Have you checked out the rest of the list? Why not? It’s at https://solonor.com/bannedbooks.php.
61
TITLE: What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys
AUTHOR: Lynda Madaras
ISBN: 1557044430
Plot Summary: A discussion of the changes that take place for boys during puberty.
Complaints: Sexual themes
Solonor Says Ban It Because: (See entry #40)
Links:
St. Charles Public Library–The Facts of Life
62
TITLE: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
AUTHOR: Judy Blume
ISBN: 0440404193
Plot Summary: A monologue from a half-Jewish, half-gentile 11-year-old who is wrestling with her understanding of God.
Complaints: Sexual themes, immorality
Challenged in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, because the book is “sexually offensive and amoral.”
Solonor Says Ban It Because: People who question their spirituality should go HERE to see the truth.
Links:
freedomforum.org: Popular children’s author relates 3 S’s of book censorship
The Stranger: School Guide–Banned Books, It’s a Good Idea
63
TITLE: Crazy Lady
AUTHOR: Jane Conly
ISBN: 0064405710
Plot Summary: Vernon tries to come to terms with his mother’s death. Alienated from his father, he joins his friends in taunting the neighborhood outcasts: Maxine, an alcoholic, and Ronald, her retarded son. But when a social service agency tries to put Ronald in a special home, Vernon fights it.
Complaints: Offensive language
At Seymour, Texas, Elementary School, a complaint was filed because the book was “using God’s name in vain.” Challenged at the Prospect Heights, IL school libraries (1996) because of “swear words”.
Solonor Says Ban It Because: Free people should not need to resort to swearing.
Links:
Jane Lesslie Conly Biography
64
TITLE: Athletic Shorts
AUTHOR: Chris Crutcher
ISBN: 0440213908
Plot Summary: Six short stories highlighting characters from the author’s earlier works.
Complaints: Offensive language, sexual themes, racism
Solonor Says Ban It Because: There’s too much reality around for kids. They need some good old fashioned fantasy…um…unless it involves magic…or imagination…
Links:
Chris Crutcher-Hero or Villain?
65
TITLE: Fade
AUTHOR: Robert Cormier
ISBN: 0440210917
Plot Summary: Paul Moreaux, a 13-year-old French Canadian immigrant to the U.S., finds he has the ability to become invisible. He soon learns that this ability is inherited in his family. He abuses the power, and death and destruction follow.
Complaints: Violence, sexual themes
Solonor Says Ban It Because: Dang Canucks! Always goin’ invisible on ya.
Links:
Author Profile: Robert Cormier
66
TITLE: Guess What?
AUTHOR: Mem Fox
ISBN: 0152007695
Plot Summary: This is a picture book for new readers. They are invited to guess the occupation of Daisy O’Grady in a series of yes/no questions.
Complaints: Immorality, witchcraft
Solonor Says Ban It Because: BURN HER! She’s a WITCH!
Links:
Mem Fox
67
TITLE: The House of Spirits
AUTHOR: Isabel Allende
ISBN: 0553273914
Plot Summary: The novel tells the story of the Trueba family from the turn of the century to the overthrow of the Salvador Allende government in 1973.
Complaints: Sexual themes, offensive language
Solonor Says Ban It Because: It’s just smutty propaganda from Allende’s kin. Our government knew what it was doing getting rid of him and putting in Pinochet. What’s a few bloody bodies compared to a Communist Chile? Yeah, yeah, I know Allende was properly elected. What’s your point, commie?
Links:
Pinochet and the Amnesia of the U.S. Press
68
TITLE: The Face on the Milk Carton
AUTHOR: Caroline Cooney
ISBN: 0440220653
Plot Summary: Janie Johnson sees at the face of a missing little girl on the side of a milk carton. Shocked, she thinks she recognizes that little girl as herself. Janie can’t believe that her loving parents kidnapped her, but she begins to piece things together, nothing makes sense. Is she really Janie Johnson? What really happened?
Complaints: Sexual content
Challenged in Houston for “immoral sexual conduct”.
Links:
Teenreads: The Face on the Milk Carton
69
TITLE: Slaughterhouse-Five
AUTHOR: Kurt Vonnegut
ISBN: 0385333846
Plot Summary: Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time. He keeps bouncing around between the Allied bombing of Dresden and other points in his life. Aided by an advanced extraterrestrial civilization that kidnaps him and places him in a zoo, Pilgrim comes to realize that time stretches out with all its moments laid out, coexisting. “So it goes.”
Word from the mouse: Vonnegut weaves a story so complex yet so simple that it evokes a mesh of emotions. Hilarious and philosophical…it’s not linearly planned. Although most of the stories are told, they’re told in bits and pieces as the protagonist is “traveling through time”. This makes for one book you can’t put down until you’re done. Full Review
Complaints: Sexual content, violence, offensive language
Banned by almost everyone at some point since its publication. Burned in Drake, N. Dak. (1973). Banned in Rochester Mich. because the novel “contains and makes references to religious matters” and thus fell within the ban of the establishment clause. Challenged at the Owensboro, Ky. high School library (1985) because of “foul language, a reference to ‘Magic Fingers’ attached to the protagonist’s bed to help him sleep, and the sentence: ‘The gun made a ripping sound like the opening of the fly of God Almighty.’ ” Challenged, but retained on the Round Rock, Tex. Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent.
Solonor Says Ban It Because: It’s too confusing. Confusing books that have different pieces of the story scattered about it should be banned…except for the Bible…it’s ok if that rambles.
Links:
Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughterhouse-Five by Ray Boomhower
70
TITLE: Lord of the Flies
AUTHOR: William Golding
ISBN: 0399501487
Plot Summary: A group of English school boys is stranded on a deserted island. This tale tells of their survival, as they revert to man’s basest level.
Complaints: Violence, offensive language, racist
The Toronto School Board banned this classic from all its schools, claiming it was racist for use of the word “niggers.” A challenger in Owen, Nebraska claimed that this book was “demoralizing inasmuch that it implies that man is little more than an animal.”
Solonor Says Ban It Because: I am not an animal! This will just encourage these little snots to break up into factions and start plotting against each other. Then, they’ll kill each other off and…hey…wait a minute…this might not be so bad after all. New Reality Show: Lord of the Flies Island!
Links:
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
NEXT: 100 Banned Books (71-80)
I agree with your website and the books it thinks should be banned.But I feel something has to be done most especially about The Harry Porter books.They are misleading peiple and children especially ;who actually think there is a school called Hogwarts.
Somebody PLEASE help me before my head explodes.
Or, just for fun, complete this phrase:
“In the animal kingdom…”
It happens to be one of my favorites. It tends to explain many things.
I think that the Lord of the Flies should not be banned because man is little more then beast. We kill, we hurt others, we do other bad things and we are descended from animals so I think that we are animals and we do bad things.