Censors
hip:
An
Unsettling

Censorship has been practiced since the
beginning of the written word.

1205
Saint Dominic supervised

burning of heretical books

1559 - 1964
 Vaticanpublished index of books
that Catholics were forbidden to
read.

1500s – 1700s
 Zealous missionaries destroyed
Native American writings. This is one
of the few remaining examples, now
in the British Library

1500s
 Martin Luther’s writings
banned by the Pope

1726
 Gulliver’s Travels described as “wicked and
obscene” and banned in England, even
into the 20th century!

1800s
 New York Society for the
Suppression of Vice urged lawmakers
to prohibit “offensive” materials

1929
Candide seized by customs officers in New
York. It was an assigned reading text at
Harvard!

1982
Book and record burning in
Monticello, Minnesota,
organized by fundamentalists
ministers

1987
 State-approved textbooks
challenged in Alabama

Examples of Specific Challenges
 Banned in Mayfield, Kentucky (1986), for
\"offensive and obscene passages referring
to abortion\"; it also \"uses God's name in
vain.\"

Grapes of Wrath
 Since 1939, it has
been burned,
barred, banned,
challenged, and
placed on restricted
use for \"vulgar
language\" and
characterization.

Alice in Wonderland
 Censoredin
China, 1931:
\"Animals
should not
use human
language.\"

Cinderella
 Challenged in court
by Hawkins County,
Tennessee parents
and decreed by a
U.S. District Court
Judge to
\"indoctrinate
students in secular
humanist beliefs.\"

Are You There God,
It’s Me, Margaret
 Banned from
some schools; in
many others,
restricted to
students who
present written
permission from
their parents.

What About Huck?

Lots O’ Controversy…
 1885: Banned in Concord, Mass. as \"trash and
suitable only for the slums.\"
1905: Barred from the Brooklyn Library
Children's Room because \"Huck not only itches
but scratches, and says sweat when he should
say perspiration.\"
1957: Dropped from New York City schools list
of readings for frequent use of the “n” word.
1969: Removed from Miami-Dade Junior College
required reading list because it \"creates an
emotional block for black students that inhibits
learning.\"

And more…
 CHALLENGED AS RACIST:
 1976: Winnetka, Illinois
 1981: Warrington, Pennsylvania
 1981: Davenport, Iowa
 1982: Fairfax County, Virginia
 1982: Houston, Texas
 1983: State College, Pennsylvania
 1984: Springfield, Illinois
 1984: Waukegan, Illinois
 1986: Lincoln, Nebraska

(Too) Close to Home…
Athletic Shorts Banned in Michigan
Grand Rapids, MI
In Grand Rapids, MI, after a parent
complained, the teacher was
suspended and the book
was removed from the schools,
including the libraries.

Books Most Frequently Challenged - 2007
 1) And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-
Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2) The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence

3) Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language
 4) The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: Religious Viewpoint
 5) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Reasons: Racism

 6) The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive
Language,
 7) TTYL, by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,
Unsuited to Age Group
 8) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Reasons: Sexually Explicit
 9) It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit
 10) The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive
Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Initiators of Challenges

Challenges by Type

Challenges by Institution

What Do YOU Think?
 MySpace Page on Banned Books
 FaceBook Page on Banned Books
 National Coalition Against Censorship