Banned Book Display!
"There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches."--Ray Bradbury
Every year there are more books added to the banned book list, and every year librarians, educators, indie bookstores, and readers everywhere pick up the fight for free speech, and fight against the dystopian society trying to silence us. Celebrate this month with us by diving into some of the most banned books--but remember the fight isn't just this month: it's every month.
Crank (Reissue) by Ellen Hopkins
Ellen Hopkins' middle grade novels are banned left and right for drugs, offensive language, and sexually explicit contents, but these books about school and life told in beautiful verse are a great read for everyone of any age.
Where the Wild Things Are: A Caldecott Award Winner by Maurice Sendak
The reason this one is banned, stay with me here, is because Max was sent to bed before dinner, which instills fear in children. This incredible book about children's creativity and finding the answer within themselves, is supposedly too scary (for the adults) to be in schools and libraries.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This book should be a must read for everyone in the American education system, and yet, it's banned in a lost of places for its depiction of sexual explicitness and language. It covers a range of topics, but mostly it's a powerful story about a powerful female character and a reflection of a community in a small community. This book should be studied and praised, not censored and banned.
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
Banned for alcoholism, sexuality, and profanity, the incredible true story is about the Walls children in a very difficult living situation--something that other children might find themselves in, or need to learn about. Instead of providing a safe and education environment, some places are banning this true story of resilience and hope.
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
I'm sure many of you can make the guess as to why this is banned, but the fact that a scientific theory is banned because of religious belief, makes those of us here at Kramers shake our heads.