In a perfect world, there would be no need to worry about whether books might be challenged or eventually banned by concerned community members. Ours, of course, is a democracy, which means many citizens have opinions on a wide variety of topics, including whether a book is appropriate for a class or student.

 Rather than focus on those who would censor certain passages and reading materials, the book community established a week in which booklovers celebrate the freedom to read whatever they wish. Initiated in 1982 as a reaction to a surge in book challenges, Banned Books Week, celebrated this year from Sept. 21-27, reminds readers of the freedom to read that they enjoy. This year, Banned Books runs from Sept. 21-27. The American Library Association reports that during the past decade, from 2000 to 2009, 5,099 challenges were reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. Among those challenges, the Office for Intellectual Freedom reports that 1,577 were challenges due to "sexually explicit" material, 1,291 were challenged due to "offensive language," 989 were challenged due to materials deemed "unsuited to age group," 619 were challenged due to "violence,” and 361 were challenged due to "homosexuality." Additionally, 274 materials were challenged due to "occult" or "Satanic" themes, 291 were challenged due to their "religious viewpoint," and 119 because they were "anti-family."

In honor of Banned Books Week and our right to read, the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group takes a look at some of the challenged books during the past year. Rather than highlight the reasons behind the books’ being challenged, we prefer to celebrate the insight and unique stories these tell. We hope you will support this week by reading a challenged or banned book. The right to read is a precious one we must protect.

Grades K-3

Winter, Jeanette. (2005). The Librarian of Basra: A True Story From Iraq. New York, NY:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers.

Set in Basra, Iraq, this picture book celebrates the heroism of one librarian, Alia Muhammad Baker, who saves many of the volumes in her library with the help of other members of the community. Not only do they smuggle the books out in the midst of conflict, but they find a place to hide them until peacetime returns. It’s hard to think of many acts more daring than hers. Once a new library has been built, the books are returned to their home. The text and acrylic and ink illustrations are poignant reminders of the importance of books, libraries, and discourse as well as serving as a tribute to the readers who took action to save their irreplaceable literary treasures.

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Winter, Jeanette. (2009). Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story From Afghanistan. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books.

After the disappearance of her parents, Nasreen is silent and withdrawn. In a risky act, her grandmother secretly takes her to school right under the noses of the Taliban who are controlling their village. The school offers her an outlet as well as a place where she can acquire the literacy skills that may bring her a much brighter future and an avenue to freedom. The book’s acrylic illustrations and simple story attest to the determination of one elderly woman who is intent on having more for her granddaughter. Heroism and acts of courage sometimes come from surprising places and in unexpected sizes.

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Grades 4-6

Ignatow, Amy. (2010). The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang. New York, NY: Amulet.

Told in alternating voices that feature different fonts and colors of ink representing the characters’ different personalities, this book centers on two girls intent on figuring out exactly what makes someone popular in their middle school. As the girls pass the field notes in their journal back and forth, they come to some alarming conclusions about their peers and about themselves. Most interesting of all, though, they must contend with what to do with the information they glean. Young readers will relate to the girls’ desire for popularity but also understand that it often comes with a price. As fascinatingly unique as the protagonists are, the secondary characters are also interesting. Lydia has an older sister going through a Goth phase, and the two girls live with their single mother while Julie lives with her two fathers. The author handles the family dynamics in a matter-of-fact manner, and although the parents’ patience is strained at times, clearly, these two girls are loved and supported in exploring their own identities. There are seven titles in this deservedly-popular series.

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Grades 7-8

Frank, Anne. (1993). Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. New York, NY: Bantam.

Originally published in 1947, this classic has stood the test of time and continues to appeal to a new generation of readers, many of whom have only a vague awareness of what the Holocaust actually was. The book is Anne’s diary, maintained by the 13-year-old girl while her family hid for several months in a secret portion of an old office building in Amsterdam. She describes her family and the other residents of the hiding place as well as the steps necessary to keep their existence secret from the Gestapo. Anne was an astute observer of those around her, and she makes several scathing but accurate observations on the small dramas she observes being played out in the secret spot. Since the diary covers the two years she was in hiding, she matured over the course of that time and even fell in love, evidence of which is found in the lines she wrote. Young readers are typically taken aback when they realize the Franks were eventually discovered, and Anne died in a concentration camp.

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Grades 9-12

Green, John. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York, NY: Dutton Books.

