Banned Books

I found the list of banned books on the American Library Association website to be most intriguing.  I have read several of the books on the banned books list, some at school and some outside of school.  Many of the books that have been banned have been among my favorites.  I was going to bring three books with me to class last Wednesday.  The first being The Golden Compass. I read this book for the first time in 2004 as it was part of the curriculum during my study abroad program at Oxford University in England.  The course I was taking was on children's literature and we spent a good amount of time on this particular book.  When I read it the first time I was actually surprised that it was a children's book.  I thought that it had a lot of intense scenes that would scare young children.  While I normally do not like fantasy books, I found this book sucked me in and I could not put it down.  Last year, when this book came out as a movie, there was a lot of controversy in my classroom over this book.  Several of my students were reading it, however many were very against the book due to its apparently attack on Catholicism.  I had children telling other children that they shouldn't be reading that book because it is bad.  We had a discussion about how everyone has a right to choose what they are reading.  

The second book I was going to bring is the young adult novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  I can see where some people would be upset by this book but I think it speaks to young adults in the society that we live in today.  I have read this book several times, and the first time I finished it in one day.  The main character, Charlie, writes letters about what is happening in his life.  He goes through states of depression, stemming from sexual abuse when he was younger.  This book deals with suicide (Charlie's best friend commits suicide before he starts high school), homosexuality, experimentation with drugs and alcohol, friendships, abuse, sexuality, and family relationships.  It also goes through feelings that all teens experience; loss, sadness, happiness, confusion, and being alone.  

The third book I was going to bring, which I have seen on a few banned lists, but not many, is Number the Stars. The reason I wanted to bring this book is because it could be used in another curriculum area other than language arts, but also because I was challenged for using this book in my classroom.  A parent was upset and thought that I was supporting the Nazi movement by sharing this book with my class.  He wanted the book to be burned.  I had to go through several meeting with my administration about this and I found it very upsetting as I find this book to be absolutely amazing.  

Overall, it seems that many of the books on the banned book lists are ones that speak to their readers and are on topics that can be touchy.  Many of these books seem to be the ones that people can relate to the most and find the most interesting to read.