Banned Books Week

This week kicks off "Banned Books Week," sponsored by the American Library Association.  This is an annual celebration, started in 1982, celebrating the freedom to read anything without censorship.  Throughout the week, libraries and bookstores around the country highlight these challenged and/or banned books by displaying them and hosting events about the issues.  Since 1982, more than 11,300 books have been challenged in both libraries and schools.  



Classic children books that have been banned:

                                                      Where's Waldo? by Martin Handford

When: 1987

Why: the book was banned and reprinted because it featured a topless woman on the beach.

 The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

When: 1988

Why: This popular childhood book was banned for being “sexist.” It was also challenged by several schools because it “criminalized the foresting agency.”

 

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

 

When: 1983

Why: The book was banned from several schools for being "a bad example for children."

 

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

When: 1996

Why: The book was banned for “profanity, disrespect for adults, and an elaborate fantasy world that might lead to confusion, and using phrases “Oh Lord” and “Lord.”

 

 

 

Here are a few Challenged books of the 21st Century :

 

 

Captain Underpants by Dav Piley







 

Why: Offensive language, unsuited for age group

 

and Tango Makes Three  by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

Why: Homosexuality, unsuited for age group

 

 

Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Why: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint

 

 

 



posted by Josephine

 

Stop the presses! A new "Harry Potter" movie is coming your way!

J.K. Rowling

Have you been feeling blue since the ending of the "Harry Potter" series?  Well, turn that frown upside down because J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. studios have just made an exciting announcement.

No, we will not be seeing a continuation of Harry's adventures outside of Hogwarts, but we are getting a new film series set in Harry's wizarding universe.

The new films will follow a young Newt Scamander and begin in New York City about 70 years before the start of Harry's story.  Rowling has been clear that this is not a prequel to "Harry Potter", but an original story set in the world that her fans have grown so fond of.  Therefore, all the laws and customs of the wizarding world will remain in tact. 

Rowling herself has agreed to relinquish her quill in order to write the screenplay which will be the first in a series based on the "Harry Potter" companion book, "Magical Beasts and where to find them." Fans of the series will note that this text was written by Rowling halfway through the series and was attributed to Newt Scamander, a naturalist wizard who literally "wrote the book" on the many fantastic creatures Harry and his friends study. According to Rowling, Newt passes on his love of magical beings to his grandchildren, one of which (Rolf), goes on to marry Luna Lovegood (Rowling's favorite character) from the original series

I think we can all agree that this is very exciting news indeed!  It might even make Professor Snape smile!



Posted by Miss Jessikah.

The ABC of It: Why Children's Books Matter

I recently had the pleasure to view the exhibit The ABC of It at the New York Public Library.  It is a showcase of children's books and related artifacts to demonstrate the importance of children's literature and -- like any good children's book, appeals to adults and children alike.  The exhibit is open till March 23 (and is free); if you are in the neighborhood, it's worth a trip.  Here are some photos from my visit (including a life-size reproduction of the bedroom in Goodnight Moon):

 

 

Posted by Sue Ann