Today I went to the Friends of Topsham Public Library’s book sale and bought a banned book! I purchased Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak for my niece and nephew. It was banned in many places but went on to win many awards including the Caldecott Medal. There have been many criticisms leveled… Read more »
Posts By: Emma
The most frequently challenged book of the decade by Lynne
It’s amazing to me that the most frequently challenged book(s) of the last decade was the Harry Potter series. The complaints ranged from it being anti-family and violent to accusations of occultism and Satanism. I’m not usually a series person, but this is one of the few that I read to the end. What was… Read more »
My Favorite Banned Book by Dale
My favorite banned book is Cujo by Stephen King. Not only do I like dogs, but I also love a good horror book. Cujo manages to be realistic and terrifying. Stephen King’s books are often banned or challenged for explicit language and violence, but I firmly believe that I should have the freedom to choose… Read more »
A Banned Book I Read Recently by Helen
A recently re-read To Kill at Mockingbird as I really like the film adaptation and it had been years since I read the book. This book is often challenged with reasons cited as “offensive language” and “racism”. However, I think it is a true reflection of life at the time and its themes and events… Read more »
Banned Books in the News by Bernardo
I was surprised to “hear” that Invisible Man was banned because it had “…no literary value.” The article in the Christian Science monitor attributes that view to only one member of the Randolph County school board in North Carolina, who actually says that he himself did not find literary value in that book. It brings… Read more »
My Favorite Book is a Banned Book by Julie
To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book and it has been banned many times in many places. Atticus Finch has the kind of integrity and character that I strive to imitate. Had I not read this book when I was younger, I would not try to be a better human being than I… Read more »
The value of banned and challenged books by Cyndi
When reading the top ten most challenged books of 2012, I was surprised to see Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants series in the top slot. My next thought was “Why I am surprised, the series is called Captain Underpants, of course it is going to offend?!” It is obvious to me that Dav Pilkey remembers not… Read more »
One of my favorite banned books by Susan
And Tango Makes Three is one of my favorite banned books. It is based on a true story of 2 male penguins at the Central Park Zoo in NYC, who raise an egg together. It provides a great example for kids about families which come in all variations. Based on an actual event, it allows… Read more »
Most memorable banned book by Mariah
While it is not my favorite banned book, one of the top 100 banned books really jumped out at me as one of the most memorable: Bridge to Terabithia. There are many reasons why Bridge to Terabithia is challenged, but one of them is that death is central to the plot. I read Bridge to… Read more »
Banned Books Week is here!
All this week we will be celebrating Banned Books week here at the library. There will be a special display at the library, a dedicated pinterest board (join us here) and TPL staff will share some of their favorite banned books here on the blog. Do you have a favorite banned or challenged book? Let… Read more »