The Essex County Library takes Banned Books Week seriously. Every year this event runs from October 1-7. This year the theme was “Let Freedom Read.”

In an earlier article on this topic we said:

“When we ban books, we’re closing off readers to people, places, and perspectives. But when we stand up for stories, we unleash the power that lies inside every book. We liberate the array of voices that need to be heard and the scenes that need to be seen.”

Here are the challenged/banned books we highlighted during this year’s Banned Books Week.

Hop on Pop

We first talked about Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss. In 2014, patrons asked the Toronto Public Library to remove the book because it “encourages children to use violence against their fathers.”

The complainant also asked the library to issue an apology to fathers in the greater Toronto area.

The library’s Materials Review Committee decided to keep the book saying, “The children are actually told not to hop on pop.”

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Charlotte’s Web

Next in our series of banned/challenged books was Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.

In 2006, some parents in a Kansas school district decided that talking animals are blasphemous and unnatural.

Passages about the spider dying were also criticized as being “inappropriate subject matter for a children’s book.”

Wait ’til they learn about parrots!

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The Glass Castle

We also featured The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

In 2018, a Wisconsin parent complained about vulgar language and explicit situational content.

The memoir is about growing up in poverty. It chronicles the author’s harsh childhood and family life and includes profanity, criticisms of Christianity, and accounts of sexual abuse.

Even critics praise its theme – overcoming adversity.

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The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a perennial favourite on banned lists everywhere. This novel has been banned and challenged because it is sexually explicit and has an anti-Christian theme.

The Handmaid’s Tale provokes controversial arguments by approaching issues on sex, religion, reproductive rights, feminism, and fundamentalism.

According to Atwood, “The Handmaid’s Tale has been banned many times — sometimes by whole countries, such as Portugal and Spain in the days of Salazar and the Francoists, sometimes by school boards, sometimes by libraries.”

She has recently teamed with Penguin Random House to release an unburnable copy of the novel.

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The Family Book

As part of Banned Books Week we  featured The Family Book by Todd Parr.

In 2012 this book was removed from the Erie, Illinois school system along with several other LGBTQ-themed books.  This was done after some parents complained about the book’s depiction of same sex couples within the book.

In 2020, the book landed the 67th spot on the American Library Association’s list of the most banned and challenged books in the United States from 2010 to 2019.

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Thirteen Reasons Why

Next we featured Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

Thirteen Reasons Why has frequently been challenged and removed from schools and libraries. It has landed in the top 10 most challenged book in multiple years.

The book has been challenged because it addresses teen suicide; is sexually explicit; includes drugs, alcohol, and smoking; and is considered unsuitable for the age group.

It is classified as a Young Adult novel.

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Speak

We wrapped up Banned Books Week with our last highlighted book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

In 2012, the book was challenged, but retained in the Republic (MO) schools despite complaints that it is “soft-pornography,” “glorifies drinking, cursing, and pre-marital sex,” and “teaches principles contrary to the Bible.”

The novel tells the story of a freshman girl who is sexually assaulted and the resulting isolation and aftermath.

The book is classified as a Young Adult novel.

Top image by StockSnap from Pixabay