Someone banned Twilight. No really.
It's Banned Books Week! There are a lot of cool resources and downloads at the site including this poster (which I shrunk):
But now it is time for the mocking. The list of the books that were challenged, restricted, removed, or banned in 2009-2010 can be found at the ALA website here. Some highlights and mocking below the cut.
Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
From the ALA publication: Librarians have stripped the books from shelves in some junior schools [in Australia] because they believe the content is too sexual and goes against religious beliefs.
What is this religion that you have and how do I join it? Unless it is a religion that objects to Twilight on the basis of supernatural creatures being involved (a la objecting to Harry Potter because it promotes witchcraft). Then I must decline. Also, there is sex in Breaking Dawn, but mostly of the "fade to black" variety. Will no one object to Twilight because it encourages women to see stalking as romantic? Even so, I have let my 10 year old daughter read the books (she didn't really get through them; too boring) and see the movies. Then we had a discussion about running in the other direction if a boy ever acts like Edward or Jacob.
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
I have never read this book, but the challenge is just o_O: Challenged as part of a reading list in a fourth-grade class at Southern Hills Elementary School in Wichita Falls, Tex. (2009) because the book includes scenes depicting Egyptian worship rituals.
Pardon? You want to ban this book because it depicts Egyptian worship rituals? Are you concerned that your child will try to replicate them in your backyard?
“I’m not going to stop until it’s banned from the school district. I will not quiet down. I will not back down. I don’t believe any student should be subjected to anything that has to do with evil gods or black magic,” said the student’s father.
Oh, now I see. Heaven help us when this dad finds out about Percy Jackson & The Olympians.
House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast
I've read a short story by them set in their House of Night universe. Not my cup of tea, but not bad. But this is really unsettling: Banned at Henderson Junior High School in the Stephenville,Tex. Independent School District (2009). The entire teen vampire series was banned for
sexual content and nudity. Since the series has not been completed, “Stephenville ISD actually banned books that have not yet been published and perhaps even books that have yet to be written. There is no way the district could know the content of these books, and yet they have been banned.” Emphasis is mine.
Wow. They have banned books that do not even exist yet. "Well, I'm pretty sure they'll be objectionable." I'm pretty sure I'll find Stephenie Meyer's next book objectionable, but I'll probably read it before deciding something like that. No wait, I've APPLIED LOGIC. How silly of me. This same school has also banned another vampire teen series (Vampire Academy), so +1 for consistency on banning vampire teen romance books but -1,000,000,000 for banning books that do not even exist.
And our perennial favorite: Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
Pulled from the Menifee, Calif. Union School District (2010) because a parent complained when a child came across the term “oral sex.” Officials said the district is forming a committee to consider a permanent classroom ban of the dictionary.
According to Merriam-Webster's website, the definition of oral sex is: oral stimulation of the genitals. How vague and unappealing does that sound? So I'm guessing that it was more like the child came home and said "What the heck does 'oral stimulation of the genitals' mean?" and parental panic ensued. Because these parents were obviously not capable of using vague euphemisms to deflect the child's question (I'm not even going to suggest that people who want to ban the dictionary would be capable of giving an age-appropriate and honest answer).
Sometimes I wonder if the kids involved are on the same page with their parents or they are doing epic eyerolls behind their parents' backs.
So do your part and read a banned book. Doesn't have to be this week (I myself am in the middle of The House of Leaves which is awesome). But support your local library and go pick up a banned book and then kiss your librarian* if your library does not ban books.
*Warning: kissing librarians may result in being whacked with a hardback book and/or proposals of marriage. You may wish to warn your librarian before kissing him/her to give them the opportunity to drop The Complete Miss Marple Collection on your head as a deterrent.
But now it is time for the mocking. The list of the books that were challenged, restricted, removed, or banned in 2009-2010 can be found at the ALA website here. Some highlights and mocking below the cut.
Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
From the ALA publication: Librarians have stripped the books from shelves in some junior schools [in Australia] because they believe the content is too sexual and goes against religious beliefs.
What is this religion that you have and how do I join it? Unless it is a religion that objects to Twilight on the basis of supernatural creatures being involved (a la objecting to Harry Potter because it promotes witchcraft). Then I must decline. Also, there is sex in Breaking Dawn, but mostly of the "fade to black" variety. Will no one object to Twilight because it encourages women to see stalking as romantic? Even so, I have let my 10 year old daughter read the books (she didn't really get through them; too boring) and see the movies. Then we had a discussion about running in the other direction if a boy ever acts like Edward or Jacob.
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
I have never read this book, but the challenge is just o_O: Challenged as part of a reading list in a fourth-grade class at Southern Hills Elementary School in Wichita Falls, Tex. (2009) because the book includes scenes depicting Egyptian worship rituals.
Pardon? You want to ban this book because it depicts Egyptian worship rituals? Are you concerned that your child will try to replicate them in your backyard?
“I’m not going to stop until it’s banned from the school district. I will not quiet down. I will not back down. I don’t believe any student should be subjected to anything that has to do with evil gods or black magic,” said the student’s father.
Oh, now I see. Heaven help us when this dad finds out about Percy Jackson & The Olympians.
House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast
I've read a short story by them set in their House of Night universe. Not my cup of tea, but not bad. But this is really unsettling: Banned at Henderson Junior High School in the Stephenville,Tex. Independent School District (2009). The entire teen vampire series was banned for
sexual content and nudity. Since the series has not been completed, “Stephenville ISD actually banned books that have not yet been published and perhaps even books that have yet to be written. There is no way the district could know the content of these books, and yet they have been banned.” Emphasis is mine.
Wow. They have banned books that do not even exist yet. "Well, I'm pretty sure they'll be objectionable." I'm pretty sure I'll find Stephenie Meyer's next book objectionable, but I'll probably read it before deciding something like that. No wait, I've APPLIED LOGIC. How silly of me. This same school has also banned another vampire teen series (Vampire Academy), so +1 for consistency on banning vampire teen romance books but -1,000,000,000 for banning books that do not even exist.
And our perennial favorite: Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
Pulled from the Menifee, Calif. Union School District (2010) because a parent complained when a child came across the term “oral sex.” Officials said the district is forming a committee to consider a permanent classroom ban of the dictionary.
According to Merriam-Webster's website, the definition of oral sex is: oral stimulation of the genitals. How vague and unappealing does that sound? So I'm guessing that it was more like the child came home and said "What the heck does 'oral stimulation of the genitals' mean?" and parental panic ensued. Because these parents were obviously not capable of using vague euphemisms to deflect the child's question (I'm not even going to suggest that people who want to ban the dictionary would be capable of giving an age-appropriate and honest answer).
Sometimes I wonder if the kids involved are on the same page with their parents or they are doing epic eyerolls behind their parents' backs.
So do your part and read a banned book. Doesn't have to be this week (I myself am in the middle of The House of Leaves which is awesome). But support your local library and go pick up a banned book and then kiss your librarian* if your library does not ban books.
*Warning: kissing librarians may result in being whacked with a hardback book and/or proposals of marriage. You may wish to warn your librarian before kissing him/her to give them the opportunity to drop The Complete Miss Marple Collection on your head as a deterrent.