I was expecting to write about A Tale of Two Cities today. I recently finished reading it and I loved it. But then I read this and got a little pissed. So, in light of America’s ever restricting government, here are my Top Five Banned Books:
1. Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
This little wizard is still getting some religious folks in a tizzy, but anyone who has ever bothered to read the books know that there’s no basis for the claims about satanism or occultism or anything like that. In fact, I feel like the series is a little too tame at times. Aside from the violence– which is not at all graphic– there really aren’t a lot of things to get upset about. There are absolutely no references to sex, good always triumphs over evil, there are no allusions to homosexuality (I think J.K. saying Dumbledore is gay after all the books were published doesn’t count for much), and the character of Harry is pretty much just like jesus.
2. Heather Has Two Mommies, Leslea Newman
This book, along with And Tango Makes Three, is an incredibly harmless book that looks at all kinds of families. There are kids raised by grandparents, kids from bi-racial parents, and, of course, a girl with two moms. In the bookstore I worked at, this book wasn’t even placed with the other children’s books– it was relegated to the “Parenting, Alternative” section. It’s really a shame this book is banned for its homosexual content because I imagine it would be nice for all kids out there, regardless of what kind of families they have.
3. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
I love this book. I read it as a teenager and, just like everyone else, I immediately felt like there was someone else who “got it.” Salinger was once said that it made him sad that the very people he wrote the book for (children, teens) were the ones that are banned from reading it. I think that says it all.
4. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Judy Blume
One of the tamest books ever! A girl gets her period. She and her friends try to increase their busts. She also wonders about religion and thinks about boys. End of story. On a side note, not only is Judy Blume is a pretty tireless advocate against censorship but she was also one of my favorite authors as a kid.
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
I just read this book and I really liked it. In my opinion, this is a bit of a controversial book that, if taught poorly, could be a bad idea in a school setting. The book, though, is intended to be a criticism of how things actually were– a bit of a “look how fucked up people can be.” But there’s also the amazing character of Finn, who half believes he’ll go to hell for helping free a slave but does it anyway. It’s a phenomenally well written book, a well researched book, and should probably be read by most americans– just to remind ourselves that we still have a long way to go when it comes to racial relations and personal freedoms.
