26th to 30th October 2011
Something was different.

A guard (albeit made of paper) was standing at the Library door, barring the entrance. There was police tape everywhere and angry notices:

You are being watched!
These books are banned!
Do not cross this line!

Something was going on...

Banned Book Week happens every year. It remind us of places and times when books were banned. And it's not just a historical thing. Books are banned even today, all around the world. Read about 10 famous banned books: 

Here is a listing of ten books that are controversial in many parents' eyes and often become banned books in American schools. Note that this list was not picked based on the number of challenges or bans in place. Instead, it was a sampling of the different variety of books that are banned or challenged each year. The list looks at more popular books that are often cited along with common objections to those books.

1. The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn

This book by Mark Twain has been challenged and banned in numerous locations and times because of its incessant use of racial slurs including the "n" word.

2. The Catcher in the Rye

This book by J. D. Salinger uses profanity throughout along with the portrayal of events like prostitution, depression, and alienation.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird

This novel by Harper Lee has been challenged over the years for its use of profanity and racial slurs.

4. Bridge to Terabithia

This book by Katherine Paterson was recently turned into a movie by Disney. It has been challenged or banned because of the disrespect the children show to adults, the confusion of combining fantasy with reality, and profanity. 

5. The Lord of the Flies

This novel by William Golding has been challenged and in many cases banned because of its use of profanity, sexuality, racial slurs, and excessive violence.

6. Of mice and Men

This novel by John Steinbeck has been banned because of its use of profanity. Often cited are the use of the Lord's name in vain along with the use of racial slurs.

7. The Color Purple

This Pulitzer prize winning novel by Alice Walker has been challenged and banned over the years because of its explicit sexuality, profanity, violence, and use of drugs.

8. Harry Potter Series

These books by J.K. Rowling have become a frequent target as they are often challenged and sometimes banned. The most common reason cited is its use of witchcraft and the fear that fantasy and reality could become confused for children. However, some challenges have arisen over the violence it portrays.

9. Slaughterhouse Five

Kurt Vonnegut's novel has been challenged and banned because of its profanity, violence, and explicit sexuality.

10. The Bluest Eye

This novel by Toni Morrison was one of the most challenged in 2006 for its profanity, sexual references, and unsuitability for students.



Take a look at the pictures that we took and ask yourself a few questions:

Are you free to say and think what you like?
Are you free to read whatever you like?
Should teachers, librarians, or parents stop you from reading certain books?