Celebrate Freedom: Read a Banned Book

This week is National Banned Books Week and the American Library Association has a rich source of materials at their website.

You can celebrate by flipping the bird at the thought police and reading one of the TEN MOST BANNED BOOKS OF 2004. By the way, the ALA says the biggest objection these days are "homosexual themes." Doesn't anyone watch "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" any more? And watch out for Captain Underpants -- he models bad behavior!

These are listed in order, with the most frequently challenged first.

The Chocolate War for sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint, being unsuited to age group and violence.
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, for racism, offensive language and violence

Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture by Michael A. Bellesiles, for inaccuracy and political viewpoint

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, for offensive language and modeling bad behavior

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, for homosexuality, sexual content and offensive language

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones, for sexual content and offensive language

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak, for nudity and offensive language

King & King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland, for homosexuality

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, for racism, homosexuality, sexual content, offensive language and unsuited to age group

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, for racism, offensive language and violence

Off the list this year, but on the list for several years past, are the Alice series of books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Go Ask Alice by Anonymous, It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.