There's a Book for That: Banned Books Week
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Yes, it’s Banned Books Week. Did you know that The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 354 challenges to library, school and university materials in 2017? According to the ALA, the year 2017 saw an increase in censorship attempts and a revitalized effort to remove books from communal shelves to avoid controversy. Of the 416 books challenged or banned in 2017, the following four Penguin Random House titles (here with ALA’s annotation about the challenge) were on the Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged List:
Originally published in 2007, this New York Times bestseller has resurfaced as a controversial book after Netflix aired a TV series by the same name. This YA novel was challenged and banned in multiple school districts because it discusses suicide.
This critically acclaimed, multigenerational novel was challenged and banned because it includes sexual violence and was thought to “lead to terrorism” and “promote Islam.”
This 2015 informational children’s book written by a certified sex educator was challenged because it addresses sex education and is believed to lead children to “want to have sex or ask questions about sex.”
This autobiographical picture book co-written by the 13-year-old protagonist was challenged because it addresses gender identity.
Check out this related story:
Penguin Random House Partners with “We Need Diverse Books” in Observance of Banned Books Week
And visit this collection to learn more about these and other challenged/banned books: Banned Books Week 2018
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