The ALA's new State of America’s Libraries Report [PDF] shows American public and school libraries are being challenged most often over graphic novels like Saga and YA novels and books by people of color like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
As James Whitbrook points out on IO9, the challenges to Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples' Saga — the best new comic on stands today in my opinion — is particularly rich with irony. Saga's challengers have accused the book — which is a family saga about parents who resolve to do best by their child in the midst of a war — of being "anti-family" — "In a shocking twist, people calling for a book to be banned may not have actually read the book!"
Eighty percent of the 2014 Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books reflect diverse authors and cultural content.
The 2014 Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books include:
1) "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”2) "Persepolis," by Marjane Satrapi
Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”3) "And Tango Makes Three," Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”4) "The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”5) "It’s Perfectly Normal," by Robie Harris
Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it child pornography”6) "Saga," by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. Additional reasons:7) "The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence8) "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”9) "A Stolen Life," Jaycee Dugard
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group10) "Drama," by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: sexually explicit
New State of America’s Libraries Report finds shift in role of U.S. libraries [American Library Association]
