We read banned books at BCPL! Book challenges, bans, and burnings have been happening for centuries. The American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom began tracking censorship attempts twenty years ago. In 2022, the highest number of books were challenged or banned since ALA began their documentation. As of August 30, 2023, ALA has documented 1,915 attempts to censor books this year alone!
Reasons for banning books run the gamut. Here are some real (and silly) reasons books have been banned/challenged.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Banned/Challenged: discusses menstruation.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Banned/Challenged: is a “real downer”.
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Banned/Challenged: encourages kids to break dishes.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Banned/Challenged: portrays unnatural depictions of animals speaking and acting like humans.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
Banned/Challenged: mistaken for a book by another author named Bill Martin.
Harriet the Spy by Louis Fitzhugh
Banned/Challenged: teaches kids to lie and spy.
Little Red Riding Hood by the Brothers Grimm
Banned/Challenged: mentions Little Red Riding Hood carrying a bottle of wine in her basket.
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Banned/Challenged: encourages disruptive behavior.
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
Banned/Challenged: features a bear who doesn’t wear pants.
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Banned/Challenged: has too much magic.
This Banned Books Week, join BCPL as we celebrate the freedom to read. Check out all of the above books from your favorite BCPL location!
Stella is a native Northern Kentuckian and serves as the Community Events Liaison for BCPL. Outside of work she loves to hike, read, craft, and play with her two cats: Moss and Margaret.
For more information:
Banned Books Week is a Celebration! by Carrie Herrmann
Intellectual Freedom by Carrie Herrmann
BCPL’s Banned Books Week video
Oh my goodness! Thank you and this organization for standing up and pointing out the craziness and danger of the action of banning books. What’s next, censoring news, speach, voting, etc
The fear really lies in sheltering our children from truth and the value if various perspectives and free exchange of thought. If we filter any form of communication, what do we teach our children about dealing with disagreements on anything? Also, are our children so fragile that we need to shelter them from words someone dislikes for any reason? When does a child get to make there own decision and why are we so worried that they may disagree with someone? Who decides who is given the power to make these decisions for everyone else? What happens to democracy?
It is our responsibility to expand our children’s lives, answer their questions, even the difficult ones teach them to listen. and think critically. The fear should be in making choices for others and taking away their right to know the facts, learn, challenge and grow.
BCPL agrees with you and hope everyone will celebrate Banned Books Week!
A ban on a book means said book can no longer be bought or sold, this is obviously not the case.
A ban on a book means said book cannot be bought or sold. This is obviously not the case. Stick to the dewey decimal system.
I shared this on Facebook. Thank you for posting this showing the absolute absurdity of these bannings.