Saturday, September 26, 2015

READSTRICTED GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP

*  Enter HERE for the chance to win $250 Paypal Cash!
*  Read my review of BLACK DOVE, WHITE RAVEN by Elizabeth Wein
*  Discover my newest book release, THE STORYTELLERS 
 

banned books giveaway hop 
http://www.bookhounds.net/2015/08/banned-books-giveaway-hop-sign-ups-now-open.html 


ABOUT BANNED BOOKS WEEK
(from BannedBooksWeek.org)

Banned Books Week is the national book community's annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events.The 2015 celebration will be held September 27-October 3.

ENTER BELOW TO WIN BANNED BOOKS!

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982 according to the American Library Association. There were 311 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2014, and many more go unreported. The 10 most challenged titles of 2014 were:

1)      The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”

2)      Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”

3)      And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”

4)      The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”

5)      It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it child pornography”

6)      Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. Additional reasons:

7)      The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence

8)      The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”

9)      A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group

10)  Drama, by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: sexually explicit

For more information on Banned Books Week, click here.

WHY I SUPPORT BANNED BOOKS WEEK.

As a mother of five children and a devout Christian, I choose not read books (or watch movies) with graphic violence or sex or profanity. I try to make myself aware of what my kids are reading and watching, and I encourage them to choose books that do not fill their heads with crap. Here, on my blog, I always include a CONTENT RATING for every book I review so other parents will be able to make those same choices.

But here is the key word -- CHOICE. I do not support one person or group of people limiting the choices of others by attempting to ban or censor books from public libraries or schools. Just because one parent finds a book offensive should not dictate whether other people in their community should have access to that book.

Parents have an obligation to know what their kids are reading--their own kids--but do not have the right to "parent" other people's kids.

To celebrate choice in reading and parenting, I am giving away my three of my favorite top banned books in the past decade. These may surprise you! (In fact, I think it is rather silly that anyone would try to ban these books. Good grief!!)

The Adventures of Captain Underpants
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
The Giver
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus (Junie B. Jones Series #1)
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
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3 comments:

  1. Junie B. Jones? Are you serious. What could anyone have to say negatively about those? Lu reads them all the time.

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  2. I never knew Junie B.Jones was banned!!

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  3. I love the Junie B. Jones books. I cannot imagine them being banned.

    ReplyDelete