100 Banned Books (41-50)

Halfway home in the 100 Banned Books!

41
TITLE: To Kill a Mockingbird
AUTHOR: Harper Lee
ISBN: 0446310786
Plot Summary: The classic story of growing up in the American Deep South in the 1930’s. In it, a lawyer must defend a black man accused of raping a white woman, while single-handedly raising two young children.
Complaints: Sexual themes, offensive language, racial themes
Considered “dangerous” because of profanity and undermining of race relations. Challenged (temporaily banned) in Eden Valley, Minnesota, 1977; Vernon-Verona-Sherill, New York, School District, 1980; Warren, Indiana, township schools, 1981; Waukegan, Illinois, School District, 1984; Kansas City, Missouri, junior high schools, 1985; Park Hill (Missouri) Junior High School, 1985. Protested by black parents and NAACP in Casa Grande (Arizona) Elementary School District, 1985.
Solonor Says Ban It Because: I can’t come up with a even a sarcastic reason to ban this book. How could anyone be so insane as to think that this book–which is about mob rule and racial stereotypes and hatred–teaches kids racism or shouldn’t be taught because they might be made “uncomfortable”. Of course, they should be made uncomfortable by those things! Good grief, people, have a clue.
Links:
Banned Books Project Essay: To Kill A Mockingbird


42
TITLE: Beloved
AUTHOR: Toni Morrison
ISBN: 0452280621
Plot Summary: Sethe, a former slave from Kentucky, is haunted by the ghost of her 2-year-old daughter, Beloved, whom she killed rather than allow to be recaptured. Now, 18 years later, a mysterious young woman takes an intense interest in Sethe…and her name is Beloved.
Complaints: Sexual themes, offensive language, racial themes
Too cruel for high schoolers to read. One parent in Sarasota, FL, complained of “sex, violence, cruelty, brutality, aberrant sexual behavior, offensive language and derisive names.” In 1995 the Anaheim Union High School District banned it from the district’s curriculum after a community member complained the story was too graphic for high school students. Board trustee Katherine Smith said, “I think that there are so many other wonderful creative works of literature out there we could use. We need literature that is uplifting and positive, and I don’t think this book is.”
Solonor Says Ban It Because: Yeah! Slavery’s not upbeat enough. Let’s ban anything to do with it.
Links:
A Remnant of Slavery’s Horror – This tells the real life story of Margaret Garner–a Kentucky slave who’s tragic story inspired ‘Beloved’.

43
TITLE: The Outsiders
AUTHOR: S.E. Hinton
ISBN: 014038572X
Plot Summary: Narrated by Ponyboy Curtis, it tells the story of rival gangs from different sides of the tracks–the greasers and the socials. Everyone considers the greasers to be outsiders. Even when they save some kids from a burning church, the papers say: “Juvenile Delinquents Turn Hero.”
Complaints: Violence, offensive language
“Virtually all the characters are from broken homes.”
Solonor Says Ban It Because: And we don’t want to see any of that around here.
Links:
S.E. Hinton.com

44
TITLE: The Pigman
AUTHOR: Paul Zindel
ISBN: 0553263218
Plot Summary: Mr. Pignati is the Pigman–an old man with a beer belly and a strange story. When two high schoolers meet up with him, they learn his whole sad tale.
Complaints: Offensive language, sexual themes
A parent in Plano, Texas, said: The first few words, including ‘epic’ and ‘avocation,’ made the novel seem normal, but following words, like ‘raunchiest,’ ‘excruciatingly’ and ‘subliminally,’ are strange words that imply ugly things.”
Solonor Says Ban It Because: Imagine the uproar over words like ‘rational’ and ‘educated’!
Links:
Plano Parental Rights Council: Bad Books

45
TITLE: Bumps in the Night
AUTHOR: Harry Allard
ISBN: 0440412862
Plot Summary: Dudley Stork enlists the help of his friends, to find out why his new house is haunted.
Complaints: Mysticism
Solonor Says Ban It Because: More witchcraft…this time it’s a seance for kiddies.

46
TITLE: Deenie
AUTHOR: Judy Blume
ISBN: 0440932599
Plot Summary: A 13-year-old girl, headed for a modeling career, discovers she has a deformation of the spine called scoliosis.
Complaints: Sexual themes
National Review Online: “The subplot…reads like a Jocelyn Elders how-to manual for self-arousal.”
Solonor Says Ban It Because: I can’t even talk about it. It’s too embarassing…that’s not the way kids feel…um, I didn’t mean ‘feel’…I meant, it touches on the wrong subjects…no! wait! I didn’t say ‘touches’…uhhhh…Oh, hell, just ban it, will ya?
Links:
Deenie

47
TITLE: Flowers for Algernon
AUTHOR: Daniel Keyes
ISBN: 0553274503
Plot Summary: Charlie Gordon, a mentally handicapped man, subjects himself to a radical experiment designed to increase his intelligence–so he can learn to read and be respected. We watch Charlie as he moves from retardation to genius…and back again.
Complaints: Sexual themes
Explicit, distasteful love scenes cited among reasons for opposition. Banned by Plant City, Florida, 1976; Emporium, Pennsylvania, 1977; Glen Rose (Arkansas) High School library, 1981. Challenged by Oberlin (Ohio) High School, 1983; Glenrock (Wyoming) High School, 1984.
Solonor Says Ban It Because: It’s too sad.
Links:
Censorship in British Columbia: A History, 1970-1979

48
TITLE: Annie on my Mind
AUTHOR: Nancy Garden
ISBN: 0374404143
Plot Summary: Two 17-year-old girls meet and fall in love.
Complaints: Sexual themes
During a court trial in Oregon, school board members testified they believed their opinions about “Annie” and homosexuality were representative of people in the district. They said they believed they had a mandate to ban the book. The school board president testified that homosexuality is a mental disorder that leads to a destructive life.
Solonor Says Ban It Because: We don’t need more mentally diseased people running around schools. We have the school board for that.
Links:
Judge rules book should return to high school library shelves

49
TITLE: The Boy Who Lost His Face
AUTHOR: Louis Sachar
ISBN: 0679886222
Plot Summary: David goes along with his friends and harrasses an old woman. But he gets more than he bargained for when she lays a curse on him.
Complaints: Mysticism, offensive language
Removed from the Jackson Township Elementary School in Clay City, Ind. (1993) due to “unsuitable words.”
Solonor Says Ban It Because: Cursing is wrong, dammit.
Links:
Blake removes controversial book from summer list

50
TITLE: Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat: Superstitions and Other Beliefs
AUTHOR: Alvin Schwarz
ISBN: 0397324367
Plot Summary: A children’s catalogue of superstitions about love, marriage, money, ailments, travel, weather and death.
Complaints: Discriminates against witches (I am dead serious.)
In a request seeking removal of the book from eight Lawrence elementary school libraries, a Kennedy School parent wrote “Cross Your Fingers” should be withdrawn because it promoted Christian faith and portrayed Wiccans as dangerous. “Witches would not kill, drive people crazy, make one sick or do any type of spell against anyone,” she wrote.
Solonor Says Ban It Because: This book will lead to witch burning…cross my heart and hope to…

NEXT: 100 Banned Books (51-60)

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One Response to 100 Banned Books (41-50)

  1. lankangal says:

    hey can u pleeeeeeeeeaaasee find a short summary on The Novel “The Pigman” thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx!!!!!!!!!

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