The BIG Project

Somehow, a few weeks ago, I started thinking about the books that have been banned, and continue to be challenged in this country. I started doing a little research on the subject and found that many of these books would make my list of most favorite and influential stories (maybe that's the point: people don't want these kinds of clearly subversive books to influence people). I did a little counting and found out that there were exactly 25 weeks until banned book week. So, here's what I'm going to do:

25 Books in 25 Weeks

It's going to be a challenge, but I'm committed, I'm excited, and most importantly: I'm organized. I have the books divided up into categories. On each day of banned book week I'll discuss the books in the category at length, right here. What are the categories? I'm so glad you asked.

Day 1 - September 25th: Banned Books
Today will be my intro to the project. I'll discuss any interesting research I come across that covers why we, in a country that places such a high value on free speech, find ourselves banning books in the first place. The discussion will include a classic book that always seems to cause trouble, a book I'd never heard of before this project started, a book that I love which doesn't strike me as offensive in any way, and two childhood favorites of mine that seem to be banned all over the place, but don't fit neatly into any one category. These books will also be identified by their number on the list of the American Library Association's list of the Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books from 2000 – 2009.

The books covered today will be:

Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things – Carolyn Mackler
The Upstairs Room – Johanna Reiss
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain


Day 2 - September 26th: The Classic Banned Books
These are the books that scare people. They are often futuristic, dystopian, and infused with a science fiction tinged atmosphere. Humorously enough, you'll find people on both sides of the political aisle referencing these (most notably, 1984) to help prove their talking points. I've read them all before, but as I'm quickly learning, there is an inherent value in the re-read. I've been amazed at the details that I missed in some of my favorite books the first, second, and  sixty-seventh time through as a younger reader. Now I have a chance to see another level of what is really happening, and what really makes people uncomfortable with these titles.

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
1984 – George Orwell

Day 3 - September 27th: Another Day of Classics
Uh-oh. Sometimes people don't do what we expect, like, or program them to do. It's probably best if we don't let any of the innocents know about all that icky behavior though. It could give them inappropriate ideas...


Rabbit, Run – John Updike
Catcher In The Rye – J.D. Salinger
Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov


Day 4 - September 28th: Gay Day!
You can catch it from them. It's true. Best to keep these titles away from the children. The gays are always trying to snag new recruits with their seductive advantage of having to fend off hate for a lifetime, and a significantly smaller dating pool in which to swim. Ahh, the luxury of a non-majority sexuality...


And Tango Makes Three – Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
The Drowning of Stephen Jones – Bette Green
The Education of Harriet Hatfield – May Serton
Maurice – E.M. Forster


Day 5 - September 29th: Race Day
Maybe if we ignore it, they I mean, this uncomfortable topic will just go away. By the way, it's interesting to note that when exploring the banned book lists I couldn't find any books that were listed due to racial issues other than those dealing with the African American experience. I've read books where people behave in a racist manner to Chinese people, Jewish people, Indian (native) people, and Korean people. These books haven't made the list though. Why is that? What makes these books so different than the others? Isn't racism to all people something we should be concerned about? Or, as I fear, do the people banning the books have an interest in keeping their children from reading about Black people? Gosh, that might cause some...*gulp*... empathy toward them.


Uncle Tom's Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Color Purple – Alice Walker


Day 6 - September 30th: Young Adult Literature
This is a pet day for me. I will just come out and say it: I love young adult literature. I think there is a wealth of wonderful writing available for the middle school/high school age person that is creative, funny, empathetic, and that directly relates to their current world experiences. I worked through a ton of personal issues with books from this genre, and it makes me crazy that these books are being pulled off the shelves in favor of sparkly Mormon vampires.


The Giver – Lois Lowry
The Great Gilly Hopkins – Katherine Patterson
Bridge To Terebithia – Katherine Patterson

Day 7 - October 1st: Young Adult Literature - Judy Blume Day
My mother (who is not a radical in any way) gave me Judy Blume books to read, and BLESS HER for it. If I hadn't had a copy of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret I wouldn't have made it through middle or high school. She's an amazing writer, and if you think that talking to your kids about religion, sexuality, puberty, masturbation, or death is awkward and uncomfortable then I say to you: read one of her books. Take a breath, and try again. She's got a sensitive, no nonsense approach, and she probably knows what's walking through the mind of the young person in question when these subjects are broached. Why do we take her off the shelves?


Forever – Judy Blume
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret – Judy Blume
Then Again, Maybe I Won't – Judy Blume


Day 8 - October 2nd: Books About Which I Know Nothing
I don't know why these two books are banned. I haven't ever read them. I've been alive long enough to know that Lord of the Flies ends badly, has violent components, and that there's been comparison between the book and what happened in the Stanford Prison Experiment, but other than that I know very little about this title. I know even less about the Faulkner. However, these two books showed up on the lists too many times to be ignored. Let's see what they have to say.


Lord of the Flies – William Golding
As I Lay Dying – William Faulkner


Sooooo, what do you think? Ambitious? Yes. I think so. But I'm very excited by the challenge, and I've already been around to my book shelves gathering up the offending titles and planning out my reading schedule. I've also taken a trip to my local library, and to Borders, where I learned a few things:

 1. Libraries are friendly. They arrange titles by author - alphabetically, and all the books are available in an organized manner, for free, and there are knowledgeable people there to help you.

2. Book stores are less friendly. They organize things by arbitrarily assigned categories. I didn't know that 1984 was a science fiction book, while Brave New World is literature. I also didn't know that Then Again, Maybe I Won't is in the section labeled Independent Reader, while Forever is Young Adult. And now, for optimal confusion, please understand that Are You There God, It's Me Margaret is available in both categories. Of course.

3. The people at Borders hate you.

 See? I've already learned new and wonderful things. I will be making much use of my library card. Let the reading begin!