Book 'Em Dano

“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”

Desiderius Erasmus 1469-1536


Granted I am a bit tardy in mentioning the “25th Annual Banned Books Week” which was celebrated from September 23 to 30, 2006 but here is my tribute to this project which is organized by the American Library Association (ALA):

http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm

Please review this website today before the censors ban it!!

According to the ALA the “10 Most Challenged Books of 2005” (March 2006 ALA press release) reflect a range of themes. These ten books are listed below:

“It's Perfectly Normal” for homosexuality, nudity, sex education, religious viewpoint, abortion and being unsuited to age group;
“Forever” by Judy Blume for sexual content and offensive language;
“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger for sexual content, offensive language and being unsuited to age group;
“The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier for sexual content and offensive language;
“Whale Talk” by Chris Crutcher for racism and offensive language;
“Detour for Emmy” by Marilyn Reynolds for sexual content;
“What My Mother Doesn't Know” by Sonya Sones for sexual content and being unsuited to age group;
Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey for anti-family content, being unsuited to age group and violence;
“Crazy Lady!” by Jane Leslie Conly for offensive language; and
“It's So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families” by Robie H. Harris for sex education and sexual content.

It is worth noting that 7 out of 10 of these books were “challenged” by opponents/self-appointed censors due to their shared theme of “sexual content” and 2 out of the 10 books were challenged due their “offensive language”.

Now I have never read Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher but would note that it was challenged due to its use of “racism and offensive language." Amazing that this was offensive to someone – have they never heard a speech delivered by the Reverend Jesse Jackson? I don’t appreciate his racism and offensive language which promotes class warfare but I am not calling for him to be silenced.

Please read the First Amendment today,

Todd