{"id":12959,"date":"2017-09-25T15:32:30","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T20:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=12959"},"modified":"2017-09-25T15:32:30","modified_gmt":"2017-09-25T20:32:30","slug":"banned-books-week-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=12959","title":{"rendered":"Banned Books Week 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

(text from the American Library Association website<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

$\"\"$ Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community \u2014 librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers \u2014 in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.<\/p>\n

To continue to raise awareness about the harms of censorship and the freedom to read, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) publishes an annual list of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books, using information from public challenges reported in the media, as well as censorship reports submitted to the office through its challenge reporting form.<\/p>\n

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice.<\/p>\n

The books featured during Banned Books Week and National Library Week have all been targeted with removal or restrictions in libraries and schools. But out of the hundreds of challenges ALA records every year, only about 10% of books are removed from the location where the challenge took place, thanks to local literary champions such as librarians, students, and patrons who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read.<\/p>\n

Out of 323 challenges reported to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2016 are:<\/p>\n

This One Summer<\/em> written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki<\/strong>
\nThis young adult graphic novel, winner of both a Printz and a Caldecott Honor Award, was restricted, relocated, and banned because it includes LGBT characters, drug use, and profanity, and it was considered sexually explicit with mature themes.<\/p>\n

Drama<\/em> written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier<\/strong>
\nParents, librarians, and administrators banned this Stonewall Honor Award-winning graphic novel for young adults because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint.<\/p>\n

George<\/em> written by Alex Gino<\/strong>
\nDespite winning a Stonewall Award and a Lambda Literary Award, administrators removed this children\u2019s novel because it includes a transgender child, and the \u201csexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

I Am Jazz<\/em> written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas<\/strong>
\nThis children\u2019s picture book memoir was challenged and removed because it portrays a transgender child and because of language, sex education, and offensive viewpoints.<\/p>\n

Two Boys Kissing<\/em> written by David Levithan<\/strong>
\nIncluded on the National Book Award longlist and designated a Stonewall Honor Book, this young adult novel was challenged because its cover has an image of two boys kissing, and it was considered to include sexually explicit LGBT content.<\/p>\n

Looking for Alaska<\/em> written by John Green<\/strong>
\nThis 2006 Printz Award winner is a young adult novel that was challenged and restricted for a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to \u201csexual experimentation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Big Hard Sex Criminals<\/em> written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky<\/strong>
\nConsidered to be sexually explicit by library staff and administrators, this compilation of adult comic books by two prolific award-winning artists was banned and challenged.<\/p>\n

Make Something Up: Stories You Can\u2019t Unread<\/em> written by Chuck Palahniuk<\/strong>
\nThis collection of adult short stories, which received positive reviews from Newsweek and the New York Times, was challenged for profanity, sexual explicitness, and being \u201cdisgusting and all around offensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Bill<\/em> (series) written by Bill Cosby and illustrated by Varnette P. Honeywood<\/strong>
\nThis children\u2019s book series was challenged because of criminal sexual allegations against the author.<\/p>\n

Eleanor & Park<\/em> written by Rainbow Rowell<\/strong>
\nOne of seven New York Times Notable Children\u2019s Books and a Printz Honor recipient, this young adult novel was challenged for offensive language.<\/p>\n

Yes, books are still banned. Five of the 10 titles on the Top Ten list were removed from the location where the challenge took place. On average, OIF finds that 10% of challenges result in the removal of the book.<\/p>\n

The First Amendment guarantees all of us the freedom to read. The Library Bill of Rights, a foundational document of the library profession, states libraries should challenge censorship and present all points of view, for the enlightenment of all people.<\/p>\n

For the first time in Top Ten history, a book was challenged solely because of its author. Bill Cosby\u2019s Little Bill series was challenged because of sexual allegations against the author.<\/p>\n

Challenges continue to target LGBT material, and there is a rise in \u201csexually explicit\u201d as a challenge category. <\/p>\n

The Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles the Top Ten list by documenting public challenges (challenges that are reported in the media), as well as censorship reports submitted through the office\u2019s reporting form, in our database.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the American Library Association and Banned Books Week here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s here, one of my favorite events, Banned Books Week!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,8,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12959"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12959\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}