Recipient of the Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature in 2006, this novel highlights the coming of age of protagonist Miles Halter. Bored with his life in Florida and looking for possibilities and experience, the 16-year-old enrolls in a boarding school in Florida where he finds some of what he’s been looking for. Readers will be intrigued by Chip, his new roommate, and Alaska Young, a girl who fascinates every male at the boarding school and whose misery quickly becomes obvious through the many late night conversations shared with Halter. As happens in these situations, his new friends introduce Miles to new experiences, some hilarious and some painful. The philosophical and sexual explorations resonate with authenticity and earnestness as Miles tries his best to seize life. Some have compared this title with the classic A Separate Peace by John Knowles because the narrators in both books struggle with telling the truth about themselves. Teen readers will be reminded of the joys and sorrows that lie ahead, and that life is brimming with possibilities and chances to reinvent oneself. Perhaps in looking for the Alaskas in their lives, they will ultimately find themselves.

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Lyga, Barry. (2012). I Hunt Killers. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

The charming Jasper Dent is the son of notorious serial killer, Billy Dent. Although his father is now imprisoned, Jasper is haunted by his upbringing and has flashbacks of scenes during which the man initiated him into aspects of his particular calling—murder with a side dish of torture. As Jazz wrestles with his past and his possible future, he has a few individuals who help keep him on the straight and narrow: G. William, the policeman who brought his father in, his best friend Howie who always has his back and with whom he might seem to have little in common, and his girlfriend Connie who knows about the dark urges with which he struggles. Add to that his eccentric and perhaps mentally ill grandmother, and it’s pretty clear Jazz leads a complicated life. When a new serial killer starts operating close to home, Jazz volunteers his help since he’s convinced that living with his father provided insights into the mind of a serial killer. Older teen readers will be drawn to Jazz and his struggles while also being horrified at the savagery of the killings described in blood-soaked detail. This is the first in a series of three titles focusing on Jazz, with the third one due out soon. These are emotionally-wrenching reads, and readers will feel wrung out emotionally at the books’ conclusions.

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Myers, Walter Dean. (1988). Fallen Angels. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, this book is required reading for anyone trying to make sense of the Vietnam War and the events that swirled around it. At the center is Richard Perry, a Harlem teen who volunteers for military service when his college plans don’t work out. Perry and his platoon are sent to the front lines of battle in Vietnam, and he comes of age amid scenes of racism, violence, death, compassion, and confusion. Myers describes in moving detail Perry’s thoughts of home that keep him as grounded as he can be, given his situation. The vivid descriptions of combat are contrasted with some of the humor and camaraderie between the military personnel, and the philosophical ponderings over the purposes of the war and Perry’s part in it show that the waging of war is far from a simple thing. It seems almost impossible to understand unless you’ve been there on the battle fields. As close as it is possible to do, Myers puts his readers there. Even though it’s clear this is a fictional account, most readers will be glad to come home again.

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Satrapi, Marjane. (2003). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. New York, NY: Pantheon.

This graphic novel examines the formative years of the author as she grew up in Tehran during the revolution in Iran. A second, companion volume, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return (Pantheon, 2005) provides additional insight into the author’s world. Having a glimpse into her experiences from six to fourteen provides a young insider’s version of a world with which most of them are unfamiliar other than from newspaper accounts. She describes the challenges of everyday events and the contrast between her life at home and her life in public as well as public whippings and repressive acts. Learning about her family and its own history allows readers to see how historical events are intertwined with personal experiences. It’s hard not to be drawn to Marjane and her story, which offers a unique perspective because of the innocence of the storyteller. Still, the heavy price of change, repression, and war is counted here amid the charm of the narrator. Young teen readers especially will enjoy this one with its colorful illustrations.

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Stone, Tanya Lee. (2007). A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl. New York, NY: Random House.

This novel in verse is told from multiple perspectives, following the misadventures of three girls who become enraptured by the same Lothario, a senior jock whose goal seems to be to have sex with as many girls as he can during his high school years.  While he is never named, Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva are the girls with whom he toys, and each girl is quite memorable. Older teen readers will be able to relate to at least one of the girls. Josie is a self-confident, self-assured freshman who finds the boy’s attentions surprising but pleasing. Before she realizes it, she is turned on and doing things she never dreamed of doing. When her would-be boyfriend drops her, she is at first perplexed, then angry, then intent on warning other girls about this jerk. The worldly and experienced Nicolette uses sex as power, and even she thinks that what they share is love. The third girl, Aviva, an artistic high school senior with a great sense of humor, has sex with him too, but finds it (and him) rather disappointing. All three girls—and others—record their feelings about the boy and his use of them in a library copy of Judy Blume’s Forever, a warning to stay away from him unless you want your heart broken. This cautionary tale is told with humor, insight, and intensity. It should be required reading in junior high and high school.

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online.