What books were challenged most in 2013? ALA releases its list
What do Dav Pilkey鈥檚 playful 鈥淐aptain Underpants,鈥� Toni Morrison鈥檚 poignant 鈥淭he Bluest Eye,鈥� and E.L. James鈥� erotic 鈥淔ifty Shades of Grey鈥� have in common?
They are among the most vilified books of 2013.
These books, along with Sherman Alexie鈥檚 鈥淭he Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,鈥� and Suzanne Collins鈥� 鈥淭he Hunger Games,鈥� all have the distinction of topping the American Library Association鈥檚 annual list of most challenged books.
The list provides interesting insight into which titles receive the most complaints from teachers, educators, or members of the public. The ALA defines a complaint, or challenge as a 鈥渇ormal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness.鈥�
"The list shows the wide range of books that can get people rattled and touch upon their deepest fears and antagonisms," Barbara Jones, who directs the library association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, told.
The good news: Challenges were down in 2013. The ALA counted 307 attempts to remove or restrict books from curricula and libraries, down from 464 in 2012.
What landed some of the top picks on the list?
For 鈥淐aptain Underpants,鈥� which topped the list for a second year in a row, it was potty humor. The series follows the adventures of a two students who hypnotize their heartless school principal, transforming him into Dr. Diaper, a kid-friendly superhero dressed only in a cape and underpants.
鈥淭he Bluest Eye,鈥� tackles such difficult topics as rape and incest, was criticized for language, violence, and sexual content. And the prize-winning 鈥淭he Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,鈥� a perennial on the ALA鈥檚 list, was criticized for drug references, sexual content, and racism.
Other books landed on the list for Satanism, religious viewpoint, nudity, and homosexuality.
"The list shows the wide range of books that can get people rattled and touch upon their deepest fears and antagonisms," said the ALA鈥檚 Jones.
Here鈥檚 a rundown of the top 10 most challenged books of 2013:
Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
聽Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
聽Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
聽Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
聽Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
聽Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
聽Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
Looking for Alaska by John Green
聽Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
聽Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
聽Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
Bone (series) by Jeff Smith
聽Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence
