A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A story about an old miser time traveling and changing his ways based on threats and punishment rather than good will.
Read MoreKaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
One boy's climb from apartheid to tennis champion.
Banned
1993
California - Challenged at Amador High School in Sutter Creek
New Jersey - Challenged at Manasquan schools for a brief yet graphic homosexual passage
1996
Connecticut - Challenged at Lewis S. Mills High School in Burlington for brutal and graphic language
North Carolina - Temporarily pulled from Greensboro high school libraries after a resident sent letters to the school board and administrators, claiming the book could encourage sexual assault among children
1997 - California - Challenged but retained on a reading list for high school sophomores at Lincoln Unified School District in Stockton after parents referred to it as "pornographic and racially insensitive"
1999 - Ohio - Removed from Federal Hocking High School English in Athens for sexually graphic passage
2000
California - Removed from a sophomore reading list at Armijo High School in Fairfield for sexual content
Michigan - Kearsley school officials deleted six sentences describing a homosexual molestation scene in the book after parents found it offensive
2006 - California - Challenged but retained at East Union High School in Manteca after challenged for use of words such as "penis" and "anus" during a scene where young boys prostitute themselves for food
2007 - California - Banned from Burlingame Intermediate School
2010 - California - Challenged but retained in San Luis Obispo High School.
#39 on the ALA Top Banned Books 2000-2009
Sources
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. 2014.
Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
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"Dances and Dames"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Arming America by Michael Bellasiles
A discredited book that means little in terms of banned books.
Banned
38 on Top 100 from 2000-2009
No listed or found specific instance
Sources
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. 2014.
Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music
Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Welcome to the world that is brave and new with drugs and violence! What's gonna happen?
Banned
1932 - Ireland - banned in the country
1980 - Missouri - Removed from Miller classroom
1988 - Oklahoma - Challenged as required reading at Yukon High School because "the book's language and moral content"
1993 - Challenged as required reading in Corona and Norco Unified School District for being "centered around negative activity." Book retained and alternatives offered.
2000 - Alabama - Removed from Foley High School library after a parent complained to the school and Alabama Governor Don Siegelman characters showed contempt of religion, marriage, and family.
2003 - Texas - Challenged but retained in South Texas Independent School District in Mercedes for sexuality, drugs, suicide. Principals were then required to offer alternatives
2008 - Indiana - Challenged but retained in Coeur D'Alene School district for sex and drug use.
2010 - Maryland - Challenged in Glen Burnie at North County High School by a petition created by a group of parents who wanted the book removed due to sexual content.
2011 - Washington - Challenged but retained after a parent complained the book has a "high volume of racially offensive derogatory language and misinformation on Native Americans. In addition to the inaccurate imagery, and stereotype views, the text lacks literary value which is relevant to today's contemporary multicultural society."
Sources
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. 2014.
Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or RSS Feed
Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
The "new" host Harker reads today as Georgia learns a lot, especially about boys and pooping.
Banned
2008/9 - Menasha, Wisconsin - Parent found sexual content offensive and challenged the book. It was retained, yet school board members voted to adopt procedures to secure and record parental consent before limited access books were given to students.
#35 on Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
Sources
ALA - Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
Doyle, Robert P. "1446 Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson." Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. ALA, 2014. p269.
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Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Like sands through the hourglass, these are snows falling on cedars. This story is so full of racial drama and the sex!
Banned
#33 on Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
1997 - Washington - Challenged in Snohomish School District by parents who acknowledged literary value but complained about sexual content including intercourse and masturbation as well as language made it inappropriate for high school students.
1999 - Texas - Removed from classrooms and a library in Boerne Independent High School because of depictions of violence, sex, and racial bigotry; later returned
2001 - Washington - 150 South Kitsap parents claimed the book was pornography and the school board admitted it contained sexual content and profanity, banning the book. The town opposed the ban.
2003-4 - California - Challenged but retained in Modesto for sexual content and scenes of war.
2007 - Ontario, Canada - Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board removed the book from shelves and reading lists pending review due to an anonymous complaint via letter about sexual content and language
2007-8 - Idaho - Part of a five book challenge in Coeur d’Alene School District for sexual references
2011 - Washington - Retained in college-level classes at Richland high schools. Teachers said the book was selected for the curriculum 12 years ago because it deals with prejudice against Japanese-Americans in the Pacific Northwest during and shortly after World War II.
Sources
Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009 - ALA
Banned Books Week - Snow Falling on Cedars - Mansfield Library - Youtube
David Guterson, A Brief Biography - University of Maine at Farmington
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. 2014.
Dufferin-Peel approves 'Snow Falling on Cedars' - Brampton news
Prize-winning novel pulled from school shelves - CBCNews
Snow Falling on Cedars - The Amazing Smile
Snow Falling on Cedars - imdb.com
Snow Falling on Cedars - Marshall University Libraries
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson - Wikipedia
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Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
A group of boys trash a house and nearly kill a girl, and that's just in the first few paragraphs. Book was banned for alcohol, violence, and sexual content.
Banned
#41 on 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999
#30 on Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
1994 - California - Pulled from school libraries in Stockton after parents complained it glorified alcoholism and violence, contains a violent rape scene, and profanity
1998 - Ontario, Canada - Complaint from a parent in Simcoe County for violence
2000
Florida - Removed from Carver Middle School library in Leesburg after parents complained about content and language
Texas - Restricted in Arlington middle and high schools for parental permission for violence
2001 - Pennsylvania - Challenged in Tamaqua Area School District for not being age appropriate.
2003 - Kansas - Removed from a Baldwin ninth grade class by the superintendent because "it was clear to him it wasn't fit for his own daughter or granddaughter" after complaints of profanity and sexual content.
2005 - New Jersey - Challenged and retained at Cherry Hill Public Library's young adult section by a parent claiming the book was unfit for the age group with "deplorable" content.
Sources
We All Fall Down the Center of Controversy in Arlington School Libraries - American Libraries
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. 2014.
We All Fall Down By Robert Cormier - Freedom to Read Canada
Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009 - ALA
100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999 - ALA
We All Fall Down (Robert Cormier novel) - Wikipedia
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier - Google Books
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Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Very little talk about the book and way more talk about bathrooms and a dog.
Banned
2006 - Maryland - Banned by the Carroll County Superintendent in Westminster but students, librarians, national organizations, and the publisher protested. The book was removed for language and sexual content.
Sources
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom To Read. 2014.
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or RSS Feed
Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
A story told with sex and masturbation and evil wizards being shot down after stealing a baby... All told in verse. It's totally evil and cool.
Banned
2003 - California - Removed from the library shelves of the Rosedale Union School District in Bakersfield for "Ice Capades," a poem about a teenage girl's breasts reacting to cold
2004 - Texas - Challenged at the Bonnette Junior High School library in Deer park for language and masturbation.
2007 - Wisconsin - Available on to 7th and 8th graders of Spring Hill School library after a parent complained about sexual themes and wanted it removed.
Sources
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom To Read. 2014.
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or RSS Feed
Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
Welcome to this startling tale of a girl who just wants love, but instead finds success as a super popular milk carton model. And there's a ninja machete fight! Awesome read!
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