Banned Books - Have You Read Any?

So Banned Book Week is technically in October...but I found this list about the Top 100 Banned Books from the ALA. I thought it was interesting (and maybe a little bit appalling) that I've only read about half of the books on the list. Even more interesting, I didn't read those because because of any kerfluffle over them. Just read them because I thought they sounded interesting...and now that I have, I don't see what the big deal is. Yes, some are controversial, but isn't that the point? To talk about things? To challenge ourselves?

So, are you a banned book reader? Thoughts?

1 Harry Potter J.K. Rowling -- Yes...not the whole series but Book 1...didn't particularly care for it.

2 Alice series Phyllis Reynolds Naylor -- Most of them

3 The Chocolate War Robert Cormier -- Yes

4 Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck -- Yes

5 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou -- Yes - several times!

6 Scary Stories Alvin Schwartz -- No

7 Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers -- Yes

8 It’s Perfectly Normal Robie Harris -- No

9 And Tango Makes Three Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell -- Yes

10 Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey -- Yes

11 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain -- Yes

12 The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison -- Yes

13 Forever Judy Blume -- Yes...and I still love it!

14 The Color Purple Alice Walker -- Yes

15 The Perks of Being A Wallflower Stephen Chbosky -- No

16 Killing Mr. Griffin Lois Duncan -- Yes

17 Go Ask Alice Anonymous -- No

18 King and King Linda de Haan -- No

19 Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger -- Yes... College assignment - before it was banned/challenged.

20 Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson -- Yes

21 The Giver Lois Lowry -- No

22 We All Fall Down Robert Cormier -- No

23 To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee` -- Yes..and I had a dog named Scout!

24 Beloved Toni Morrison -- Yes

25 The Face on the Milk Carton Caroline Cooney -- Yes

26 Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson -- Yes

27 My Brother Sam Is Dead James Lincoln Collier -- No

28 In the Night Kitchen Maurice Sendak -- No

29 His Dark Materials series Philip Pullman -- No

30 Gossip Girl series Cecily von Ziegesar -- No

31 What My Mother Doesn’t Know Sonya Sones -- No

32 Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging Louise Rennison -- No

33 It’s So Amazing Robie Harris -- No

34 Arming America Michael Bellasiles -- No

35 Kaffir Boy Mark Mathabane -- No

36 Blubber Judy Blume -- Yes

37 Brave New World Aldous Huxley -- Yes

38 Athletic Shorts Chris Crutcher -- No

39 Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo Anaya -- No

40 Life is Funny E.R. Frank -- No

41 Daughters of Eve Lois Duncan -- No

42 Crazy Lady Jane Leslie Conly -- No

43 The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson -- Yes

44 You Hear Me Betsy Franco -- No

45 Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut -- Yes

46 Whale Talk Chris Crutcher -- No

47 The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Dav Pilkey -- No

48 The Facts Speak for Themselves Brock Cole -- Partially..still on my bedside table

49 The Terrorist Caroline Cooney -- No

50 Mick Harte Was Here Barbara Park -- No

51 Summer of My German Soldier Bette Green -- Yes

52 The Upstairs Room Johanna Reiss -- Yes

53 When Dad Killed Mom Julius Lester -- No

54 Blood and Chocolate Annette Curtis Klause -- No

55 The Fighting Ground Avi -- No

56 The Things They Carried Tim O'Brien -- No

57 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred Taylor -- Yes

58 Fat Kid Rules the World K.L. Going -- No

59 The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things Carolyn Mackler -- No

60 A Time To Kill John Grisham -- Yes

61 Rainbow Boys Alex Sanchez -- No

62 Olive’s Ocean Kevin Henkes -- No

63 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Ken Kesey -- Yes

64 A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Newton Peck -- Yes

65 Speak Laurie Halse Anderson -- No

66 Always Running Luis Rodriguez -- No

67 Black Boy Richard Wright -- Yes

68 Julie of the Wolves Jean Craighead George -- No

69 Deal With It! Esther Drill -- No

70 Detour for Emmy Marilyn Reynolds -- No

71 Draw Me A Star Eric Carle -- No

72 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury -- Yes

73 Harris and Me Gary Paulsen -- No

74 Junie B. Jones series Barbara Park -- Yes

75 So Far From the Bamboo Grove Yoko Watkins -- No

76 Song of Solomon Toni Morrison -- Yes

77 Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes Chris Crutcher -- No

78 What’s Happening to My Body Book Lynda Madaras -- No

79 The Boy Who Lost His Face Louis Sachar -- No

80 The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold -- Yes

81 Anastasia Again! Lois Lowry -- Yes

82 Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Judy Blume -- Yes

83 Bumps In the Night Harry Allard -- No

84 Goosebumps series R.L. Stine -- Most but not all of them.

85 Shade’s Children Garth Nix -- No

86 Cut Patricia McCormick -- No

87 Grendel John Gardner -- Yes

88 The House of Spirits Isabel Allende -- No

89 I Saw Esau Iona Opte -- No

90 Ironman Chris Crutcher -- No

91 The Stupids series Harry Allard -- No

92 Taming the Star Runner S.E. Hinton -- Yes

93 Then Again, Maybe I Won’t Judy Blume -- Yes

94 Tiger Eyes Judy Blume -- Yes

95 Like Water for Chocolate Laura Esquivel -- Yes

96 Nathan’s Run John Gilstrap -- No

97 Pinkerton, Behave! Steven Kellog -- No

98 Freaky Friday Mary Rodgers -- Yes

99 Halloween ABC Eve Merriam -- No

100 Heather Has Two Mommies Leslea Newman -- Yes