Friday, October 5, 2012

Book Blogger Hop: Banned Books

Book Blogger Hop

Question: Banned Books Week ends on the 6th. How do you feel about books being challenged to be banned from libraries or schools? Have you read any banned books?

Honestly, I think making something "forbidden" actually makes it more interesting to the general public, and that "banning" books ends up causing the exact opposite result the banner was hoping for.

I looked up a list for banned YA books and found one here on Goodreads.   I've read many of them, and still scratch my head as to why they're banned.

To Kill a Mockingbird?  Really?  That may be the only classic I've read and loved.

And, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret helped me through the difficult years of puberty.

I didn't enjoy The Golden Compass, et al, but think it's relatively harmless as are the Harry Potter Books (oddly, I never though I could actually *become* a witch after reading them).

And many like Forever were banned (I'm guessing) because of the sexual content, but honestly, it certainly wasn't glorified in that book (my heart still breaks a little for the poor heroine).   And it's not as though kids aren't being exposed to it elsewhere anyway.

IMHO, while I may not want my teenaged daughter reading some of these books, I still think they're a great conversation starter.   She and I read The Hunger Games books together and still have talks about it -- we've discussed everything from moral right and wrong, to politics to love.

Should books be banned?  Nope.  But as long as they (whoever "they" is) keep doing it, it's just going to make those books into forbidden fruit, and cause their titles to be more well known than if they'd just kept their mouths shut.

 My .02 FWIW

6 comments:

  1. I so agree with you... and the big point is your line "I may not want my teenaged daughter reading some of these books." That is your right (and responsibility as a mom. You do NOT want someone else telling her what she is not allowed to read---nor should "those-who-ban" decide what other children (or adults) should read.

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  2. After googling what the 100 top banned books were I found I had only read three of them, not because they are banned books, but because most of the banned books were not in genres I read.

    Thanks for the visit to My Reading Corner today.

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  3. I completely agree that banning books just ends up giving them publicity--so more people end up reading them!

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  4. I read almost every book on that list...we were REQUIRED to read them when I was in high school.

    Stop by if you like.

    NEW FOLLOWER.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    http://silversolara.blogspot.com/2012/10/book-blogger-hop-105-1011.html

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  5. Good for you for talking with your daughter about the books she's reading. Conversations are the best thing!

    Stop by and check out my banned books post (if you haven't) http://susreviews.blogspot.com/2012/10/book-blogger-hop.html

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  6. Hey, I saw Sus nominated you gor Liebster, so I decided to come explore your blog. Good post :)

    I know, I find it shocking as well. To Kill a Mockingbird... One of the most memorable books I read growing up.

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