Kids' Right to Read Project says numbers of books banned or challenged is way up
The Kids鈥� Right to Read Project, a group that investigates cases of books being banned or challenged and supports those who work against book-banning, says they鈥檝e experienced a large increase in the amount of incidents they鈥檝e looked into in 2013.
According to KRRP coordinator Acacia O鈥機onnor, the number of cases they鈥檝e investigated this year represents a 53 percent increase over 2012 cases. This past November, there were three times more incidents than in an average month.
锘匡豢锘縊鈥機onnor told booksellers industry newsletter that, for whatever reason, this fall in particular has been very busy for them.
鈥淚t has been a sprint since the beginning of the school year," she said. "We would settle one issue and wake up the next morning to find out another book was on the chopping block.鈥�
Most of those who tried to challenge or ban books were parents, whose children encountered the book in question either in school or at a public library, O鈥機onnor said. She added that, during the fall, there were a disquieting number of incidents in which the books challenged were titles by minority authors. These authors include Sherman Alexie, Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, and Alice Walker.
O鈥機onnor says she鈥檚 at a loss to explain these odd spikes in numbers.
鈥淲hether or not patterns like this are the result of coordination between would-be censors across the country is impossible to say,鈥� she told Shelf Awareness. 鈥淏ut there are moments, when a half-dozen or so challenges regarding race or LGBT content hit within a couple weeks, where you just have to ask, 'What is going on out there?'鈥�
Recent cases of books challenged or banned that came to national attention included a decision by New Mexico鈥檚 Alamogordo High School this past October remove Neil Gaiman鈥檚 鈥淣everwhere鈥� from classrooms and libraries after a parent complained. Later, however, the novel was put back into circulation. Also, Rocklin High School in California decided to remove Stephen King鈥檚 鈥淒ifferent Seasons鈥� in October 2012. But that book was later restored after a student brought the issue to the local school board.
Banned or challenged books are honored during Banned Books Week, which is celebrated in September.
