I got a couple of notes about why some of the books were banned - and I figured, hey - why not dig around and find out?? My comments in italics...
James and the Giant Peach by: Roald Dahl
A frequently banned author, this book was banned in a Florida elementary school because "it promotes the use of drugs, tobacco, and whiskey." Umm... okay? I really need to read that one.
Leaves of Grass by: Walt Whitman
Banned in Boston in 1881 for "explicit language". Like DRAT? Though Jules did give another reason why it was banned.
Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
censored/banned where: Virginia, Alabama, Germany, the Netherlands
censored/banned because: descriptions of sexuality, anti-German sentiments, discussion of "the mistreatment of the Jewish people," rebellion against parental authority, "a real downer" Anti-German sentiments....in a book written by a JEW during WWI? Hmmm...... I wonder wny?
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Some critics found his novel pornographic, sexually explicit, and irreligious. Hmmm.... yet another one I need to reread, as I don't remember ANY of that!
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
contains material racially offensive to Native Americans. Innnnnnteresting.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig
The characters are all shown as animals; the police are presented as pigs. *ROFLOL* It's a KIDS book for heaven's sake! It's not like the rest of the characters were human and ONLY the police were pigs. Sheesh - how fragile do these people think their children are?
Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Alexandaer Brown
Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds Humph, no real suprise there....I would like more detail though....
This list seems to be all correct - a lot of the books there were banned in various states and schools - I don't think the Federal Gov't CAN ban a book - so it's all going to be local stuff. Still... *shakes head* based on the books they are banning, I sure hope those poor fragile kids aren't watching TV!
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