Everyone and their grandma have been blogging about banned books lately because of the Banned Books Week. I wasn't going to take part in this, because I didn't have time, but then I looked at the list of banned books and my eyes nearly popped out! Instead of doing a review of the books I've read, I'm going to gush my amazement and bewilderment of why these books were banned in the first place! A lot of those are books about changes in the body when growing up. What kid couldn't use this information from a book? We had education on this at school, but I'm sure that not all kids get that very embarrassing privilege (I still remember all the blushing and giggling), and some kids might want to sneak into a library and secretively read more about those changes.
Harry Potter! Come on! I do remember that JK Rowlings books were banned amongst Catholics some years ago. I remember how silly I thought it was. I don't know if others banned the books as well, but I think it's just mean to keep kids away from my favourite series of all time! It's not like people can go to London and find a secret passage to Diagon Alley! It's fiction!
The Earth's Children series!? Honestly? What was offensive in those books? I read them as a teen and I loved them. I seriously can't imagine what made those book be banned. Was it the interspecies mating? The Neanderthals? They existed, you know.
Lord of the Flies? What on earth could have made people want to ban that book? I read it in High School and it was one of the few books that I actually loved. Was it the development from kids being lost on an island to kids building a hierarchy and becoming violent? I'm guessing it's because of Piggy's death, but it's an excellent story of how a society can go wrong.
The Color Purple? I read that as a teen as well. I loved it. I suppose that Uncle Tom's Cabin must have been banned as well in its time. Ignorance. That's what it is. Thi book is amazing.