Comments on: The Quick 10: 10 Classic Books That Have Been Banned

By: Mackenzie

Mackenzie — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:06:33 +0000

The most routinely banned books are required reading in my school. I read ‘The Giver’ in both 5th and 8th grade (though, in 5th, the teacher made us stop about eight chapters in for some reason. I read it anyway), Next year, we will be reading Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, Brave New World, 1984, and a couple others, and the year after that, I’ll be reading ‘Lord of the Flies.’

Just last year, I read ‘Flowers for Algernon’, along with Fahrenheit 451 and 1984, along with ‘The Bell Jar’ by Sylvia Plath.

Oh, I’m also pretty sure Madeline L’Engle’s books have been banned here and there — Oh, how I love that woman’s writing.

The bible isn’t banned from my school, at the very least. The third Trombone in band (he sits next to me) brings a bible in all the time. He’ll get into arguments with the second Trombone about sodomy.

By: Nichole

Nichole — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:21:00 +0000

can you believe that the dictionary of american slang was banned for having 150 pages of “dirty” things? wow, its so gay.

By: Rosie

Rosie — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:42:49 +0000

I had no idea those books had been banned. I read more than half of those in high school, less than ten years ago.

By: Ashliegh

Ashliegh — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:18:32 +0000

Flowers for Algernon! By far one of the greatest books I have ever read for school. Also, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Native Son, and Slaughterhouse Five. My theme for my AP English class as a junior, was on censorship, and I’m so glad!

By: Miss Nae

Miss Nae — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:35:47 +0000

Wasn’t Roots banned?

By: Leah

Leah — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:09:14 +0000

The Giver was banned in California? Who knew? We read it here in elementary school. And High School.
I’m surprised the Lorax was banned and not the Butter Battle Book.

By: Reese

Reese — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 03:22:06 +0000

The Great Gatsby!

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 31 May 2008 21:39:14 +0000

I read The Catcher in the Rye as a high school sophomore in Mississippi in the early 90′s. My English teacher had all her honors classes write a paper entitled “The Significance of the ‘F’-word in The Catcher in the Rye“. Amazingly she got away with this for well over a decade til a parent of a student two classes behind mine complained and the school district forced her to stop having students write on the topic (before that students could opt out of writing on it if their parent’s objected).

And Lisa, whether teachers can be openly religious in public schools is actually not clearly defined in most jurisdictions. Here in Georgia a teacher cannot engage in active proselytization but passive evidence of faith is not outright prohibited.

By: Angie

Angie — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:43:00 +0000

My kids are in middle school in a Catholic School in Colorado. They have read The Giver, Call of the Wild, and Fahrenheit 451, and Killer Angels. This summer they are reading Robinson Crusoe, Of Mice and Men, and Fallen Angels. We also read the Bible at school. Oh, rebel on!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:01:15 +0000

The Bible is absolutely not forbidden in schools, as one post suggests. Students are free to read it in school, discuss it in school, write about it in their school papers, cite it as a reference when appropriate, etc. There seems to be a lot of misconception about “separation of church and state.” Many people seem to believe that religion is not allowed in school AT ALL. All “separation of church and state” means is that schools and teachers (who operate as agents of the state) must not espouse a particular religious belief, or appear to be doing so. Students are free to practice any religion they choose and discuss their religious beliefs in appropriate ways and at appropriate times during school.