As part of our continuing celebration of Banned Books Week, here are three more books that were challenged and/or banned in 2008-2009. Again, this is according to Robert P. Doyle’s published list.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens):
This story carries Twain’s Huckleberry Finn character over from his book Tom Sawyer. Huck is kidnapped and eventually escapes. He travels down the Mississippi River with a boy named Jim. Throughout their travels and adventures, they become friends and learn many lessons.
Huckleberry Finn was not banned, but it was challenged by a school district in Manchester, Conn., because of its racial issues. Teachers must now attend seminars on how to deal with the race issues presented in this book before teaching it.
Twilight Series by Stephenie H. Meyer:
For those of you who haven’t seen the movies, Twilight “is the first book of the Twilight series, and introduces seventeen-year-old Isabella “Bella” Swan, who moves from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington and finds her life in danger when she falls in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen. The novel is followed by New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. A film adaptation of Twilight was released in 2008. It was a commercial success” (Wikipedia).
Twilight was banned and later reinstated at a California middle school. It was also challenged at Utah’s Brockband Junior High School because of sexual content in the series’ fourth installment.
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult:
A movie was recently made about this novel, which tells the story of a young girl who sues her parents because they want her to donate a kidney to her sister. Middle schools in Clawson, Mich., banned this book because they thought the subject matter was “too racy” for middle school students.
Check back tomorrow for our final blog that will feature three more recently banned and/or challenged books. Also, check out the Banned Books Week displays and sales going on at the KU Bookstore in the Student Union Building.
-CS
The More You Know... 