Welcome to Banned Books Week, 2009! Celebrating the Freedom to Read!

For those that aren’t familiar with BBW, here are the basics.

From the American Library Association:

What is Banned Books Week?

Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups–or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature.

What’s the difference between a challenge and a banning?

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.

Why should I care?

Although they were the targets of attempted bannings, most of the books featured during BBW were not banned, thanks to the efforts of librarians to maintain them in their collections. Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.

In 2008, out of the 513 challenges reported to the American Library Association, these were the top ten most challenged books:

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

This has topped the list for the last three years. It’s based on the true story of two male penguins at the Central Park zoo who hatch an egg and raise a baby named Tango. It’s been banned because it’s “antifamily” and promotes homosexuality.

2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass takes place in a parallel universe ruled by a church theocracy called the Magisterium. The conflict between science and religion is a strong theme running through the book. It’s been banned for “political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence.” You can read Philip Pullman’s response here. Basically, he says he’s happy to be on the list because it means he will probably sell more books.

3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle

TTYL is the first book in the very popular Internet Girls series. It’s about three high school best friends and it’s written entirely in instant messages. It’s been banned for “offensive language” and being “sexually explicit and unsuited to age group.” Defenders say that the books tackle controversial subject matter but don’t glorify the negative behavior.

4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz

This is a collection of scary stories about haunted houses, ghosts, vampires, etc. It’s been banned for: “occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence.”

5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya

This coming of age story about a young Hispanic boy in New Mexico has won awards and is on Laura Bush’s top ten reading list. It’s been banned for: “occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence.”

6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about angsty Charlie, who observes more than participates at his high school. It’s been compared to The Catcher in the Rye, another frequently challenged book. It’s been banned for: “drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group.”

7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar

A blogger covers the lives of privileged teenagers at a private school in New York City. It’s been banned for: “offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group.”

8. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen

Chloe’s Uncle Bobby is getting married to another male guinea pig and she worries he won’t have time for her anymore. It’s been banned for: “homosexuality and unsuited to age group.” Go here to read one library’s defense for keeping it in their collection. It’s the most rational, polite reply I’ve ever seen.

9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner is about two boys growing up in Afghanistan, one is the son of a wealthy businessman, and the other is the son of his servant. It’s been banned for “offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group.”

10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper

A middle school aged girl obsesses about boys and fights with her friends. It’s been banned for being “sexually explicit and unsuited to age group.”

The film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hit theaters last week and it made me nostalgic for the days of reading the books for the first time. If you are like me and want to read another great series, here is a list of books that might help fill the void left by Harry Potter. Both children and adults can enjoy most of these books. Many have themes similar to Harry Potter, such as a child who doesn’t fit in finding out that he or she is somehow special or different from most kids.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl, a twelve-year-old boy genius and criminal mastermind, has uncovered the secret world of fairies and plots to steal their gold. These are not traditional fairies, however, as they are heavily armed and equipped with advanced technology. The Artemis Fowl series is often compared to Harry Potter because the books feature a variety of magical creatures and an independent young boy, but that’s where the similarities end. The Artemis Fowl books are very witty and funny and they have a unique cast of characters.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Eragon is probably more like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars than Harry Potter, but they do share many of the same fans. It tells the story of a young boy who bonds with a dragon and discovers his special role as the last of the Dragon Riders. Eragon and his world of magic, elves, dwarves, and dragons will appeal to fans of fantasy of all ages.

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson is an average eleven-year-old boy with ADHD until he discovers that his father is Greek god Poseidon, making Percy a demigod. Percy travels to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp that protects the children of gods from forces who want to harm them. There are blatant similarities to Harry Potter, but Percy and his friends are more modern, hip, and sometimes just plain hilarious.

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1) by Philip Pullman
The first book in an amazing trilogy, The Golden Compass tells the story of spunky Lyra Belacqua and her daemon Pantalaimon (read our full review here). In Lyra’s world, each individual’s soul physically manifests itself into animal form, called a daemon. She is an orphan who embarks on a quest to save her friend. This is much more than just a children’s book and will appeal to adults who can appreciate the mature themes.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Meggie is a 12 year-old girl whose father, Mo, has a strange ability. When she was younger, he read aloud from the book Inkheart and the evil characters came alive into their world and Meggie’s mother went into the book. Now evil forces want to use Mo’s ability for their own purposes. The magical and fairy tale aspects of Inkheart should appeal to Harry Potter fans.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
If you like the love connections and teenage angst in the Harry Potter books, you might like the Twilight saga. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably already know that it’s about a teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire who can read everyone’s mind but hers. Sure it’s cheesy at times, but I bet you’ll be hooked by the character-driven story.

The Golden Compass is the first book in an outstanding trilogy by Philip Pullman. For those of you that saw the movie don’t be fooled into thinking this is a children’s book. The books are actually much darker than the movie. The story takes place in a world much like our own but with just a few differences. For starters, each person’s soul is a living animal called a ‘daemon’ that never strays further than a few meters from their body. A person’s daemon can tell you a lot about their personality. For example, if your daemon is a snake, you’re probably not the type of person I’d want to do trust falls with.

The focus of the story is a young girl named Lyra Belacqua. Lyra doesn’t know her parents and has spent her whole life being raised on the college campus of Jordan college. Her uncle, Lord Asriel, checks in on her from time to time, but is mostly busy with his own research. Her world quickly changes when a series of events lead up to Lyra leaving home and going on an adventure to rescue her friend. She makes new friends along the way and gets help from some unexpected sources. Lyra realizes that the key to unlocking her past and her present all have to do with a secretive thing called “dust,” which seems to play a part in everything and everyone.

Something about Lyra reminds me of Scout from “To Kill a Mockingbird” and I think that’s part of what endeared me to the character from the start. She’s smart, spunky, and will do just about anything for her friends. I also really enjoyed how dark the story could get at times as well as its skepticism towards god and religion. This is a book that will surprise you, even if you’ve already seen the movie.

Buy The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman on Amazon by clicking here.