Read Banned Books

Banned Books Week
September 23-30

100 Most Frequently Challenged Books from 1990-2000

Seriously, take a look at this list. I was surprised by a number of things.

1. How long ago did Mark Twain write Huckleberry Finn? 100 and then some years ago? (1885) Can you believe it is STILL taking heat? What an ego trip for Mr. Twain. (#5)
   
2. Judy Blume?!?!?! I thought she was required reading for surviving puberty. (#8, #32, #46, #62, #78) Who knew?
   
3. Note that the Harry Potter series is at #48 in the 1990-1999 list and jumped to #7 in the list that summarizes through 2000. Way to go, J.K. Rowling!
   
4. Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett (#91). You've got to be kidding! This is one of my all-time favorite books. Now I have to go read it again just to figure out what the objection could be.
   
5. Some are pretty obvious. American Psycho? Yeah, that's a chiller. But Shel Silverstein? Those fun little poems that I read to my kids? What's up with that?
   
6. Mostly I was suprised by how many of these I've already read. I'm left wondering, what do these people (i.e. those who wish these books not to be in our schools and libraries) expect us to read?