What do you think the book "challengers" fear most? Do you think communities should be able to ban books from libraries and schools? Why or why not?

10 Books They Don't Want You to Read

In 2004, libraries and schools received 547 written "challenges" to books stocked on their shelves, a stunning 20 percent increase from a year earlier. While the books haven't been banned outright, there are individuals and groups who don't want you to read them. This week, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom is calling attention to these books and why some people want them removed from the shelves.

Three of the 10 most challenged books were cited for homosexual themes, which is the highest number in a decade. Sexual content and offensive language remain the most frequent reasons for seeking removal of books from schools and public libraries.

The books, in order of most frequently challenged, are:
1. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier for sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint, being unsuited to age group and violence.
2. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers, for racism, offensive language and violence.
3. "Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture" by Michael A. Bellesiles, for inaccuracy and political viewpoint.
4. "Captain Underpants" series by Dav Pilkey, for offensive language and modeling bad behavior.
5. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky, for homosexuality, sexual content and offensive language.
6. "What My Mother Doesn't Know" by Sonya Sones, for sexual content and offensive language.
7. "In the Night Kitchen" by Maurice Sendak, for nudity and offensive language.
8. "King & King" by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland, for homosexuality.
9. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou, for racism, homosexuality, sexual content, offensive language and unsuited to age group.
10. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck, for racism, offensive language and violence.

The top 10 "challenged" authors from 1990 to 2004 are (in order): Alvin Schwartz, Judy Blume, Robert Cormier, J.K. Rowling, Michael Willhoite, Katherine Paterson, Stephen King, Maya Angelou, R.L. Stine and John Steinbeck.

those Captain Underpants books are great.

lool captain underpants fights the giant bionical booger my nephiew reads those

I've read one of those books, george.

i still read those books, i dont care. i think they're hilarious.

you can even animate them yourself.

as long as i still get to tend the rabbits...

and yet the satanic bible is still cool with those folks, cool. Everyone stock up on your satanic reading material as it's A.O.K. by those folks, as long as there's no homosexuality, and offensive vocabulary you can read it.

or bald men in underwear flying around

Dav Pilkey is actually Anton Lavey writing from the grave.

those books arent that bad... I have "The Gas" by Charles Platt and that book has incest, people fucking cars, people crushing birds in their hands and cramming the remains up a fat chick's cunt, people puting a live grenade up the same fat chick's cunt, having an orgy covered in the human shrapnel from the fat bitch, violence towards women, incest, and other crazy shit. fucking short book though. hilarious and fun to read. i wonder why they havent made a movie about it...

i would like to read that book

that would make a cool anime

"Of Mice & Men"? Come on...

I looked at the title of this thread and thought it was another one by that Infoterror dude

So it's perfectly alright for me to read 'The Satanic Bible' and 'Mein Kampf' then, but 'Of Mice and Men'....oh my, that book is br00tal and grim.

If they start banning books (contemporary classics) like these from libraries or other public quorums, then I am seriously out of this fucking country. I am not waiting for the inevitable end.

I'm gonna stick to wholesome reading material like penthouse magazine from now on

Yea or the bible. Theres some wholesome reading material for ya. Incest, human sacrifice, beastiality, rape, murder, incest, rape, incest, incest, incest....

Christraper said:

Seriously. The relationship between Christian views and The Bible is an amazing example of hypocrisy.

You would think 'they' don't want you reading 'how to over throw the government' or something.... but no.. keeping books about boogers and briefs away is much more important.

Good thing I have not read any of those ,I am way ahead of the game