[Libs-Or] [Fwd: [alacoun] Most Challenged Books of 2009]

[Suzanne Sager]

FYI,

Suzanne L. Sager
Oregon ALA Chapter Councilor

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[alacoun] Most Challenged Books of 2009
Date: 	Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:44:23 -0400
From: 	carrieif at aol.com
To: 	alacoun at ala.org
References: 	<8CCA9FF44D35803-3E04-A931 at Webmail-d112.sysops.aol.com>





  Book on text messaging teens prompts most book challenges of 2009


    “TTYL” series tops ALA's 2009 Top Ten list of most frequently
    challenged books

CHICAGO –Lauren Myracle’s best-selling young adult novel series "TTYL," 
the first-ever novels written entirely in the style of instant 
messaging, tops the American Library Association’s (ALA) Top Ten list of 
the Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009.
Two books are new to the list: Twilight (series) by Stephanie Meyer and 
“My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult.
Both Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” and Robert Cormier’s “The 
Chocolate War” return after being dropped from the list in 2008.
“Even though not every book will be right for every reader, the ability 
to read, speak, think and express ourselves freely are core American 
values,” said Barbara Jones, director of the ALA’s Office for 
Intellectual Freedom. “Protecting one of our most fundamental rights – 
the freedom to read – means respecting each other’s differences and the 
right of all people to choose for themselves what they and their 
families read.”
For nearly 20 years, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has 
collected reports on book challenges. A challenge is defined as a 
formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting 
that materials be removed or restricted because of content or 
appropriateness. In 2009, OIF received 460 reports on efforts to remove 
or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves.
Though OIF receives reports of challenges in public libraries, schools, 
and school libraries from a variety of sources, a majority of challenges 
go unreported. OIF estimates that its statistics reflect only 20-25% of 
the challenges that actually occur.
The ALA’s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009 reflect a 
range of themes, and consist of the following titles:
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,” Alice Walker
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
10. “The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age 
Group
Seven titles were dropped from the list, including: His Dark Materials 
Trilogy (Series) by Philip Pullman (Political Viewpoint, Religious 
Viewpoint, Violence); Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz 
(Occult/Satanism, Religious Viewpoint, Violence); "Bless Me, Ultima" by 
Rudolfo Anaya (Occult/Satanism, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, 
Sexually Explicit, Violence); Gossip Girl (Series) by Cecily von 
Ziegesar (Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group); 
"Uncle Bobby’s Wedding" by Sarah S. Brannen (Homosexuality, Unsuited to 
Age Group); "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini (Offensive Language, 
Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group); and "Flashcards of My Life" 
by Charise Mericle Harper (Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group).
Also new this year is an updated list of the top 100 Most Frequently 
Challenged Books of the Decade (2000 – 2009). Topping the list is the 
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, frequently challenged for various 
issues including occult/Satanism and anti-family themes. A complete 
listing can be found at http://tinyurl.com/top100fcb.
For more information on book challenges and censorship, please visit the 
ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s Banned Books Week Web site at 
www.ala.org/bbooks 
<http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm>.
The Office for Intellectual Freedom is charged with implementing ALA 
policies concerning the concept of intellectual freedom as embodied in 
the Library Bill of Rights, the Association’s basic policy on free 
access to libraries and library materials. The goal of the office is to 
educate librarians and the general public about the nature and 
importance of intellectual freedom in libraries.

-- 
Portland State University logo

Suzanne L. Sager
Library East, Cataloging
Portland State University

503-725-8169
503-725-5799
sagers at pdx.edu