To Kill a Mockingbird- Banned Books

I chose To Kill a Mockingbird because I had to read this in high school and I really enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. It was banned because of the innapropriate content involving violence, racism, and rape. The section of the book that I read is when someone is trying to explain what the difference between a black and white person, and that blacks are always wrong regardless if they did a crime or not.

Harry Potter- Banned Book Report

I chose Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone by JK Rowling. This book allows children to broaden their imagination. Isn’t that what being a child is all about? Harry Potter is an orphan whose parents were killed by Voldemort. Voldemort represents the evil in the book, while Harry represents the good and the pure heart of his parents. From owls delivering letters, talking hats, and magic wands, Harry Potter brings wizardry to life in the most enlightening way. Although this is what makes the book great, it does not settle well with people of religious affiliation, as well and some private and public school systems. 

Banned Books Project: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

My banned book was The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. The book was banned for multiple reasons, including sexual conduct, homosexuality, drug abuse, and profanity. It was third on the ALA's list for 2009. I chose this book because I read it a couple years back. I think this story is  sad, yet insightful and it does a good job of making the reader feel.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Alissa Apecechea

I chose the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling. I read this book back in high school and I read a decent amount of the book for this assignment. Harry Potter books are known for witchcraft, satanism, and anti family values. This book has been criticized by many parents and schools saying that children should not be having access to these themes, where some argued that it is good for their imagination.

Banned Books: The Catcher in the Rye- Mason Morgan

I chose one of my favorite books from grade school, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. It revolves around the life of Holden Caulfield, a teenage kid going through some trouble. In this scene, Holden hires a prostitute to come up to his hotel room, but feels uncomfortable and only wants someone to talk to. It is one of the more challenged scenes, because the book is normally assigned to grade school children. After reading it though, the scene is not as bad as challengers make it out to be.

I choose The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison because I was interested in a lot of the content concerning women and the way that beauty standards shape women and especially young African-American women. This book has been challenged and continues to be challenged by people today due to the explicit sexual content involved incest, pedophilia and sexual abuse. I choose to read a section where the little girl talks about how Pecola Breedlove, the girl who falls victim to all above make the rest of the young girls in that community feel better about themselves because of what she suffers. It is not a boastful part of the novel yet a sad part, nobody feel good about the pain endured by Pecola. I hope that you enjoy this section of the novel and choose to pick it up too.

Banned Books Project: The Kite Runner

The book The Kite Runner has been challenged in multiple schools since it was published in 2003. Many parents find the graphic rape scene to be inappropriate and unsuitable for adolescents. Despite these claims it has never been officially banned.

Banned Books Project- Of Mice and Men

For Banned Books week I decided to read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. This book has been challenged across the world for violence, language, racial slurs, and sexually explicit scenes. Despite the numerous amount of challenges, this book still remains a key novel on the reading list of middle school and high school English classes.

Reading Banned Books: Huckleberry Finn

My high school English Lit. class read this book a few years ago, and it prompted thoughtful conversations about censorship and authorial intent. It's been challenged for obvious reasons: the use of racial slurs and the way the main character, Huck Finn, speaks about his slave friend Jim. This is a particularly difficult section from the second chapter where Huck is describing a prank that his friend, Tom Sawyer, has pulled on Jim, which leads Jim to believe that witches have been messing with him. I have to say, even though I love Twain, and in particular this book, this was very hard to read! I actually intended to read a larger selection, but I had to stop.

Reading Banned Books: Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games

Despite its popularity, or perhaps because of it, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has been on the ALA's list of top 10 frequently banned books three times, mostly for violence and being 'unsuited for age group.' This is an excerpt from chapter 25 of The Hunger Games. It showcases some of the violence that had parents upset as well as the reminder that to the audience, the killing was all for entertainment.

Reading a Banned Book: Sherman's Alexie's 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian'

In celebration of Banned Books Week 2015, here's a brief reading from the first chapter of Sherman Alexie's young adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Alexie is a funny writer, but not everyone likes his brand of humor. Judge for yourself.