Banned Books Week - Day 4
September 30 - October 6 is Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of the fight against literary censorship.
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
A Light in the Attic, first published in 1981, has become a cornerstone of the poetic education of the children in this country. Beloved by many, it, along with the other volumes by Silverstein, has been read to tatters by countless children and is still the go-to resource for many students and teachers alike when National Poetry Month rolls around every April.
The book is one of the top hundred most frequently challenged books of the nineties. In 2004, a mother tries to have all Silverstein's books from her child's school because of a poem in which a young girl claims she will die if her parents don't buy her a pony and then makes good on the threat. Other detractors have condemned it for the poem that claims that if children drop dishes while washing them, they won't be asked to repeat the chore. Many others have latched on to the other absurdities in Silverstein's books, somehow failing to see the humor and satire that even young children are aware of and enjoy.
For more information on Banned Books Week, check out the ALA's BBW site or BannedBooksWeek.org.
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
A Light in the Attic, first published in 1981, has become a cornerstone of the poetic education of the children in this country. Beloved by many, it, along with the other volumes by Silverstein, has been read to tatters by countless children and is still the go-to resource for many students and teachers alike when National Poetry Month rolls around every April.
The book is one of the top hundred most frequently challenged books of the nineties. In 2004, a mother tries to have all Silverstein's books from her child's school because of a poem in which a young girl claims she will die if her parents don't buy her a pony and then makes good on the threat. Other detractors have condemned it for the poem that claims that if children drop dishes while washing them, they won't be asked to repeat the chore. Many others have latched on to the other absurdities in Silverstein's books, somehow failing to see the humor and satire that even young children are aware of and enjoy.
Click to viewFor more information on Banned Books Week, check out the ALA's BBW site or BannedBooksWeek.org.