Banned Books Week

[spinelli372003]

Ok so color me stupid but what could anyone find to complain about 
the Where's Waldo book?  and come on what is wrong with Shel 
Silverstein.  Your right there are dozens that I have read and have 
read for my kids also.  I just don't get the whole banned book 
thing.  for me its a lot like TV.  if you feel your kids is not old 
enough then it is the parents responsibility to keep it away fromt he 
kid.  not the rest of the worlds.  I fight this on a daily basis.  
from my kids lol.  There are things I won't let them  do/have that I 
hear the "well everyone else's mom lets them"  I am not everyone 
elses mom.  I don't like them playing video games that are blood and 
guts and war and violence.  But I don't expect the store to take care 
of that.  I do it myself.  
sherry
--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Belinda" <bhobbs at m...> wrote:
> Sept. 25 – Oct. 1 is Banned Books Week
> Tomorrow (Friday) marks the beginning of Banned Books Week. Since 
> 1982, the last week of September has been celebrated as BBW to 
remind 
> everyone to protect our most basic and fundamental freedom: the 
right 
> to free speech and access to it.
> 
> I'm sure the members of this forum are not the folks who need 
> educating on this issue, but I thought it a good idea to mention it 
> anyway.  Especially given that our beloved author tops many lists 
of 
> challenged and banned books/ authors.  
> 
> I'm also sure that most of you know that this issue exists... but 
do 
> you realize how serious it has become?
> 
> 2003 was the first time in four years that Jo was NOT the most 
> challenged author according to the American Library Association, 
when 
> she was edged to number 2.  She ranked 48th on the top 100 
challenged 
> books list from 1990 to 1999, she now ranks 7th!   Another scary 
> point is that her ranking there is for the entire series.  
Challenges 
> are counted by title, so individually she would likely hold several 
> spots.  
> 
> Here is a link to the ALA Banned and Challenged books page.
> 
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/challenged
> banned.htm
> 
> Scroll down and peruse the lists of most challenged authors and 
> books.  Jo is in good company, don't you think?  How many of you 
> recognize titles or authors there?  How many of you were changed by 
> reading their works?  As a pre-teen girl Judy Blume's book "Are You 
> There, God? It's Me, Margaret" made a difference in my life, and 
has 
> for countless others.  Imagine if you were denied the chance to 
know 
> about these books?
> 
> As a librarian (more exactly, a school librarian) I understand 
first 
> hand the issues involved with challenging and banning books.  I 
have 
> been fortunate in my career not to have had any serious 
situations.  
> I'm lucky!  Many librarians must deal with challenges regularly.  
> 
>  Just ask Steve Vander Ark. (I hope he doesn't mind me saying this.)
> Steve is a school librarian at a private school in Michigan.  His 
BOD 
> have forbidden him to teach Harry Potter.  Steve Vander Ark, author 
> of the Lexicon, foremost authority on everything Potter, and he 
can't 
> so much as read aloud a passage from the book!  I think he has 
> managed to keep copies on his shelves, but he has had a terrible 
> struggle.
> 
> I hope that I piqued your curiosity to look at the lists, and 
> further, encouraged you to care about this issue.  I can't imagine 
> our world without Harry in it, and wish that all people would see 
it 
> that way.  It is such an irony that JKR's stories- filled with 
> messages of tolerance, cooperation, and the triumph of love over 
evil-
>  should be the most targeted by censors.  
> Lumos,
> Belinda