Banned Book Week

This week marks the 26th Annual Banned Book Week (September 29 – October 6). According to the American Library Association (ALA), more than a book a day is challenged as unsuitable for public access in schools and libraries. During Banned Book Week, thousands of libraries and bookstores throughout the nation will celebrate the freedom to read.

And Tango Makes Three, a book about two male penguins parenting an egg topped the ALA’s list of most challenged books in 2006 by parents and administrators, due to homosexual themes. In fact, four of the top ten books were challenged due to homosexual content.A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.The 10 Most Challenged Books of 2006 are:

1, And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell;

2, Gossip Girl series by Cecily Von Ziegesar;

3, Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor;

4, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler;

5, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison;

6, Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz;

7, Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher;

8, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky;

9, Beloved by Toni Morrison;

10, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.