You can find the lists anywhere. The only thing needed to find multiple lists is to type in "Banned books list" into Yahoo's search engine, and you will come across an array of choices. You have everything from To Kill A Mockingbird to Little Red Riding Hood. Many books are questionable in the message they intend, and because of this, they have been banned in certain cities or counties at one time or another. What really gets under my skin is when certain people go to extensive measures to have books removed from a specific city or county.
Yes you have an opinion. But to try and have a certain book removed in a county where people may have other opinions, is a no. How can you assume that anyone else will share the same opinion?
Recently, a woman named Laura Mallory has filed multiple complaints against all six Harry Potter books to the Gwinnett Board of Education. She wants all six of the books removed from the shelves of school libraries in Gwinnett County because she believes they promote "evil themes, witchcraft, demonic activity, murder, evil blood sacrifice, spells and teaching children all of this." Yes it may be true to an extent, but you have to look at the good side of these books as well. The good side of this series show that good can overcome evil. Apparently not in Mrs. Mallory's opinion. But how could she possibly claim all of this when she has never so much as picked up one of these books?
She claims she is concerned that "it would be difficult for children to distinguish between the fantastical events in the books and real life." Sure many young children wish they would recieve their very own acceptance letter from Hogwarts, but children are not ignorant. They can distinguish the difference between reality and illusion. It's just that children choose at times to dwell in fantastical events. And in real life, do we not teach young children things that do not exist? Ever heard of Santa Claus? The Easter Bunny? The Tooth Fairy? Should we ban the right to believe in them when we are young as well? Children grow up, and face reality just the same as if they did not read such a book. I know because when I was 10 I started reading Harry Potter series, and have read every book of the series since then.
If you want to stop your children from reading books that are questionable to your beliefs, go for it. But keep it to yourself.
Harry Potter books promote evil? I think not. But I do think Laura Mallory should practice what she preaches.
And she's filed ANOTHER appeal. You would think after she lost the appeal to the state she would give up. But noooo.....
~C
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Don't you ever feel like those people who decry Harry Potter as a devil-worship book would actually read them first? Great comments about rights concerning published literature....I for one thought that's what one of America's fundamental tenets were "Freedom of the Press".....some people are freakin idiots.
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I cannot really see banning any book from library's. Children need to gain their own self, need to shape their minds and figure out who they are for themselves not by some boxed structure. How are children suppost to grow to be a successful author such as J.K Rowling if they never had that certain book that they found in the library that inspired them to write the next great novel. It wouldnt be fair to say here you can have this book but not the other.
If parents feel there is a maturity issue than fine put them in certain areas but do not ban them. This will probably only intice kids anyway to seek out their fantasies else where.
This is just a single example of attempted book banning, and it isn't nearly one of the most detrimental because we all know she will never succeed. My high school library had an entire series of books that discussed instances of book banning throughout U.S. history. Basically every important, ground-breaking book ever written was banned or almost banned at one point. Harry Potter books aren't politically ground-breaking, and neither are Judy Blume books (many of which people like Ms. Mallory tried to ban), but it's the principle here that counts.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
People can be so narrowed minded. It makes me wonder... I know I have no right to tell people what to think and I have no right to make everyone think like me, though some things in the news today can be so ridiculus you forget what century you are living in.
I did a search, and was surprised to see how many books I have read have been banned. However, some of these are not without reason. For exapmple, The color Purple, while a very heart-touching story, should be introduced to kids at an older age, middle school at the earliest. It should in no way be banned from public libraries, high school or college libraries, or book stores, but Schools should not read it until high school age. Before that, it should be up to the parent. The languege is very explicit, which is why the reader may have trouble putting it down. However, it is very shocking. Bridge to Terrabitia, from what I know, is about two kids who make up a fantasy land, face normal troubles, and face a difficult an tragic event at the end. I see no reason kids with a high enough reading level (ie nine years old and up) should not read it. The same is true with Judy Blume Books. They are about things young kids can relate to, and that helps them get through it. Other books on the list, I can see insisting on waiting to let your child read it, and maybe not even wanting it in schools, but banning it all together seems extreme. On the list were very important books, such as Brave new World. Some, I think were not even that good, like Handmaid's Tale. I did not see the importance, except to feminists, and did not think it was extremely well written. Other books, namely the ones with Sex in the title, covered topics I think parents would rather talk to their kids about.