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Banned Books Week 2016: 10 Most Challenged Books

By September 25, 2016Literature, News, Reading Habits

Banned Books Week 2016 kicked off on 25th September as the American Library Association (ALA) puts its efforts into celebrating the challenged, and banned books of our time. It’s a celebration of the freedom to read and highlights the value of free and open access to information.

Oscar Wilde said ‘The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.’ And this year’s list would certainly agree with that sentiment.

Each year the list of recently banned books changes, as our social structures change, and this year’s books are focused on issues of diversity as America still deals with its relationship with people of colour, LGBT issues, disabilities and religious and cultural minorities. In fact this year’s list shows a clear shift in thinking, as authors and publishers work to make the written word more diverse and all encompassing.

If you’re looking for a Banned Book to read this year, then here are the ten most challenged books of the last twelve months:

 

Looking for Alaska – John Green

Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.

Looking for Alaska US
Looking for Alaska UK

Looking for Alaska Review?

Fifty Shades of Grey – E. L James

Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and other (“poorly written,” “concerns that a group of teenagers will want to try it”).

Fifty Shades of Grey US
Fifty Shades of Grey UK

Submit a Review?

I Am Jazz – Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings

Reasons: Inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group.

I Am Jazz US
I Am Jazz UK

Submit a Review?



Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out – Susan Kuklin

Reasons: Anti-family, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“wants to remove from collection to ward off complaints”).

Beyond Magenta US
Beyond Magenta UK

Submit a Review?

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time – Mark Haddon

Reasons: Offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“profanity and atheism”).

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time US
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time UK

Submit a Review?

The Holy Bible

Reasons: Religious viewpoint.

Fun Home – Alison Bechdel

Reasons: Violence and other (“graphic images”).

Fun Home US
Fun Home UK

Submit a Review?



Habibi – Craig Thompson

Reasons: Nudity, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.

Habibi US
Habibi UK

Submit a Review?

Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan – Jeanette Winter

Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, and violence.

Nasreen’s Secret School US
Nasreen’s Secret School UK

Submit a Review

Two Boys Kissing – David Levithan

Reasons: Homosexuality and other (“condones public displays of affection”).

Two Boys Kissing US
Two Boys Kissing UK

Submit a Review

Mostly the list reads like a Conservative book burning, but the addition of the Bible shows that it’s not only Conservatives who wish to see books banned. The list is made up of books challenged in schools and libraries and is just a taster of the challenged books throughout the year. In 2015 a massive 275 titles were challenged, but that is down from 311 on the previous year.

One thing that hasn’t changed, and that’s the fact that a good old fashioned banning is very good for book sales, showing that banning books is the surest way to get them read!

Happy reading all, have a fantastic Banned Books Week 2016!



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