Cujo by Stephen King

Cujo is centered around a family of three - a husband, a wife, and their four-year-old son. The story is partially about a family falling apart and the damages that result from it, but it all occurs in the midst of a ferocious dog attack. Cujo, a large dog, becomes infected with rabies after having been bitten by a bat. After two members of the family, Donna and her son Tad, drive up to the house of Cujo's owners to pick up their repaired car, they become trapped within their own vehicle after being attacked by the animal. They are trapped in the car for several days - trapped in the heat, trapped by Cujo, and trapped by fear.

* For a more detailed description of this book - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cujo

Cujo is one of the most challenged and banned books written by author Stephen King. It has faced challenges since 1985 and all the way to the early 2000s. It has faced challenges for varrying reasons such as the usage of rough language and explicit sex scenes, but also for the extreme violence and fear that the scenes instill. The death of a young child and the destruction of a family have been deemed harmful to the minds of some young students and has been banned for this reason as well.

* For more information on the bannings and challenges of this book - http://thecensorshipofstephenking.weebly.com/challengebanning-factors.html

Do you think that a book should be banned from a school setting because of these reasons? Many students are faced with the disassembly of their own families. Would it be unwise to expose them to materials that could hit so close to this painful subject at home?

* 5 points extra credit

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

American Psycho is about an extremely materialistic man. While he does live his life he is only going through the motions. He has a fiance, but he doesn't love her, he only finds that they are a good match because they are both physically attractive. Beneath this veneer of perfection, Patrick Bateman is a seriously disturbed man. He spends his nights paying hookers for their services and killing them. He also kills any coworker who poses a threat to him and his career. No one is the wiser to his actions because he has such a perfect life. Who would suspect him?

* For a better description of the book - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Psycho

American Psycho has been banned from several schools because of the intense look inside the inner mechanics of a mentally psychotic person and their logic. Many teachers question the what might happen if their students are exposed to such material. It has also been banned for extremely graphic depictions of mutilation, cannibalism, rape, and murder.

* For more information on the bannings and challenges of the book - http://www.shmoop.com/news/2010/05/24/most-controversial-books/

Do you think that a book depicting such a mentally unwell person is appropriate for middle or high school students? What could be the possible outcomes of exposing children and young adults to this material?

* 5 points extra credit

Earth's Children Series by Jean Auel

Earth's Children is a series of novels by Jean Auel, focussing on a young Cro-magnon woman named Ayla and takes place in the Paleolithic era. The series follows Ayla's life as she makes her way through several caves and peoples of both Neandrathal and Cro-magnon origin, discovering things unknown to both kinds as she possesses a special insight in both worlds.

* For a more detailed description of the book series - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_Children

Earth's Children has been banned from schools for various reasons such as sexually explicit material, offensive language, unsuited to a middle or high school age group, themes relating to the occult and promotion of homosexuality and underage sex.

* For more information on the banning of this book series - http://www.pcc.edu/library/news/banned_books.html

Do you believe that a book should be banned for sexually explicit material or is it acceptable for some age groups to read such things, especially if it is believed to have relevance to real situations in the past?

* 5 points extra credit

Carrie by Stephen King

Carrie is about a shy high school girl who, after years of being a social outcast and victim of her religious mother's emotional and physical abuse, discovers she has telekinetic powers. She attempts to use these powers to achieve happiness and acceptance, but is instead ridiculed by her peers once more at her high school prom, resulting in a mass homicide of all in attendance.

* For a better description of this book - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_(novel)

 Carrie was released in 1974 and the first banning of the book in schools was in 1975 by a school in Los Vegas, Nevada, deeming the book "trashy." It has since been banned for reasons such as concern that the content involving bullying could result in ill treatment of students given ideas by the book. It has also received challenges for age appropriateness and for scenes involving "Satanic killings."

* For more information on the bannings and challenges of this book - http://thecensorshipofstephenking.weebly.com/challengebanning-factors.html
* And here - http://www.stephenking.com/library/essay/book-banners:_adventure_in_censorship_is_stranger_than_fiction_the.html

Do you think that Carrie should be banned from schools? Should books containing religious undertones or characters be kept out of school settings or should it be up to students if they are exposed to these books? Should bulling be an issue that students are exposed to in order to see the effects?

