promotes the homosexual agenda’.
by Toni Morrison. Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: ‘contains controversial issues’.
by Robie Harris. Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: ‘alleges it child pornography’.
by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.
by Khaled Hosseini. Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence.
by Stephen Chbosky. Reasons: drugs / alcohol / smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: ‘date rape and masturbation’.
by Jaycee Dugard. Reasons: drugs / alcohol / smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age groupIf you want to find out which books were the most challenged over the past 14 years, follow this link: The Top Ten Challenged Books Lists: 2001-2014
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Posted on: 26th September 2015
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Note that the original success of The Kite Runner came though its choice as “summer reading” for the Providence, Rhode Island (USA) public school system. That bulk purchase put it on the best seller list.