September 25 - October 2 is the ALA’s Banned Books Week (BBW).

“Observed since 1982, the annual event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. [It] celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one?s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.”

“Although they were the targets of attempted bannings, most of the books featured during BBW were not banned, thanks to the efforts of librarians to maintain them in their collections. Imagine how many more books might be challenged ? and possibly banned or restricted ? if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.”

The most frequently challenged books of 2003 were:

1. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, for sexual content, using offensive language, and being unsuited to age group
2. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling, for its focus on wizardry and magic
3. “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, for using offensive language
4. “Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture” by Michael A. Bellesiles, for inaccuracy
5. “Fallen Angels” by Walter Dean Myers, for racism, sexual content, offensive language, drugs and violence
6. “Go Ask Alice” by Anonymous, for drugs
7. “It’s Perfectly Normal” by Robie Harris, for homosexuality, nudity, sexual content and sex education
8. “We All Fall Down” by Robert Cormier, for offensive language and sexual content
9. “King and King” by Linda de Haan, for homosexuality
10. “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson, for offensive language and occult/satanism

Of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000, I thought these were pretty interesting:

 3. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
 7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
13. “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
19. “Sex” by Madonna
25. “In the Night Kitchen” by Maurice Sendak
40. “What?s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide       for Parents & Daughters” by Lynda Madaras
41. “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
42. “Beloved” by Toni Morrison
43. “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton
47. “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes
51. “A Light in the Attic” by Shel Silverstein
55. “Cujo” by Stephen King
56. “James and the Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl
57. “The Anarchist Cookbook” by William Powell
60. “American Psycho” by Bret Easton Ellis
61. “What?s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide       for Parents & Sons” by Lynda Madaras
69. “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut
70. “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
77. “Carrie” by Stephen King
83. “The Dead Zone” by Stephen King
88. “Where?s Waldo?” by Martin Hanford

And Finally, the Top Ten Challenged Authors 1990 to Present

1. Alvin Schwartz
2. Judy Blume
3. Robert Cormier
4. J.K. Rowling
5. Michael Willhoite
6. Katherine Paterson
7. Stephen King
8. Maya Angelou
9. R.L. Stine
10. John Steinbeck

BookSense has compiled this list of challenged books as their BBW Picks of 2004. I encourage you to read one of the books from this list, or any of the above lists, in support of BBW. I’m going to Prince Books tomorrow after work to pick up Stones From The River, by Ursula Hegi. Plus, just last week I ordered “Slaughterhouse-Five” on DVD, so I’ll watch that too.