CEO DATELINE - American Library Association ranks Bible among most challenged books
CEO DATELINE - American Library Association ranks Bible among most challenged books
- April 12, 2016 |
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Walt Williams
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What do Fifty Shades of Grey and the Bible have in common? They both made the American Library Association's top 10 list for the most challenged books in 2015.
Every year ALA compiles the list based on reports its receives from public libraries, schools and bookstores. In each case someone has tried to get a library or bookstore to remove the book in question. ALA, which opposes such bans, said its research has shown that for every report it receives, four or five other challenges go unreported.
"Each year the (ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom) compiles and releases a top 10 list of challenged books in order to inform the public about how censorship and the banning of titles impacts libraries, schools and most importantly the freedom to read," ALA President Sari Feldman said in a video announcing the list, which was released Monday.
The Bible was a surprising addition to the 2015 list given most books in the past have been challenged on moral grounds. ALA said the book was challenged because of its religious viewpoint. (The association keeps the reports its receives confidential, so details about each challenge are not available.)
The most challenged book of 2015 was the young adult novel "Looking for Alaska" by popular video blogger John Green. Critics complained it contained offensive language, was sexually explicit and inappropriate for its targeted age group.
The second most challenged book was "Fifty Shades of Grey" for its sexual content. As for the rest:
3. "I Am Jazz," by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings. Reasons: Inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group.
4. "Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out," by Susan Kuklin Reasons: Anti-family, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other ("wants to remove from collection to ward off complaints").
5. "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," by Mark Haddon. Reasons: Offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other ("profanity and atheism").
6. The Holy Bible. Reasons: Religious viewpoint.
7. "Fun Home," by Alison Bechdel. Reasons: Violence and other ("graphic images").
8. "Habibi," by Craig Thompson. Reasons: Nudity, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.
9. "Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan," by Jeanette Winter. Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, and violence.
10. "Two Boys Kissing," by David Levithan. Reasons: Homosexuality and other ("condones public displays of affection").
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