1. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford
Why: The book was banned and then
reprinted because it originally showcased a topless beachgoer (not like anyone
could find her if they tried, though).
2. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Why: Everyone’s favorite childhood book
was banned from
a public library in Colorado because it was considered “sexist.” It was also
challenged by several schools because it “criminalized the foresting agency.”
3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Why:
Many religious individuals felt that L’Engle was too passive in her inclusion
of Christian imagery. A foundation in Iowa even claimed that book had satanic
themes. Other reasons for objecting to this title have included: One line
places Ghandi as Jesus’s equal; in the 60’s it was believed to promote
communism and had a strong female character which was no the norm at the
time; promotes witchcraft and magic; is
too Christian thematically; others felt it did not have enough of a Christian
theme.
4. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Why: The book was banned from
an elementary School in Texas because it included the word “ass.”
5. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Why: The book was banned from
several schools for being “a bad example for children.” It was also challenged
for teaching “children to lie, spy, talk back, and curse.”
6. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne
Frank
Why: Forget anti-semitism; the 50th Anniversary “Definitive
Edition’” was instead banned by
a Virginia school because of its “sexual content and homosexual themes.” Additionally,
the book was previously banned by several schools in the United States because
it was “too depressing.” Most recently, in May of 2013, a Michigan mom tried to
get the book banned due to its “pornographic tendencies.”
7. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Why: The book was banned from
several classrooms in Pennsylvania on accounts of “profanity, disrespect for
adults, and an elaborate fantasy world that might lead to confusion.” The book
has also been banned by other schools for its use of the phrases “Oh Lord” and
“Lord.”
8. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Why: Similar to Winnie-the-Pooh,
this book was banned in
Kansas because talking animals are considered an “insult to god.”
9. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Why: Apparently there are references to sexual
fantasies and masturbation in this book, resulting in its ban from
classrooms in New Hampshire. Since this original banning, the book has been
challenged by thousands of other institutions, most famously in the 1960s in
fear that it would promote drug use to children.
10. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Why: The book has been banned for promoting poor behaviour: nailing a sheet into
the wall to make a tent, chasing his dog with a fork, and screaming at his
mother , and it has been challenged for promoting
“witchcraft and supernatural events.”
11. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Why: A California school district banned the
book and claimed that it “criminalized the foresting industry” and would thus
persuade children against logging.
12. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Why: I missed the part where Sam I Am tried to
seduce his friend, but the book was banned in
California on accounts of “homosexual seduction.” It was also banned in China
for “early Marxism” .
13. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Why: Public libraries in 1928 Chicago banned the
book because of its “ungodly” influence “for depicting women in strong
leadership roles.” In 1957, the Detroit Public Library banned the book for
having “no value for children of today.”
14. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill
Martin, Jr.
Why: The Texas State Board of Education
briefly banned this
picture book after confusing its author, Bill Martin, Jr., with philosopher
Bill Martin, author of ‘Ethical Marxism: The
Categorical Imperative of Liberation.’
15. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
When: 2010
Why: The 10th edition was banned in several classrooms in California because it included the definition for “oral sex.”
Why: The 10th edition was banned in several classrooms in California because it included the definition for “oral sex.”
16. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by
Roald Dahl
Why: Banned because it embraced a “poor philosophy of life. It was also challenged for comparing the Oompa Loompas to Africans. The depiction of Mr. Wonka’s Oompa Loompas in pre 1971 versions are depicted as dark skinned pygmy people who work for cocoa beans as opposed to moneyThe characters’ descriptions were later changed in an edited version in 1988.
Via penguin.com.au
via notimeforflashcards.com
17. Watership Down by Richard Adams
Why: Imagery of conflict and brutal realism
through the book.
via notimeforflashcards.com
18. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Why: All the characters are animals. When Sylvester goes missing his parents go to
the police who are portrayed as pigs which some consider to be a slight against
authority.
via notimeforflashcards.com
19. In
the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
Why: The main character Mickey has no
clothes. While this is part of the story
it was deemed offensive. “reading the book could lay the foundation for future use of
pornography.”
via notimeforflashcards.com
20. The
Family Book by Todd Parr
Why: A book about the variety of ways a family can
look, including single parents, same-sex parents and a mom-dad-child family, pages
that state that some families have 2 moms and some have 2 dads were deemed to
promote homosexuality
21. and
Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
This picture book was
the most frequently challenged and banned book of 2010, 2008, 2007 and
2006
Why: This true tale of two male penguins at New York City’s Central Park Zoo who fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches sparked objections to homosexual themes in a children’s book.
Why: This true tale of two male penguins at New York City’s Central Park Zoo who fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches sparked objections to homosexual themes in a children’s book.
Also challenged for presenting homosexual lifestyles to children
are:
Daddy's
Roommate -- Michael Willhoite
A young boy discusses his divorced father's new living situation,
in which the father and his gay roommate share eating, doing chores, playing,
loving, and living
Heather
Has Two Mommies -- Leslea Newman
When Heather goes to playgroup, at first she feels bad because she
has two mothers and no father, but then she learns that there are lots of
different kinds of families and the most important thing is that all the people
love each other.
King
& King -- Linda de Haan & Stern Nijland
When the queen insists that the prince get married and take over
as king, the search for a suitable mate does not turn out as expected
And lastly.. Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
Why: Talking animals are somehow considered an
“insult to god,” resulting in this book’s banning throughout
random parts of the United States. Several institutions in Turkey and the UK
have also banned the book, claiming that the character of Piglet is offensive
to Muslims. Other institutions claim that the book revolves around Nazism.
Leon Neal / Getty Images
As Pooh
might say: “oh bother”.
Source
material:
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