Happy Banned Book Week

 

Banned Books Week

 

We do not believe in banning books due to content that may offend one faction or another. 

Connie Foster inaugurated www.ebooksonthe.net in 1997 and ran it until Jan. 1. 2000, when she sold it due to her illness. She published GHOST DANCER in 1998.

In all our years of selling on the Internet, the above is the only book on our site about which we have received a complaint and a request for removal.  This effort at censorship happened before I bought www.ebooksonthe.net, so at the time Connie Foster was the publisher. It was she who received the complaint about the book.  

Connie explained that ebooksonthe.net was a site with "some of everything" and if "Native American spiritualism" offended the customer's  fundamentalist Christian tenets, she was free not to read it and in a pinch, Connine would return her $3.50 upon request, but the book would not be removed from sale.

Connie then advised me to write a press release about the incident, saying, "Banned books sell very well!" Since I was working at the newspaper then, getting such an article published was a conflict of interest...

Books on the site begun by the late Connie Foster still list some of everything. We do not believe in censorship, nor do we seek out books with prurient content.  Each book should be judged on it's own merit. Every book has a theme, a bottom line. What It Says! 

Last month we received a query for a YA book about a schizophrenic character who lived in an imaginary world populated by fascinating characters. It was entertaining and fairly well-written. But the bottom line of the the theme was that young people with such an illnesses could function perfectly well without their medication and lead happier and more productive lives. We passed on that one.  If that's censorship, the author is in good company.

Most authorities agree that the most-often
Banned Book of all time, everywhere, is:

The Holy Bible

American Library Association List of Top 100 Banned Books

Actually their website is three short, but The Top 97
Banned Books doens't quite have the same Punch.

1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
5. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses, by James Joyce
7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
9. 1984, by George Orwell

11. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov
12. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

15. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
16. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
17. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
18. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
19. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
20. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway

23. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
24. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
25. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
26. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
27. Native Son, by Richard Wright
28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey
29. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
30. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway

33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

36. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin

38. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren

40. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

45. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

48. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence
49. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
50. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

53. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

55. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie

57. Sophie's Choice, by William Styron

64. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence

66. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
67. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

73. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs
74. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
75. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence

80. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer

84. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller

88. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser

97. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike

Top Ten Banned books for the last Ten Years

2011

    The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
    Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

    The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
    Reasons: anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence

    My Mom's Having A Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
    Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

    The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
    Reasons: offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

    Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
    Reasons: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint

    Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
    Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit

    What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
    Reasons: nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit

    Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
    Reasons: drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit   

    To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
    Reasons: offensive language; racism



   2010

    And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
    Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group

    The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
    Reasons: offensive language, racism, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence

    Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
    Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, and sexually explicit

    Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
    Reasons: drugs, offensive language, and sexually explicit

    The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
    Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence

    Lush, by Natasha Friend
    Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

    What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
    Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

    Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich
    Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, and religious viewpoint

    Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie
    Reasons:  homosexuality and sexually explicit

    Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
    Reasons: religious viewpoint and violence


   2009

    The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
    Reasons: anti-family, drugs, homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group   

    To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
    Reasons: offensive language, racism, unsuited to age group

    Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
    Reasons: religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group   

    Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

    My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
    Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence

    The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group       

    The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group   

    The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
    Reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
   


   2008

    And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
    Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group

    His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
    Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence

    ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

    Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
    Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence

    Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
    Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
    Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group

    Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

    Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
    Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group

    The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

    Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
    Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group

   2007

    And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
    Reasons:  anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, sexism, and unsuited to age group       

    The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, violence       

    Olive's Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit

    The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
    Reason: religious viewpoint

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
    Reason: racism

    The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
    Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit

    ttyl, by Lauren Myracle
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
    Reason: sexually explicit

    It's Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
    Reasons: sex education and sexually explicit

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
    Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
       


   2006

    And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
    Reasons: anti-family, homosexuality, and unsuited to age group

    Gossip Girls (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
    Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group

    Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
    Reasons: offensive language and sexually explicit

    The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
    Reasons: anti-family, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

    The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

    Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
    Reasons:  insensitivity, occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, and violence

    Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
    Reasons: homosexuality and offensive language

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
    Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

    Beloved, by Toni Morrison
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

    The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicity, and violence

  

2005

    It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health, by Robie H. Harris
    Reasons: abortion, homosexuality, nudity, religious viewpoint, sex education, unsuited to age group

    Forever, by Judy Blume
    Reasons: offensive language, sexual content

    The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger
    Reasons: sexual content, offensive language, unsuited to age group

    The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
    Reasons: sexual content, offensive language

    Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
    Reasons: racism, offensive language

    Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
    Reason: sexual content

    What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
    Reasons: sexual content, being unsuited to age group

    Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
    Reasons: anti-family content, unsuited to age group, violence

    Crazy Lady!, by Jane Leslie Conly
    Reason: offensive language

    It's So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families, by Robie H. Harris
    Reasons: sex education, sexual content


 
 2004

    The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
    Reasons: offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence   

    Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Meyers
    Reasons: offensive language, racism, violence

    Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture, by Michael A. Bellesiles
    Reasons: inaccurate, political viewpoint

    Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
    Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit

    What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
    Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group, sexually explicit

    In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
    Reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit

    King & King, by Linda deHaan
    Reason: homosexuality   

    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
    Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

    Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
    Reasons: offensive language, racism, violence
   


   2003

    Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
    Reasons: sexual content, offensive language, unsuited to age group

    Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
    Reasons: occult/Satanism

    Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
    Reason: offensive language

    Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture, by Michael Bellesiles
    Reason: inaccuracy

    Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
    Reason: drugs, offensive language, racism, sexual content, violence

    Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
    Reason: drugs

    It's Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
    Reason: homosexuality, nudity, sexual content, sex education

    We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
    Reason: offensive language, sexual content

    King & King, by Linda de Haan
    Reason: homosexuality

    Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
    Reason: occult/Satanism, offensive language
   


   2002

    Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling
    Reasons: occult/Satanism, violence

    Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
    Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group       

    The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence

    Taming the Star Runner, by S.E. Hinton
    Reason: offensive language

    Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
    Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
    Reason: offensive language

    Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
    Reasons: occult/Satanism, offensive language, violence

    Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor
    Reason: offensive language

    Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
    Reasons: unsuited to age group, violence
   


   2001

    Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling
    Reasons: anti-family, occult/Satanism, religious viewpoint, violence

    Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
    Reasons: offensive language, racism, unsuited to age group, violence

    The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence

    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit

    Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene
    Reasons: offensive language, racism, sexually explicit

    The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
    Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group

    Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
    Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

    Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
    Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit

    Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
    Reason: offensive language

    Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
    Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group