Think & Write

Banned Book Week and What it All Means

During the week of September 27th - October 3rd, libraries and readers fight literary censorship by celebrating Banned Book Week.  The word "banned" isn't necessarily the most accurate word to use, however, since most of the time novels are challenged.  The difference is banning a book makes it or a portion of the work unavailable.  Banning a book requires the work (or sections of the work) to be taken off shelves and renders readers unable to enjoy it at all.  This is an issue in the fact that it then acts as a form of censorship.

Challenging a book means that someone has deemed the book "inappropriate" (in their opinion) and by doing so are asking a library or book provider to remove the content.  These organizations are not required to make the material unavailable if they feel that it doesn't meet the criteria for banning a book.  

 A book can be challenged / banned based on the following guidelines: 

• Racial Issues -- about or encouraging racism
  
• Encouragement of "Damaging" Lifestyles -- including drug use or homosexuality
• Blasphemous Dialog -- using the words "God" or "Jesus" as profanity
• Sexual Situations or Dialog -- talking about sex in any form
• Violence or Negativity -- promoting either of these things or having characters act violently; some books have been considered too depressing 
• Witchcraft or sorcery -- anything having to do with the realm of magic
• Unpopular Religious Affiliations -- books that talk about the opinions or ideas of "unpopular religions"  
• Political Bias / Agenda --  works that support extreme political parties or ideas
• Age Appropriateness -- books that have content that is considered too mature or adult for the age group that it is geared towards  

Many popular and classic books have found their way on the banned / challenged book lists.  Clockwork Orange, for example, had the final chapter of the novel banned in America.  Because of this, the ending of the film is NOT the same ending as in the novel. 

Other novels on the list include (but are NOT limited to):

• The Great Gatsby for language and sexual references
• Their Eyes Were Watching God for sexual experiences
• The Harry Potter Series for political agenda and witch craft
• And Tango Makes Three (a juvenile non-fiction book about two male penguins adopting a baby penguin) for homosexual relationships and same-sex marriage
• The Captain Underpants series for offensive language and age appropriateness
• A Light in the Attic (a collection of poems by Silverstien) for promoting disrespect and violence

Since 1982 there have been over 11,400 books challenged and/or banned and it is still a common occurrence in 2015. 

You can fight censorship by reading banned works throughout the year, but especially during Banned Book Week.