* 5 points extra credit

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar takes place in the late 1950s and focusses on a young woman named Esther Greenwood. The book follows her thoughts and activities as she lives in a world where women are expected to be obediant and innocent and not give in to any urges or interests they may have regarding both sex and careers. Esther slowly descends into suicidal-driven madness as she fights herself and the world trying to figure out who she is a woman and as a person.

* For a more detailed description - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Jar

The Bell Jar has been challenged by many schools as being too graphic with the issues of suicide and sex. There are explicit detailings on the main character's thoughts on sex and love and many have said that rather than proving a point that these actions only demonstrate a character making one bad decision after another. Suicide is a strong theme in the book and has lead to challenges made about glorifying death and escape.

* For more information on the bannings of this book - http://users.owt.com/crbatish/REQUESTS.HTM#The Bell Jar

Do you think that issues such as suicide and sex should be avoided in school material? Is a book like this presenting young, impressionable students with poor ideals, or is opening their minds to the experiences of others?

* 5 points extra credit

Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Scarlet Letter is about a woman in the 17th-century Boston who, despite her husband being presumed dead, became pregnant and later gave birth to a littler girl. Hester Prynne, the woman, was made to wear a scarlet letter A on her chest everywhere she went to let the world know that she is an adulteress. The book demonstrates ideals of sin, guilt, and strength.

* For a more detailed description of the book - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Letter

The book has been challenged and banned in schools for various reasons, including the sexual content. Despite the fact that there are no sexual scenes within the book, many challengers have called the book "pornographic." It was also challenged because of the Puritan ideals presented in the book that parents didn't want their children being exposed to.

* For more information on the bannings - http://www.favorite-banned-books.com/the-scarlet-letter.html

Do you think that this book is inappropriate for students in the middle/high school age groups? The book centers around the idea that this woman had sex outside of her marriage and was condemned for it. Is this too sexually explicit to be read by young adults or children? Could young people be taught something by reading a book about the struggle of a woman in the past to even experience outside of a husband who is presumed dead?

* 5 points extra credit

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies is about a group of young British boys who are stranded on a deserted island. The only adult with them dies and they must govern themselves. The book examines the test of human nature as these boys grow more and more wild without any consequences to their actions. The books leads to violence and death as the boys spend more time unsupervised in the wild.

* For a more detailed description - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies

This book has recieved a lot of controversy and continues to today. The book has been challenged many times and banned several. In 1981 in the Owen High School, North Carolina, it was challenged because the novel “implies that man is little more than an animal." In 1992, Waterloo, Iowa schools challenged it for "profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled."

* For a more detailed description of the bannings and challenges of this book - http://www.booksie.com/editorial_and_opinion/essay/ousma/to-ban-or-not-to-ban/nohead/pdf/ver/8

Do you think that this book should be removed from schools? Would a realistic depiction of what can happen if children were allowed to do as they pleased in society without consequences perhaps help children understand why the word od elders is important?

* 5 points extra credit

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

James and the Giant Peach is a children's story about a boy named James who is orphanned after a giant rhino escaped from the zoo kills his parents. He then lives with his two terrible aunts who make his life miserable. James dreams of New York City, a place his father told him dreams always come true. One day, a man with magic worms tells James that all his dreams will come true with these worms. Unfortunately, the worms escape and James looses them. One worm takes over the peach tree in their yard and a peach large than a two story house grows. James takes a bite of the peach, scrawls inside, and finds bugs the size of a human being who can talk, also having eaten the peach. They make their way with the help of the giant peach to escape James' aunts and make their way to New York City and be a family.

* For a more detailed description - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_and_the_Giant_Peach

Now, why would a children's book actually be banned? Several schools have banned this book because it was deemed too frightening for children. The books itself does present some violent moments, such as James' parents being eaten by a giant rhino and the characters being attacked by monsters trying to actually kill them. Some have even said that some of the more enticing characters could be seen as sexually suggestive to the students reading them.

* For more information on the bannings and challenges of this book - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_commonly_challenged_books_in_the_United_States
* And here - http://classiclit.about.com/od/bannedliteratur1/tp/aa_bannedbooks.01.htm

Do you think that this book contains anything suggestive to children? Would the age group this book is targetted to even be able to pick up on a sexual theme if there was one? Do you think that some moments within this book are too violent for the age group?

* 5 points extra credit

The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank is a detailed journal kept by Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl who lived with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The journal describes her feelings on her family, the other family in hiding with them, her thoughts on the war, and more importantly, herself and her life as she grows up in a very short and strange time.

