The A.L.A.'s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2008

reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

 

1. "And Tango Makes Three," by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Anti-Family, Homosexuality, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

 

 

2. "His Dark Materials Trilogy" (Series), Philip Pullman
Reasons:  Political Viewpoint, Religious Viewpoint, Violence

 

 

3. "TTYL"; "TTFN"; "L8R, G8R" (Series), Lauren Myracle
Reasons:  Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

 

4. "Scary Stories" (Series), Alvin Schwartz
Reasons:  Occult/Satanism, Religious Viewpoint, Violence

 

 

5. "Bless Me, Ultima," by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons:  Occult/Satanism, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Sexually Explicit, Violence

 

 

6. "The Perks of Being A Wallflower," by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons:  Drugs, Homosexuality, Nudity, Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Suicide, Unsuited to Age Group

 

 

7. "Gossip Girl" (Series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons:  Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

 

 

8. "Uncle Bobby's Wedding," by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons:  Homosexuality, Unsuited to Age Group

 

 

9. "The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons:  Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

 

 

10. "Flashcards of My Life," by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons:  Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

Six titles were dropped from the list, including: "The Chocolate War," by Robert Cormier (challenged for sexually explicit content, offensive language and violence); "Olive's Ocean," by Kevin Henkes (for sexually explicit content and offensive language); "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain (for racism); "The Color Purple," by Alice Walker (for homosexuality, sexually explicit content and offensive language); "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," by Maya Angelou (for sexually explicit content); and "It's Perfectly Normal," by Robie Harris (for sexually explicit content).

For more information on book challenges and censorship, please visit the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom's Banned Books Week Web site at www.ala.org/bbooks.

 

You can choose any one of these books to be the one you can have for free this month, if you are a Pivotal Gold member.  Please just send me an email with the title.  Not a member yet?  There is more information here.  

Booklists Home