Banned Books Week 2009

Top ten most frequently challenged books of 2008

The St. Charles Public Library DOES NOT BAN these books or any others.

Banned Books Week 2009 is the twenty-eighth annual celebration of the freedom to read. This freedom, not only to choose what we read, but also to be able to select from a full array of possibilities, is firmly rooted in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of press. Although we enjoy an increasing quantity and availability of information and reading material, we must remain vigilant to ensure that access to this material is preserved; would-be censors, who continue to threaten the freedom to read, come from all quarters and from all political persuasions. Even if their motivations for restrictions are well intentioned, censors try to limit the freedom of others to choose what they read, see, or hear.

Top ten most frequently challenged books of 2008,
out of 513 challenges as reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom:

	And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group
	His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence
	TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
	Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence
	Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence
	The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group
	Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
	Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group
	The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
	Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group

St. Charles Public Library

8/09