banned books

In honor of Banned Books Week, I read a giant list about banned books and the reasons they were banned. The list was both funny and sad at the same time. Almost all of them were banned because of the language and/or sexual references. But here are a few that broke the mold:

1) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum: Banned for showing women in strong leadership roles, which was seen as having no value for children of today.

2) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: Challenged  by the Fourth Province of the Knights of the Ku Klux KIan due to "profanity and using God's name in vain."

3) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: Banned because it made promiscuous sex look like fun.

4) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Deemed pornographic despite no sex scenes or sexual language.

5) A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein: Challenged because it taught children to break dishes so they won't have to dry them.

6) A Farewell to Arms by Earnest Hemingway: Banned due to its painful and accurate account of the Italian retreat from Caporetto.

7) The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank: Deemed too depressing.

8) The Lorax by Dr. Seuss: Removed because it persuaded children to be against logging.

9) Charlotte's Web by E.B. White: Challenged because talking animals are blasphemous and unnatural.

10) Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: Banned for anti-slavery themes and presenting a model of equality.


Now go out and corrupt your mind.


much love,
hedgie