ALA Updates Lists of Banned and Challenged Books

In a press release dated 14 April, the American Library Association published its Top Ten List of the most frequently challenged books of 2009.  At the same time, a list of the 100 Most Banned/Challenged Books in the decade 2000-2009 was added to their website. Both are worth perusing.

Those who don’t read continue to attempt to control what those who do read can read.  Newcomers to the fickle wrath of the nearly literate include Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series and Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper.  On the updated list of the top 100, the Harry Potter series is now in position number 1.  A number of the top 100 have been reviewed here on this blog, including Lauren Myracle’s  TTYL, Stehphen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Robbie Harris’ It’s Perfectly Normal, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Rudolfa Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima,  Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, Richard Wright’s Black Boy, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.