Banned Books Week!

Well, it is officially Banned Books Week!  Although we've had our display up for a few weeks now, I want everyone to be reminded what it is all about.  This week is a celebration of our freedom to read what we choose and not be criticized or judged.  Here are the top ten banned/challenged books of 2011 (the most recent list):

1. ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
   Reasons: offensive language; religious viewpoint; mature content; unsuited to age group
2. The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
   Reasons: nudity; sex education; mature content; unsuited to age group
3. The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
   Reasons: anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence
4. My Mom's Having A Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
   Reasons: nudity; sex education; mature content; unsuited to age group
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; mature content; unsuited to age group
6. Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
   Reasons: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint
7. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
   Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; mature content
8. What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
   Reasons: nudity; offensive language; mature content
9. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
   Reasons: drugs; offensive language; mature content
10. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
    Reasons: offensive language; racism

Want to find out more about Banned Books Week?  Here are some links:

American Library Association
Google Books- Explore Banned Books
Banned Books Week YouTube Channel