September 23-29, 2018 is Banned Books Week. The 2018 theme is “Banning Books Silences Stories. Speak Out!” Censorship succeeds when no one talks about the issues.
It’s unfortunate that books are banned and challenged. Every year for Banned Books Week we like to share some media and raise awareness. We here at Chapterbreak are not fans of others deciding what we can or cannot read. Everyone should be free to read what they want.
Go read these books people! And then discuss the books with other readers! And be sure to post your review!
Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association, ala.org/bbooks/NLW-Top10
Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2017:
- Thirteen Reasons Why written by Jay Asher – because it discusses suicide.
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indianwritten by Sherman Alexie – because of profanity and situations that were deemed sexually explicit.
- Dramawritten and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier – because it includes LGBT characters and was considered “confusing.”
- The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini – because it includes sexual violence and was thought to “lead to terrorism” and “promote Islam.”
- George written by Alex Gino – because it includes a transgender child.
- Sex is a Funny Word written by Cory Silverberg and illustrated by Fiona Smyth – because it addresses sex education and is believed to lead children to “want to have sex or ask questions about sex.”
- To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee – because of violence and its use of the N-word.
- The Hate U Givewritten by Angie Thomas – because it was considered “pervasively vulgar” and because of drug use, profanity, and offensive language.
- And Tango Makes Three written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole – because it features a same-sex relationship.
- I Am Jazz written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas – because it addresses gender identity.