– “Free People Read Freely” – click here –
September 29 to October 6, 2007 is Banned Books Week, the American Library Association’s “celebration of our freedom to read, to seek, hold, receive, and disseminate ideas, even if they are unorthodox or unpopular.” ALA offers some suggestions on “How to celebrate Banned Books Week“, including:
Read one or all the top 10 most frequently challenged books of 2006. Number one on this list, challenged for promoting homosexuality, is Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s award-winning And Tango Makes Three, about two male penguins parenting an egg from a mixed-sex penguin couple. Also on the list are The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler; two books by Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye and Beloved; Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher; and The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier.
Knowing what books are under attack — usually to “protect our children” — can be quite instructive, opening our eyes to the issues and ideas that threaten many of our fellow citizens.
The 4th most-challenged book, Carolyn Mackler’s The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (Candlewick 2005) has a title that should appeal to haiku writers and readers. From ALA’s Booklist review: For Gr. 7-10. Fifteen-year-old Viriginia Shreves is the blond, round, average daughter in a family of dark-haired, thin superstars. Her best friend has moved away, and she’s on the fringes at her private Manhattan school. She wants a boyfriend, but she settles for Froggy Welsh, who comes over on Mondays to grope her. The story follows Virginia as she tries to lose weight, struggles with her “imperfections,” and deals with the knowledge that her idealized older brother has committed date rape.”
after school meeting
collage clouds turn
round and round
big enough 
to pedal home on
winter moon
halloween —
part of the moon
follows a bicycle home
tough enough to hold
the weight of this world
bramble leaves
……………………… by Matt Morden – from Morden Haiku
family picnic
the new wife’s rump
bigger than mine
earth tremor
the teapot sings
off-key
………………… by Roberta Beary – from The Unworn Necklace (Snapshots Press, 2007; order);
“family picnic” – Modern Haiku (favorite senryu award, 2003)
winter sun
lifting his round face
to catch it
distant thunder
a few cherry blossoms
float to earth…………………….. by W.F. Owen
“winter sun” Manichi Daily News, March 5, 2005 (No. 669)
“distant thunder” – Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2006
By the way, it was Irishman, and doctoral law student, Daithí Mac Síthigh, at Trinity College in Dublin, who reminded me that this is BBW in the USA. Daithi is the host of Blawg Review #128, at his Lex Ferenda [“what the law ought to be”] weblog. Daithi must know a thing or two about censorship, since government regulation of online media is his dissertation topic. Nonetheless, he offers no list of banned blawgers, but instead points to interesting recent posting at law-related weblogs. [Since Diathi is such a wee youngun, I’ll give him a pass on that smiley-face he appended to an otherwise perfectly good bit of Blawg Review hyperbole.]
Go under the fold to see ALA’s List of the Ten Most Challenged Books of 2006.
“And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, for homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group;
“Gossip Girls” series by Cecily Von Ziegesar for homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, and offensive language;
“Alice” series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor for sexual content and offensive language;
“The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things” by Carolyn Mackler for sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
“The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison for sexual content, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
“Scary Stories” series by Alvin Schwartz for occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, and insensitivity;
“Athletic Shorts” by Chris Crutcher for homosexuality and offensive language;
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky for homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
“Beloved” by Toni Morrison for offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group;
“The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier for sexual content, offensive language, and violence.