BIBELOTS+POOL+PAGE

These are the censorship cases we have individually proposed:
1. The Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma is currently involved in a dispute regarding the placement of LGBT-themed books. They are currently housed in the "family talk" section and must be on shelves at least 5 feet from the ground. Some in the community are advocating their removal entirely, while others say their placement unnecessarily stigmatizes the topic.

http://ncac.org/blog/oklahoma-library-system-embroiled-in-issue-over-placement-of-lgbt-book

2. An Oregon bookstore is battling accusations of racism due to a banned book showcase that the Oregon Shakespeare Festival found offensive. This group enacted a boycott of the store as a result. Rather than a boycott that has hurt this business possibly irreparably, a public discussion should have ensued to discuss the reasoning behind the banned book showcase as well as the reasoning behind people's reaction to it. Freedom of speech has been curtailed in this instance.

http://ncac.org/blog/in-statement-ncac-denounces-boycott-of-oregon-bookstore-over-offensive-displa

3. The West Allegheny High School in Pennsylvania was forced to removeThe Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls from the reading list for the ninth grade after parent disapproval. It is an award-winning novel that does touch on sensitive subjects. This has raised questions regarding how the school district handles such challenges, as well as just how much say parents should have in what their teenage children should be allowed to read. One student has begun a petition in defense of the novel.

http://ncac.org/incident/pa-parents-complain-glass-castle-removed-from-school-reading-list

http://ncac.org/blog/after-parents-censor-student-drafts-petition-in-defense-of-glass-castle


 * Caitlin Norman**

The following are the three I chose:

1) //The Holy Bible:// This was on the Top 10 for 2015 Challenged or Banned Book List. [|http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10#2015]

2) //The Twilight Series:// I also chose this series, because I am familiar with it. This series was on the 2014-2015 Books Challenged or Banned List.

The following tells of a specific instance it was challenged:

"Challenged at the Austin Memorial Library in Cleveland, Tex. (2014), along with other young adult books that have a vampire theme. A local minister requested that the, “occultic (sic) and demonic room be shut down, and these books be purged from the shelves, and that public funds would no longer be used to purchase such material, or at least require parents to check them out for their children.” Source: AL Direct, August 27, 2014."

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3) //The Kite Runner:// This book was also on the 2014-2015 Books Challenged or Banned List.

The following tells of a specific instance it was challenged:

"Challenged, but retained as part of the Waukesha, Wis., West High School curriculum (2014) despite claims the book “desensitizes students to violence.” The New York Times best seller is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime. A number of adaptations were created following publication, including several stage performances and a graphic novel. The film of the same name was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007. Source: Nov. 2014, pp. 171-72."

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 * Alli Brooks**

Here are my picks:

1. "A Principal Yanked a Drug Article from a Student Newspaper, So It Ran Online" //The Washington Post// Basically, it's about a high school senior who decides to write an article regarding "dabbing" in her newspaper. The senior had heard about dabbing and wanted to investigate. (Dabbing involves smoking a distilled version of marijuana's active ingredient off a nail, delivering a potent high.) The Principal said the article was too mature for students and took it out of publication. The senior then decided to contact an online-only news outlet and tell them of the censorship. She them went on to run the article online.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/a-principal-yanked-a-drug-article-from-a-student-newspaper-so-it-ran-online/2015/04/05/26588068-d4ce-11e4-ab77-9646eea6a4c7_story.html

2. //The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian// by Alexie Sherman //--//Challenged at a school in Wilmington, N.C. because "the book contains numerous depictions of sexual behavior, as well as instances of racism, vulgar language, bullying, and violence." Source: Illinois Library Association

3. //Paper Towns// Challenged at a middle school in Florida due to the bad language, specifically the f-word, teen sex discussions, and misogynistic remarks. Source: AL Direct

These two books were banned in 2014. I chose these books because I am very familiar with them, they fall into about the same age range, and because they were put on the banned list for different reasons.These are also all found on the ALA website.

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/sites/ala.org.bbooks/files/content/2015BannedList.pdf

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 * Katherine Burleson**