We're Here, We're Banned, Get Used To It!

"Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance"
~ Lyndon Johnson

Certain people don't like us. In fact, 46% of Americans today still support the idea of book banning today. We've been banned or challenged in libraries and schools.

Fortunately, groups like the American Library Association put up a good fight to make sure we stay on the shelves.

Pull up a comfy chair, kick off your shoes, make yourself comfortable. Stay and read as long as you'd like.

Banned Books Week 2008

Learn more about Banned Books Week (held annually the last week of September) and get involved in protecting your Freedom of Speech and your Intellectual Freedom!

The 2008 Banned Books Week

What were the top ten most challenged books of 2006?

What are the top 100 most-frequently challenged books?

How do I report a book challenge in my community/library/school?

Free People Read Freely

There are many books which someone feels is objectionable due to some part of the content. These books wind up being challenged and sometimes banned for the ideas they express or the stories that they tell.

1984 by George Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (a pseudonym for english author Eric Arthur Blair) was first published June 8, 1949 by Secker and Warburg, now an imprint of Random House Publishing. This lense will contain spoilers. A dystopian novel, 1984 focu...

THE ATROCITY EXHIBITION by J.G. Ballard

In 1967 Nelson Doubleday supposedly ordered the entire first print run of J.G. Ballard's novel ATROCITY EXHIBITION destroyed after reading the short story "Why I Want To F*^& Ronald Regan." The book was then released two years later by a...

BRAVE NEW WORLD By Aldous Huxley

  Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel BRAVE NEW WORLD raised controversy when it was first published, and the debate has barely changed in all this time.  Frequently challenged with banning attempts, the novel depicts a future of conspicuous consumpt...

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Reviews and discussions on Lemony Snicket, his books and the Baudelaire orphans.

William Burroughs' NAKED LUNCH

On July 7, 1966, the Supreme Court of the state of Massachusetts cleared William S. Burrough's novel NAKED LUNCH of obscenity charges, reversing an earlier Superior Court decision. They stated that Burroughs frank descriptions of drug use and graphic...

Banned Book News

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I READ BANNED BOOKS!

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Banned Book Resources

There are lists of frequently banned or challenged books at the American Library Association and at the Wikipedia.

Is a book being challenged in your community? The ALA has a resource page.

The stage play "Banned And Burned In America" takes a look at censorship and incorporates scenes from famous banned books as part of the show.

Amnesty International helps authors around the world who have been censored or imprisoned for expressing their views.

How To Join The Banned Book Club

For your lenses to be accepted into the Banned Book Club, the main focus of the lenses must be a book or books that have been subjected to banning or burning.

I'd really prefer if some of the content actually discusses the issues of why the book was considered controversial. Too much info about movie adaptations or general lenses about authors will most likely result in a lens not being accepted. Books that are just heavily debated will also not qualify.

If you think you have a lens that meets the group criteria, you are welcome to submit it for consideration.

Feedback, Comments and Messages

Let us know what you think here at the Banned Book Club!

Tolovus Cool group... I think I could come up with a lens for this one... "Freedom begins when you tell Mrs. Grundy to go fly a kite" Lazarus Long from "Time Enough For Love" by Robert A. Heinlein Posted September 23, 2007

clarence Interesting group. Just make sure that you don't get banned! Posted July 21, 2007

elishadavis Interesting and unique group. Great job! I will definitely read a banned book sometime. :D Posted June 19, 2007

datingtips93 I love this lens. It's nice to see people putting up controversial books on display. How about William Riech? His books were burnt by court order in NY in 1959...I think his ideas are more tolerated nowadays. Posted June 08, 2007

audiobooks1 Banned books tend to get the ones upset who have soemthing to hide. Great to see that they get the publicity they need here! Posted May 18, 2007

 

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P.S. Adopt a Banned Book!

Making a lens for the Banned Book Club not only helps authors and publishers get their words out, but can support Room To Read too!

If you make a brand-new lens for this group, and you leave the payment setting to the default, your new lens will donate to make build libraries for kids world-wide (but you can still also change it to send any lens earnings to another charity or just cash).

Click here to make your own Banned Book lens!