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It's Banned Books Week

09.24.01

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Do you know what Robert Cormier, J.K. Rowling, Judy Blume, Maya Angelou, John Steinbeck, and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor all have in common? Books by these authors have been banned or challenged in the last year.

The week of Sept. 22-29 is Banned Books Week. In its 20th year, Banned Books Week celebrates the nation's constitutional right to read materials that have been challenged or removed from libraries. Sponsors of the event:

Top Challenged Books, 1990-2000

Related Supreme Court decision

Ombudsman: Book-burning mentality sears society's soul

The Freedom to Read: a personal celebration

Related

Popular children's author relates '3 S's' of book censorship
Judy Blume tells First Amendment Center audience that pattern of targeting books comes down to three words: sexuality, swearing and Satan.  10.02.00

Contested book back on school library's shelves
ACLU, others contacted California high school after parent's complaint prompted administrators to pull Sophie's Choice.  01.14.02

Iowa library keeps ban on teen advice book
Board refuses to rescind earlier decision despite criticism that rejecting Sari Says: The Real Dirt on Everything from Sex to School is censorship.  08.08.02

Missouri librarians latest to discover: Banning makes books popular
Meanwhile, ACLU reports 218 challenges to remove 134 books from school libraries across Texas last year.  09.24.02

Award-winning book frequent target in schools
Opponents say The Giver's look at such topics as suicide, euthanasia is inappropriate for children, but supporters say story spurs students to think about vital issues.  07.08.01

Librarians report fewer challenges to books
American Library Association marks 21st annual Banned Books Week by highlighting works challenged as inappropriate for schools, libraries.  09.25.02

'The Giver' goes back to middle school classrooms
Florida school board decides superintendent acted prematurely when he declared book 'inappropriate' and ordered its removal.  10.13.99

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