Think For Yourself: Banned Books

Where do I begin with such a touchy subject? Let me just say that you, the reader,  have the freedom to choose what you read. We all have the freedom to adopt what we read as our own opinion(s) or to let it go by the wayside and even kick it to the curb. You are in control of what enters your mind. Free agency at its' best gives you the capability to pollute or adorn your mind with what you deem worthy of your attention, whether it be in your opinion, wonderful or horrible. The mind is a wonderful thing. So choose wisely and don't let it go to waste.

In my opinion, books should never be banned. I also believe that it is up to parents to teach their children right from wrong so that if they do happen to come across something that differs from the values they were taught, the child will know the difference and the fictional will not so easily become fact. They will be able to form opinions for themselves, to think of the consequences of the characters in the books and draw conclusions for themselves when relating it to their life.

I must also say that as parents it is a tough decision to make. It can be difficult to choose what we read to our children, to help them choose what to read when they are too young to choose for themselves what is appropriate for their age and understanding. I think it is safe to say that most parents naturally wonder  from time to time, "will my child understand this topic or will it confuse them," I know I do. So in a nutshell here is my opinion on the subject:

It's pretty simple. Think for yourself. Let others think for themselves. Don't be a robot. Teach your children to think for themselves so that they are able to choose appropriate books for themselves. 

With that said I'll be studying banned books for this workshop. Here are some links to help you out:

Frequently Challenged Children's Books

ALA About Banned Books

Here is a list of some of my favorite banned or challenged books (in no particular order):

Where the Wild Things Are

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Bridge to Terabithia

A Wrinkle In Time

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankeiler

The Outsiders

James and the Giant Peach

Go Ask Alice

Charlotte's Web

How to Eat Fried Worms

The Lorax

Grimms Complete work of Fairy Tales

The Witches

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl

The Story of Babar

Twilight

The Indian in the Cupboard

Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Little Women

The Old Man and the Sea

The Wind in the Willows

There are many more. Too many to list and I have only listed those that fall under kidlit: PB, MG, YA. Or they are books I read while in  high school. I have only scratched the surface. 

What are some of your favorite banned or challenged books? What is your opinion on the subject? 

**Please remember to keep your comments clean and be respectful of those who post their opinions here.