Originally Posted By melekalikimaka <<I was to act like I had never heard of it.>> Good Lord! I don't blame you for quiting. I would have a really hard time working for a person like that. I would have thought you were an idiot if you worked in a bookstore and hadn't heard of the DaVinci Code. I would have also been annoyed if you wouldn't look up the book title for me. LOL
Originally Posted By u k fan What surprises me most about this is that with one or two exceptions all of the books I've read on this list I read at school, titles like Of Mice and Men, Lord of the Flies and The Merchant of Venice! And why oh why is James and the Giant Peach on the list?!!!
Originally Posted By EdisYoda Books on Required School Reading Lists while I was growing up in Elementry to High School (Usually given options from a list, but these were all on the lists): The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain The Arabian Nights Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Carrie by Stephen King The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Hamlet by William Shakespeare James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl King Lear by William Shakespeare Macbeth by William Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Originally Posted By DouglasDubh I really question this list. I doubt most of them are banned from most public libraries. They're probably just "banned" from a few select places. I certainly don't think "Tropic of Cancer" should be banned, but I wouldn't want it in my son's elementary school library, either.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 Hmmmmmm... Do any federal, state, or local governments forbid us from owning or reading any material other than classified government documents and certain types of sexually oriented materials (mostly those that involve minors or violence)? I personally disagree with the "banning" (refusing to stock, sell, or teach, basically) of most of these books. But I also disagree with the "anything goes" rhetoric of the "freedom of expression" side. I applaud schools and libraries for taking a stand, in general. I'm glad that certain recording artists have found it difficult to secure major record deals, and that some film companies have refused to handle certain films. I wish there were MORE restrictions on freedom of expression. For example, there's lots of crap on radio stations that wouldn't be there if I wrote the laws. Granted, the examples I used above are not mostly about printed materials. I think it's related, though. Before we categorically say, "Book banning is bad!" we ought to think of whether all efforts to protect people from inappropriate content are small-minded.
Originally Posted By jdub >>I really question this list. I doubt most of them are banned from most public libraries. << Actually, they are books that have been banned (or "challenged" someplace, at som time. Many libraries have displays of selected books right now, some with descriptions of who banned them, and why. Here's some info from the American Library Association: <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/challengedbanned.htm#wbc" target="_blank">http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/ban nedbooksweek/challengedbanned/challengedbanned.htm#wbc</a>
Originally Posted By Chedstro I think that there is a lot to say for music and films being "rated" for age appropriate material. But as far as books go I think that self-censorship should play a large roll. When my daughter was 7, she asked to read "Jaws." I gave it to her and a few minutes later she came back to ask what a "limb" was. I told her it was an arm or leg. She handed me the book and said, "I don't want to read this afterall." She turned out to be a very bright girl. It probably wasn't the brightest thing I've ever done; but I've always thought people should try things for themselves. Within the law of course... Cindy
Originally Posted By Blacksheep Uncle without knowing 'who', 'where' and 'why' a particular book may have been banned I don't see how one can argue about it...for example a book that is completely appropraite for a high school library may be wildly inappropriate for an elementary school library and be quite correctly 'banned' from that library...
Originally Posted By FaMulan Very true BU. I'm all for age appropriateness as far as the stocking of school libraries. However, banning books from Public Libraries would be a crying shame indeed. Chedstro, I'd have quit too. If that manager wants to run a Christian bookstore, then he/she needs to open one. If the store in question has NO religious affiliation, than that person is doing a grave disservice to the reading public.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 I think it's perfectly within that manager's right not to sell (or even acknowledge[!]) the book. That IS a disservice to the reading public, which I believe will cause a loss of business. Not to mention the loss of dedicated staff. On one hand, I admire the manager's principles. On the other, s/he's certainly in the wrong biz!
Originally Posted By Chedstro Actually, she's the owner, not the manager and her position is that it's her store and she can do what she likes. I don't disagree with that; but it's no longer where I want to work. She has lost business since buying the store. (I worked there for 6 years under the previous owner) She simply can't have it both ways, and the customers are reflecting that. It's a shame, too as independent book stores are like a National Treasure in my opinion. Cindy
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka Ah. Yes, owners can sell whatever the heck they want. What's an independent bookstore? ;-)
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 Oops. I meant to say "owner." Independent bookstores are the local, independently-owned ones. Sadly, they're being squeezed out by Border's and the other larger, shallower, corporate ones. I agree that independent bookstores are a treasure.
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka LOL, I know what an independent bookstore is. We just don't have a lot of 'em around anymore.
Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs I didn't see these two on the list, but believe it or not, these HAVE been banned before: The Holy Bible and The Koran...
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy <without knowing 'who', 'where' and 'why' a particular book may have been banned I don't see how one can argue about it...for example a book that is completely appropraite for a high school library may be wildly inappropriate for an elementary school library and be quite correctly 'banned' from that library...> I agree too, Mike...what I couldn't believe was the books I read in *childhood* that have been/are banned. For instance, "In a Dark, Dark Room" by Alvin Schwarz is deemed "too morbid for kids". But I read it in elementary school, and I reveled in feeling scared as I turned the pages. It didn't mess me up, it gave me delightful chills that were wonderful "spooky memories" (and I have a copy now which I love). I agree on the age thing, but I didn't think about it cause I just assume elementary schools won't have things like "Lord of the Flies" and stuff that's heavy like that. I admit that some books I seem shocked at seein' banned I haven't read, but when I see a title like "Black Beauty", I can't help but wonder what the heck the reasoning for *that* is, lol.
Originally Posted By jdub >>independent book stores are like a National Treasure in my opinion.<< I agree, Chedstro! These days, people have to do a @#% WEBSEARCH to find an independent bookstore! I used www.booksense.com to find out my closest is 9.1 miles away (I'm one of the lucky ones!). Fortunately I can shop from them online now if I don't feel like making the 1/2 hour drive (that's the way the geography works out: 25-35 minutes). I miss all the "real" bookstores we used to have, where the booksellers were book readers who knew about what you were looking for, and were professional & helpful--and didn't have to rush off to make a frappaloco!
