Dru Blood took the 100 most challenged books (most of them are kids’ books, looks like) and bolded the ones she’s read. I’m doing the same below the cut. If it’s a series and I read one, I’m bolding it, too.
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 (and how much do I love this book??? Answer: Lots)
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 (This book was so good that I made Brett read it, too)
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris (Best facts of life book you’ll find. Seriously)
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna (Does it count if I downloaded some of the pics? I mean, who wants to read it???)
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel (My mom got my sister and me into this series when we were teens)
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 (”I’m in the milk and the milk’s in me! God bless milk and god bless me!”)
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry (Becca’s oldest was horrified I hadn’t read this one)
The Goats by Brock Cole (My new writer friend highly recommended this one to me Monday night)
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
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 (Along with The Chocolate War, this book heavily influenced me in middle school)
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar (I haven’t read this one but I love Louis Sachar and I’m not surprised he’s challenged. He’s really subversive in an absolutely wonderful way.)
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein (one of Noah’s faves, of course)
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 (Although I didn’t think it was very good)
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
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
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 (Why, that’s how I learned where babies come from!)
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 (I haven’t read this one but I’ve read several of her others)
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 (Noah and I just read this over the summer)
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
I have two kids and a delightfully odd husband, Brett. My children are Noah (born to us in 1997) and Madison (born to her first mom, Pennie, in 2004 and brought to our family through a domestic, open adoption). They are my inspiration and also the reason I don't get more done around here.
I'm a writer and sometimes I get published, which is a nice thing. I write for joy, I write for money and when I'm very lucky, both things happen at the same time. My work appears in national publications including Yoga Journal, Disney's Family.com, Utne, Wondertime, Brain Child and Salon. Currently I am working on a book about my daughter's adoption and seeking representation for the proposal. I also own Smart Cookie Communications with my husband.
Lisa V
September 28th, 2005 at 11:32 pm
At first I misread what you said, and I thought these were all children’s books. So I thought shit, I would challenge Madonna’s Sex or American Psycho if they put it in the junior high library. Good thing I read your entry a second time. I was scared I was turning into a conservative.
Kath
September 29th, 2005 at 2:05 am
Some of these, I know I don’t want to read.
Sure as heck want to make sure that I will be able to if I change my mind though.
Going to do the same at my blogplot.
Thanks
Jody
September 29th, 2005 at 9:25 am
Wait…Where’s Waldo? Huh?
I haven’t read most of these books. Comes from heading early for the SciFi/Fantasy genre shelves, I guess. Ack — I’m so illiterate!
jackie
September 29th, 2005 at 11:32 am
I am also horrified that you never read any of the Anastasia Krupnik books! get ye to a library, post-haste!
landismom
September 29th, 2005 at 12:29 pm
Why on earth would someone ban In the Night Kitchen? Just because of the nudity? that’s crazy!
you’ve read way more of these than I have, to my shame.
sarahs
September 29th, 2005 at 2:25 pm
The Giver is an amazing book. Its actually required reading in my DD’s 7th grade language arts class. Actually, many of these are amazing books. To Kill a Mockingbird? Everyone should read that book. And what on earth could be objectionable about James and the Giant Peach? People are weird.
sarahs
September 29th, 2005 at 2:26 pm
Oh and A Wrinkle in Time?!? How could they? Harumph.
cluttergirl
October 3rd, 2005 at 4:48 am
Wow, what a great reading list! I mostly have read the same ones as you. All us Judy Blume Norma Klein kids!
Totally ate them up. Surprisingly they don’t have the male equivalent of Are you there God?… ‘Then again Maybe I won’t'… that was an incredible eyeopener for me as a girl… who KNEW that adolescent boys had it so hard! Uncontrollable hardons in math class? I was SO glad at 12 that I didn’t have a penis during puberty! LOL! I do wish I could say I had read all of this list. Have you seen the list of the 20th century’s most dangerous books??
Cecily
October 3rd, 2005 at 6:32 pm
No wonder we’re friends.