Banned Books Week

Today I'd like to spotlight books that have been outright banned or challenged. I'm going to jump on my soapbox here for minute:

I don't understand why some people have a hard time with books. Why must a book like Harry Potter be challenged by a parent? Are the parents really that straightlaced that a fantasy is to be banned? Or better yet, do parents really think that their kids don't say bad words or talk like: OMFG, I <3 him. LOL. Does Lauren Myracle really make kids want to go out and spew bad words and spit on the sidewalk? Because a book discusses issues like cutting or lesbianism or being gay, does that mean that they're children are going to become gay because they read about it in a book? If character gets pregnant, will the reader then go out and get pregnant because of the book she read? Yeah, ridiculous. There have never been any taboo subjects in my house and I've pretty much let Rebecca read what she wants. Now that she's 18, I really can't stop her, but I never once gave any book any thought that it would corrupt my child. I lent out a couple of books to my 13 year old neighbor, and a stack of them were given back to me because of content. I guess I just don't think that any issue is to old for any age. Maybe I'm more openminded and understand that this is the world we live in. It's funny that he can play Call of Duty, but he can't read a book that talks about drugs. Yet he can kill every commie there is on his tv? I have so many wonderful books here for him to read and I have to censor what I give him? Okay off of soapbox. Anyway, the books mentioned that should be read and enjoyed are: All the Harry Potter books. TTYL by Lauren Myracle. Cut, by Patricia McCormick. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson, The Giver, Lois Lowry, The Outsiders, S E Hinton, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury, What my Mother Doesn't Know, Sonya Sones. A new book has been challenged by a school system and should also be considered as well. Lessons From a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles. So read a Banned Book this week and prove to the world that all is right with it!