* For a more detailed description - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diary_of_a_Young_Girl

One would think that a book that is so historical and so acclaimed would not face challenges or bannings in schools. One would think a story such as this would be important to tell. Sadly, not everyone feels this way. There are two main reasons that schools have banned this book: one, being the sexual content in the original, unedited version in which Anne describes her vagina and her sexual feelings; two, and this being voted as one of the "Worst Reasons to Ban a Book," because it is a "real downer." Apparently, no matter how true a story is, if it's sad some people would prefer to ignore it.

* For more information on the bannings and challenges of this book - http://www.thenation.com/blog/anne-franks-diary-too-explicit-school
* And here - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012804001.html?hpid=sec-education

Do you think that a book with this much historical value should be banned from schools? Do you think that a story being sad is a reason to keep it away from students?

* 5 points extra credit

The Lovely Bones by Peter Jackson

The Lovely Bones is the story of of Susie Salmon, a fourteen year old girl who is raped and murdered in the novel’s opening chapter. The novel focusses on Susie, in heaven, watching how her parents, sister, brother, friends and grandmother cope with her loss while trying to bring her murderer to justice.

* For more information on the book - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lovely_Bones

The Lovely Bones has been banned several times since its release. Schools tend to keep it off their shelves and even forbid the use of it in book reports because parents and teachers have deemed the content too frightening for students. The novel depicts frightening occurances of rape and murder of young children and many parents find it to be too "real" and frightening for kids. The book also describes the sexual desires of a young teenager as well as an adult woman and many adults find that having both of these present in a book for children will confuse what's appropriate for a young perosn's experimentation.

* For more information on the bannings and challenges of this book - http://paranormal.suvudu.com/2010/09/banned-books-week-the-lovely-bones.html

The author of this book has even stated on the description within that "the world isn't sugar-coated." Do you think that exposing students to real world issues such as rape and murder of people their own age is conducive to them growing up properly and having a good understnading of the world? Or do you think it's too frightening to disturb children with these sad facts?

* 5 points extra credit

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is a popular best-selling book series all over the world. The books follow the adventures of Harry Potter, a young boy who discovers he is a wizard and has an unknown history with a dark wizard named Voldemort. The books follow Harry's time at Hogwarts, a school for witches and wizards, and the unlocking of secrets within the wizarding world as he tries to defeat Voldemort.

* For a more detailed description - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter

The Harry Potter books have actually been challenged over 25 times in the United States since their initial release in 1997. The largest complaint amongst parents is that the books present the idea of witchcraft - something many people oppose as being too fanciful, while others fully refer to as Satanic belief. Other parents have challenged the books because of the actions of Harry Potter and his friends. The characters often break the rules of their school and sometimes take pleasure in their disobedience, but it is usually only a means to help someone or stop an evil. Other schools banned them deeming the books too frightening for some children.

* For more information on the banning of this book series - http://www.infoplease.com/spot/banned-harry.html
* And here - http://speakout.com/activism/issue_briefs/1319b-1.html

Do you think that these are valid reasons for parents to oppose these books? Should a school ban a book from its shelves and use in the classroom based on the religious beliefs of some, or should it be up to the students themselves whether they choose to read the books the school offers? Do you think the characters in Harry Potter could be bad influences on kids?

* 5 points extra credit

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 is a novel written in 1951 and depicts a future American soceity in which books are outlawed. The book follows protagonist Guy Montag. He works as a fireman, which in this furturistic society no longer has the meaning one would think - firemen find people who have books illegally and they burn the books and arrest those caught with them. Guy never questioned the reasons the government would have for banning books, but after meeting a girl named Mildred he begins to doubt the laws of this Big Brother-like society. He begins collecting and reading books in secrecy until his own friends and family turn on him. Eventually he is found and taken in by a group of other readers like him and the book ends with Guy and these people memorizing books to pass on the stories.

* For a more detailed description - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451

Fahrenheit 451 has been banned and challened by schools for many reasons since its release. The intial complaints, and the lightest ones, were the usage of the swear words "hell" and "damn." Later on parents began to complain that because the books were being burned within the story that there are too many references to the burning of bibles in various instances. Some felt this either pushed a Christian ideal on children, others felt that it mocked it. The largest reason for the book's banning during the decades right after its release, were the ideas of an oppressive political force taking away freedoms. In the 1950s, the advocacy of the government was seen as a bad thing. Most schools do not ban this book today, but it took many decades for schools to welcome it with open arms because of the heavy political undertones (and overtones).

