So here's a list of the 100 most frequently whined about books from 1990-2000 according to the American Library Association that was posted last week and I'm getting back to it now. And, because of Libertine's comment in the post below about censorship, I thought it might be interesting to see how many of these books I've read. The books I've read in the list are noted in bold.
Shocked comments about some of the books people complain about will probably be in-line in italics.
1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling - this is because the book has to do with magic that's not sanctioned by the Church, right?
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman - Complaints about a book based on a lesbian family? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you.
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier - read this probably more than 20 years ago and don't remember a thing about it now.
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - among the greatest books of all time. It should be required reading for every single person in America.
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna - Well sure, I'm not sure this can be called a book since it was just nicely bound smut really.
20. Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl - I think Roald Dahl would have gotten a good laugh about his book being on a complaint list. Again, complaints most likely based on magic not sanctioned by the Church. Boo!
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein - I can't imagine why religio-nuts would have any issues with a book about how great gay sex is.
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Yeah, race relations, too much for kids to have to think about given the segregated nature of our school system.
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison - this hurt my brain to read after a while and I truly do not see why people thought it was so good and my only complaint is that the writing style is painful to read.
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton - Why is this on the list?
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Brilliant book, started me down my path of utopian novels with 1984 and Walden II by Skinner/
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl - it's been a while and I'm not sure why this is on the list. But its another fantastic story with great twists and an excellent storyline.
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell - Damn right I've read this one. I think its quite important to know how to "monkeywrench" injustice. Nothing like proving your point by using a little thermite to burn a hole through some asshole's engine block.
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras I've never read this one but I hear its got a killer ending.
62. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - a perennially whined about book that is simply superb.
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding - Another book that I can understand that people complain about but it should be read by everyone as well. The lessons it has are important to know.
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier.
Not too bad, I guess, I come in at 21 books out of the 100 most whined about. But I know I could do better. Maybe I'll pick up a copy of Pillars of the Earth and start with that as I've always liked Ken Follett books.
I guess what blows my mind are books that aren't on the list. Books like Lolita by Nabakov, The Origin of Species by Darwin and dozens and hundreds and thousands of other books that get people's panties in a twist.
Tags: censorship, book burning, American Library Association
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