Did You Know We’re Still Banning Books in America?

Didn’t the era of burning books end with McCarthyism? Just the concept of banning intellectual property for fear of exposing kids to concepts like homosexuality, sexual assault, violence, and drugs (things that affect almost all of us at some point in our lives) smells a bit like helicopter parenting! I was really shocked when I saw the list of the top 10 most banned books in America in 2014.

The American Library Association (ALA) reports that the most “challenged” books in 2014 include a children’s book about gay penguins (really?), and a memoir by a sexual assault survivor. People have even tried to ban award-winning Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye! In 1993, Morrison won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and in 1988, she won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (for Beloved). Who bans Toni Morrison’s books?

Check out the Los Angeles Times’ article “The most banned and challenged books of 2014” to see the complete list of books. This makes me worry that the fear of McCarthism that inspired Ray Bradbury to write Fahrenheit 451 might still be alive and well. I hope this article ratchets up interest in these books! As for me, I’m curious to see what kinds of books people have tried to ban, and I plan to check them out! 

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