Look what happens when Annie gets left alone--blogging overdose. And that last post just killed all those times I've stood on tables and yelled, "I'm an introvert!!!" Oh well. I don't think anyone bought it anyway.
Although, when I look back, I haven't posted a "real" message in a month: I've just strung you along with quotes and links and cryptic messages.
So, here's a somewhat real posting. I stumbled across (aka, typed the subject line into Google and was immediately led to) a list of the American Library Association's top 100 books most requested to be banned between 1990-2000. Now, I personally draw a few distinct lines about censorship...I don't believe the government should ban any book (y'know, 1st amendent and all that). I also believe that there are many books which should not be in the hands of children.
[tangent: I read a movie review on relevantmagazine.com where some people had put comments on the message board stating they were incensed that the review had been mostly positive when the film had contained some things they thought were immoral. This is my message for those people: You paid $10 to see an R-rated movie about war. Stop your whinin'. You knew what you were getting when you saw the rating. Also, go read your Bible (if you can stop pounding it for a second). It ain't as "clean" as you think it is.]
Ok-- I'm back. The tricky line is what should be in the public library? Should books have ratings like movies, so that kids "can't" get certain books? Should we put "bad" ratings on good books so that kids will read them out of rebellion and then maybe learn something? There are a couple books on this list that seem to be about explaining homosexuality (as a good thing) to children. While I certainly would NOT want my (hypothetical) kids to be bringing these books home, I also know that I would have control over what they bring home from the public library, and that I would have to talk with them about that subject pretty soon after they started school.
Anyway, below is a list of the 100 banned books. A couple of the titles I didn't want on my blog so I took them off (yes, I censored the list. I'll scorch the word "hypocrite" into my forehead later, but I WON'T call the library and ask for those books to be banned), but you can probably guess at the content. I've put the books I've READ on this list in red (for homonymical reasons). Ones I want to read are in blue (totally random color choice). Final comments follow the list.
Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker -- seen the movie. Does that count?
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
[speaking of censorship--I couldn't handle this title by Charles Silverstein--but now I've made you curious]
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden -- how could I not want to read this book?
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
[I know, I know. How ironic that I'm censoring the censored list...again.]
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
Final comments: Who would want to get rid of Where's Waldo? Yeesh! People!! I've read 29 entries although a couple of them are a series rather than a single book. I want to read 7 more. I don't want to read 21 of them (including, among others, the Stephen King titles and the sex ed books). A little quick math shows that there are 43 books that I don't know anything about. Any opinions out there?
9 years ago
10 comments:
Wow, and I thought I had unusual procrastination techniques! Your list reminds me of our construction paper list taped to the kitchen cabinet in Budi. :)
By the way, I definintely think we should meet on Andrassy, at the little wroght iron tables outside Muvesz, across from the Opera House. In the spring, when the trees are starting to bud, and the flower shops at Octogon have opened again.
Sigh.
See you there--maybe inside on the worn velvet chairs around the chipped gilt tables under the chandelier rosy with glowing dust--but only if there's a heavy Spring rain cleaning the skies.
Do you still have that list? Or do I? It might be in my box of Hungary memorabilia in my parents' garage. If so, it seems like great blog fodder. So glad I could help the LCC staff procrastinate their snowy day away. :) Procrastination used to involve Mah Jong or Spider Solitaire. Blogging is better for my soul. :)
I have the list in a box of stuff at home in Colorado somewhere! It would be fun to dig out when I'm home at Christmas.
What shall we drink on our little excursion to Muvesz? I'm definitely going for the "cappucino, szeretnek" and maybe if I'm feeling brave, some "gyumolcs leves." (damm computer won't do accent marks). How about you?
For a moment I thought "the" when I read "leves" and shuddered at the memory of piros gyumolcs the. Ick. I hated that stuff. Although I think you liked it. Gyumolcs leves sounds yummy, especially megyes leves--although I can only eat a few bites before it gets too rich.
Speaking of gyumolcs--do you remember Sarah Norris' story about her student who, after Sarah tried to say "gyumolcs," chanted "Miss Norris can't say frew-iiiit; Miss Norris can't say frew-iiit."
:) I loved that story.
Oh, and I don't know what I'd drink, but I'd have harom kicsi csoki croiszantok (or -ek?).
You'd have harom croszant? (No need to pluralize if you put the number before the noun! Hallelujah for one easy Hungarian rule). Feeling a bit hungry, are we?
You're right, I did love the megyes leves but could never eat a whole bowl. I have to say, though, that it has forever disabled me from enjoying the Lithuanian staple of salti barsai - which is a similarly colored pink soup, only made with cold beets. Try to imagine my surprise when I tried it, expecting something sweet and fruity and got a mouthful of salty dill instead!
(I'm loving this little conversation, by the way!)
Oh, and the "Miss Norris can't say Frew-iit" story had me laughing outloud!
Your Hungarian was always far more studied than mine. Cold beet soup? I think I'd rather eat the Hungarian globs of fat roasting o'er an open fire! (with or without Jack Frost).
And I'd only have harom if they were kicsi--like the ones in the subway bakeries. What were those places called? My poor over-taxed memory is lettin' me down.
Annie.
p.s. click on my name for each entry. :)
Czucrazdas - rememeber the infamous Szeged Czucraszda crawl?
Czucrazdas - rememeber the infamous Szeged Czucraszda crawl?
czucraszda was "bakery," but what was the name of the the czucraszda chain in the subway system that pumped the smell of their goods throughout the station?
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