* For more information on the banning of this book - http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_Fahrenheit_451_banned
* And for more - http://www.st-charles.lib.il.us/arl/booklists/banned100.htm

Do you think that schools should avoid books that contain such strong ideas and theories on goverment authority? Is it the place of teachers to expose students to issues such as government control? Do think a book like this would open the minds of students or corrupt them?

* 5 points extra credit

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a novel set in the 1960s inside an Oregan metal asylum. It is narrated by a half-Native American mental patient named "Chief" and it focusses on the story of one of his fellow patients, Randle Patrick McMurphy, who faked his insanity to escape a prison sentence. McMurphy treats his time in the asylum as a joke and harasses the head nurse and the other staff. His antics inspire the other patients to stand up for themselves and not let the head nurse or other staff members control their lives entirely. This unfortunately results in the head nurse treating them worse and an eventual suicide of one of the patients. McMurphy is driven to rage by his friend's suicide and attacks the head nurse, resulting in him recieving a lobotomy. Chief, in an act of mercy, smothers McMurphy with a pillow at night to set him free from eternal captivity and then later escapes from the asylum himself.

* For a more detailed description - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Flew_Over_the_Cuckoo's_Nest_(novel)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has recieved bannings and challenges since the early 1970s. It has been challenged for its descriptions of sexual and violent acts as well as for profanity. One school went as far to say  that the book was "pornographic," and they charged the novel "glorifies criminal activity, has a tendency to corrupt juveniles and contains descriptions of bestiality, bizarre violence, and torture, dismemberment, death, and human elimination."

* For more information on the bannings and challenges of this book - http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reasonsbanned

Do you think that a book that depicts acts of violence, crime, and mental corruption will influence the studnets allowed to read them? Do you think that these themes would inform or disturb a young reader? Would a young reader even be able to relate to such thoughts in an appropriate way?

* 5 points extra credit

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men is a story following two migrant workers in California during the Great Depression - George Milton, an intelligent and cynical man, and Lennie Small, a man of large size but limited metal abilities. George and Lennie are on the run, having found themselves in trouble with the law after Lennie's simple-mindedness resulted in a misunderstanding. They find work on a ranch, finding trouble with some of the workers, but also finding friends and earning money and connections to build their way towards their dream of having their own land and a home. Unfortunately, Lennie's mind leads them to trouble again and George is faced with the decision of letting his friend fall to a painful justice or finding the strength to help his friend in the only way he knows how.

* For a more detailed summary - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Mice_and_Men

The first banning of this book was in 1953 in Ireland and the first banning of it in America was 1974. Of Mice and Men has been banned for reasons ranging from the content of the book itself to the implications of the author's political standing. Some schools deemed the book to be "filthy" and contain explicit sexual references that are innappropriate for children. The book has been challenged and banned over the decades for reasons mostly including profanity and slurs, the most recent being in 2007 in Olathe, Kansas when a parent stated that the novel is a “worthless, profanity-riddled book” which is “derogatory towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled.” 

* More infomation on the bannings of Of Mice and Men - http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reasonsbanned

Do you think that profanity in a novel is reason enough to have it banned from schools? Is reading a book that contains realistic depictions of racism in the past beneficial to understanding the changes the American people have gone through or is it a pointless reminder to the pains of certain groups of people?

* 5 points extra credit

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Color Purple centers around a black woman named Celie in the 1930s in rural Georgia. It begins when Celie is a child. She had spent her childhood abused and raped by her father, forced to give up the children he impregnated her with, and then given away to marry a man she had never met. The story follows Celie's sad life of an unhappy marriage, seperation from her sister, a longing for her lost children and the ability to allow herself to be loved by others and by herself as well.

* For a more detailed summary - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Color_Purple

The Color Purple was first banned by a school in 1985 and continuously challenged and banned by schools, the most present date being 2008. The book has benn challenged and banned for a variety of reasons: sexual explicitness, racial relations, man's relationship with God, "rough" language, detailed descriptions of rape, and strong opinions on homosexuality.

* For more info on the banning of The Color Purple - http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reasonsbanned

Do you think that The Color Purple should be banned from schools? Do you think subjects such as rape should be avoided in school materials or that it should be discussed with students? What are the pros and cons of reading and discussing a book that contains these powerful issues?

* 5 points extra credit

Happy reading,
Ms. Lewis