Banned Books Week
By: Ella Porter
What is Banned Books Week?
Why Have Banned Books Week?
Furthermore, young adult books are frequently banned for being too explicit. However, these books don't include profanity or graphic scenes solely for shock value - they include these things to reflect the world in which teenagers live, a world that is sometimes profane and graphic, but always real.
Examples of YA Books That Have Been Banned
Looking for Alaska
By: John Green
Banned for: Use of profanity, being too explicit, being "unsuitable for age group"Why it shouldn't be banned: Looking for Alaska's realistic depiction of adolescence and finding your place in the world allows teenagers to read about situations they can relate to.
Eleanor & Park
By: Rainbow Rowell
Banned for: Use of profanity and treatment of sexualityWhy it shouldn't be banned: The title of characters of Eleanor & Park struggle with things that real people struggle with and can empathize with, such as bullying, abuse, and insecurity.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Banned for: Use of profanity, mentions of drugs, smoking, and alcohol, and being "unsuitable for age group"
Why it shouldn't be banned: The Perks of Being a Wallflower deals with difficult topics such as sexual abuse, suicide, and abortion, and by conveying said topics sensitively and realistically, can help others going through similar situations get through them.
3 YA Authors on Censorship
"Text is meaningless without context. What usually happens with Looking for Alaska is that a parent chooses one page of the novel to send to an administrator and then the book gets banned without anyone who objects to it having read more than that one particular page.”
-John Green
"When...people call Eleanor & Park an obscene story, I feel like they’re saying that rising above your situation isn’t possible. That if you grow up in an ugly situation, your story isn’t even fit for good people’s ears. That ugly things cancel out everything beautiful.”
-Rainbow Rowell
Sources
GENERAL SOURCES
About l Banned Books Week http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/aboutBanned Books Week http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek
[Infographic] Banned Books Week l ACLU https://www.aclu.org/infographic/infographic-banned-books-week
ALA 2015 Banned List http://www.ala.org/bbooks/sites/ala.org.bbooks/files/content/2015BannedList.pdf
Reading Rainbow - Banned Authors on Censorship https://www.readingrainbow.com/site/blog/2014/09/22/banned-authors-censorship-banned-books-week/
PHOTO SOURCES
Amazon.com https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41r-sKjJ61L._SX330_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
Amazon.com https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71LkLmxqgjL.jpg
Amazon.com https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GuzoWiFpL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg