2014 Banned Books Week: Most Challenged Books in Texas Schools

Since 2002, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has posted an annual report, Free People Read Freely, during Banned Books Week that provides information about challenged books that have been removed, restricted, or retained in Texas public and charter school libraries and class reading lists during the previous school year. This information is obtained through an Open Records request by the ACLU under the Texas Public Information Act.

Here, in no particular order, are the eight children's books on the lower level of the Dick Smith Library that were challenged (elsewhere!) in 2013-2014.  Click on the titles to get the call numbers and more information about the books:

1. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Reason Cited: Inappropriate for grade level (a middle school)
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)

2. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz
Reason Cited: Politically, socially, or racial offensive (parent felt book promoted illegal immigration and was not age appropriate)
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions) - 5th/6th grade

3. Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions) - intermediate school

4. Lovingly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reason Cited: Sexual content or nudity
Action Taken: Use restricted (book was moved from elementary to secondary campus)

5 A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel
Reason Cited: Promotes homosexual/lesbian couples
Action Taken: Banned from a PreK-8 charter school

6. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Reason Cited: Offensive to religious sensitivities
Action Taken: Alternate book allowed (curriculum only)

7. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Reason Cited: Parent did not want the student reading about ghosts
Action Taken: Alternate assignment was provided for the student

8. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Reason Cited: Politically, racially, or socially offensive
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions) in a high school


© Amanda Pape - 2014

1963 Newbery Medalist

Although it won the Newbery Medal in 1963, I never read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle as a child.  Even then, I wasn't too interested in science fiction or fantasy.  However, this is one of the more popular Newbery winners out there.  If you liked Harry Potter, you will probably like this book.

There's adventure:  misfit high school freshman Meg Murry, her odd genius little brother Charles Wallace (named for L'Engle's father and father-in-law), and their new friend, high-schooler Calvin O'Keefe, take a journey through a "tesseract" (a "wrinkle" in time - there's the science fiction, time travel) to rescue Meg's and Charles Wallace's scientist father.  There's magic, in the form of Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which.  There's dystopia at the planet Camazotz, and a battle with the evil IT.  What's not there for a kid to love?

Believe it or not, this book actually begins, "It was a dark and stormy night."  This book has also been challenged over the years for a number of reasons, including references to the occult, depictions of mysticism, characters possessing supernatural powers, and undermining religious beliefs.

L'Engle narrated the version of the audiobook (pictured at left) that we have at the Dick Smith Library, and that was a mistake.  Her voice is rough and she has a bit of a lisp, and her reading is uneven, with strange emphases and an odd rhythm.  Since L'Engle's death, a new audio version (with actress Hope Davis) has been produced - I wish I had waited to purchase that one for our library.  It was painful to listen to this book, which detracted from my appreciation of it.  I first listened to it in 2009, but cannot bring myself to listen to L'Engle's reading again.

© Amanda Pape - 2012

[A Wrinkle in Time is available on the lower level of the Dick Smith Library, in print in the Curriculum Collection (pictured at the top of this post, EDUC PZ7 .L5385 WR 1962), and as an audiobook in the Audiovisual Collection (AV-AUDIO PZ7 .L5385 WR 1993). A variation of this review also appears on my blog, Bookin' It].

Banned Books Week: Most Challenged Books in Texas Schools

Since 2002, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has posted an annual report, Free People Read Freely, during Banned Books Week that provides information about challenged books that have been removed, restricted, or retained in Texas public and charter school libraries and class reading lists during the previous school year. This information is obtained through an Open Records request by the ACLU under the Texas Public Information Act.

Here, in no particular order, are the ten children's books on the lower level of the Dick Smith Library that were challenged this year:

1. Slot Machine, by Chris Lynch
Reason Cited: Profanity
Action Taken: Banned from a middle school

2. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Reason Cited: Parent did not specify
Action Taken: Restricted; alternate book allowed (middle school curriculum)

3. War Comes to Willy Freeman, by James & Christopher Collier
Reasons Cited: Profanity; sexual content or nudity; violence or horror; politically, racially, or socially offensive; drugs or alcohol
Action Taken: Retained in an elementary school
Note: Parent requested forms to appeal decision to the school board

4. Through My Eyes, by Ruby Bridges
Reason Cited: Politically, racially or socially offensive
Action Taken: Retained in elementary schools in district

5. "Let’s Get a Pup," Said Kate, by Bob Graham
Reason Cited: Politically, racially or socially offensive
Action Taken: Retained in elementary schools in district

6. The Terrorist, by Caroline Cooney
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned from an elementary school


7. Repossessed, by A.M. Jenkins
Reasons Cited: Profanity; offensive to religious sensitivities; sexual content or nudity
Action Taken: Restricted; moved from a junior high to high school

8.  Day of Tears, by Julius Lester
Reason Cited: Profanity; politically, racially or socially offensive
Action Taken: Retained in an elementary school

9.  Fat Kid Rules the World, by K. L. Going
Reason Cited: Profanity, other
Action Taken: Retained in a middle school

10. More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, by Alvin Schwartz
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Retained in an elementary school

Book Challenges

This is "Banned Books Week" in the United States, September 24 through October 1.  It really should be called "Challenged Books Week," because not that many books are actually banned.  Many books are challenged in schools and libraries in the United States each year. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, while a banning reflects the actual removal of those materials. The American Library Association (ALA) tracks challenges that occur, recording 348 challenges in 2010 (the fewest since 1990).  However, many challenges are not reported, and the ALA estimates that this reflects only 20-25% of actual challenges.

You might want to check out this interesting infographic about the top ten challenged books of 2010:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/22/top-banned-books-2010_n_976846.html