Banned Books published by Google

Lens Hood Man writes "Marking the 25th anniversary of Banned Books Week, Google is inviting users to celebrate their freedom to read by making Banned Books available to all. From the Google Blog: "...you can use Google Book Search to explore some of the best novels of the 20th century which have been challenged or banned." Those books challenged this year include 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Lolita'."

Comments

Re:Intellectual dishonesty

[Elemenope]

Sounds like someone doesn't live in hickville. Or belonged to a PTA anywhere. To believe that banning books is either temporally remote or over with is naive AND incorrect. These days parents seem to just are about different stuff, like 'promoting witchcraft' (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings). And sometimes, they succeed for a time (till a suit or injunction slaps them back into shape). Same shite, different decade.

Re:I don't see how they are banned books...

[AhtirTano]

• 3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou -- Slavery apologetics.
• 5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain -- We wouldn't want people to read anti-slavery propaganda
• 16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine -- Childhood is a happy time, kids shouldn't get scared
• 22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle -- Too many kids were putting on gloves and trying to walk through walls.
• 40. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras -- If you aren't sure how to explain the facts of life to your child, maybe they just shouldn't know.
• 41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee -- If kids learn to judge by facts instead of stereotypes, how are we going to win the War on Terror?
• 51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein -- Clearly a metaphor that people should have a clue.
• 56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl -- Reveals Monsanto's trade secrets
• 61. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras -- Too many young boys were made to feel inadequate.
• 88. Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford -- Pictures of him dressed as Osama bin Laden are clearly taunting the Bush administration.
• 96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell -- Promotes fried foods, which are unhealthy.

Seriously: So many of the books on this list are completely and totally harmless. I can understand the challenges to "My Dad's Roommate" from a Christian perspective (Don't agree, but understand). But WTF is wrong with Waldo? "How to Eat Fried Worms" is a nice, innocent book. My mother is a conservative Mormon, and she loves to read it to her First Grade class every year.

The fact that many of these books make these lists says a lot about the mentality of people who want to ban books.

Re:Just previews?

[IAmTheDave]

It's cool - I've read about 60-70% of the books on the list.

It's odd - Call of the Wild has been challenged?

It's informative - I've just started reading The Satanic Verses, and now i have a new reading list

It's missing? - I can't believe Farenheit 451 isn't on that list...

It's scary - many people in the world are denied access to these books.

It's scarier - many people in this country would have these books banned

It's sad - in 100 years, who knows if we'll all still have access to these books.

It's encouraging - challenges, even recently, to these books in schools and libraries have failed - let's hope history repeats itself in such a fashion for years to come.