Happy Sunday, everyone! Here’s what’s a-cookin’ at Smugglerville.
Giveaway Winner:
Blogger and author Tia Nevitt has announced the winner of a copy of The Sevenfold Spell! The lucky winner is:
Congratulations! Send Tia Nevitt an email (tia.nevitt@gmail.com), and she will get your e-copy of The Sevenfold Spell off to you as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone that entered, and to Tia for wonderful ‘jammies party!
Banned Books Week 2010:
September 25 – October 2 is Banned Books Week, a weeklong event in which we celebrate our rights of intellectual freedom and free speech. From 2001 to 2009, American libraries were faced with 4,312 challenges. The majority of challenges were initiated by parents (almost exactly 48%), while patrons and administrators followed behind (10% each). Here is the list of the most frequently challenged books in 2009 (as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom):
1. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs
2. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: Homosexuality
3. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide
4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
6. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
7. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence
8. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
10. by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
We will be posting more about frequently challenged and banned books in 2010 this week, and encourage everyone to check out the ALA’s website and see how you can participate in the event.
This Week on The Book Smugglers:
On Monday, Thea reviews The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima.
Tuesday, we have a joint review of Double Cross, the second book from Carolyn Crane. Later in the day we have author CJ over for another “Smuggled!” video segment, so make sure to stick around!
On Wednesday, our very own Dude, Harry Markov of Temple Library Reviews, is over for another guest post with his review of Shade Fright by Sean Cummings.
Thursday, Ana reviews Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld.
And, finally, we close out the week with a Banned Books Week post.
Until tomorrow, we remain…
5 Comments
Ceilidh
September 26, 2010 at 7:31 amTwilight? Sexually explicit? I mean yes the books are all about selling sex in a Disney-esque manner but still, this just emphasises my belief that most book banners don’t actually read the books. Same for To Kill a Mockingbird. I’m not at all surprised that the majority of challenged books are aimed at kids and young adults, or that homosexuality is so often a reason to censor. Damnit.
katiebabs
September 26, 2010 at 7:42 amTwilight? *Laughs hysterically* The book is all about not having sex and abstaining. Sexually explicit? I guess those scenes where Bella climbs on Edward’s back and the fly in the trees has a hidden sexual meaning.
Tia Nevitt
September 26, 2010 at 1:07 pmThanks for announcing the winner, and thanks so much for having me on your blog!
Erica
September 26, 2010 at 3:41 pmWorking in a library is particularly fun and rewarding during banned books week.
Go forth and check out something really subversive, everyone! There’s plenty to choose from. 😀
Ginny
September 26, 2010 at 4:49 pmIt disgusting that homosexuality can still be used as a reason to ban a book. It’s the 21st Century for Christ sake! I can understand drug use & suicide especially if it’s in a children’s book, but seriously.
& Twilight was basically the sexual (or not so) fantasy of a 30? 40? Year old housewife, which does involve vampires, maybe people heard this & expected it to be a little more kinky. To be fair most vampire book have at least one sex scene (or at least the one’s I’ve read).
If people are going to complain they should really do their research.