I was poking around on different websites and landed on Runs with Scissors, checking out her list of top 100 banned books from 1990-2000 and was intrigued by the list. So I went hunting and found the 200-2007 list and like Jean (from Runs with Scissors), I’m bolding the books that I’ve read. What I found interesting about this list is how many of these books are the ones chosen for my children to read in English Lit classes. I’m glad of it; these are, for the most part, really well written books dealing with issues that we all ought to think about at some point.
Now, all the books that I haven’t read yet are on my to-read list. How about you? What are you reading?
1 Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling
2 Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3 The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
4 Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
5 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
6 Scary Stories, by Alvin Schwartz
7 Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
8 It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
9 And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
10 Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
11 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
12 The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
13 Forever, by Judy Blume
14 The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
15 The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
16 Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan
17 Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
18 King and King, by Linda de Haan
19 Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
20 Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
21 The Giver, by Lois Lowry
22 We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
23 To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee`
24 Beloved, by Toni Morrison
25 The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney
26 Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
27 My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier
28 In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
29 His Dark Materials series, by Philip Pullman
30 Gossip Girl series, by Cecily von Ziegesar
31 What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
32 Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison
33 It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris
34 Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles
35 Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
36 Blubber, by Judy Blume
37 Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
38 Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
39 Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
40 Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank
41 Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan
42 Crazy Lady Jane, by Leslie Conly
43 The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
44 You Hear Me, by Betsy Franco
45 Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
46 Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
47 The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, by Dav Pilkey
48 The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole
49 The Terrorist, by Caroline Cooney
50 Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park
51 Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green
52 The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss
53 When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester
54 Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
55 The Fighting Ground, by Avi
56 The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
57 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor
58 Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
59 The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
60 A Time To Kill, by John Grisham
61 Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez
62 Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
63 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
64 A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
65 Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
66 Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
67 Black Boy, by Richard Wright
68 Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
69 Deal With It, by Esther Drill
70 Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
71 Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle
72 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
73 Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen
74 Junie B. Jones series, by Barbara Park
75 So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins
76 Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
77 Staying Fat, by for Sarah Byrnes Chris Crutcher
78 What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras
79 The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
80 The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
81 Anastasia Again! Lois Lowry
82 Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
83 Bumps In the Night, by Harry Allard
84 Goosebumps series, by R.L. Stine
85 Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix
86 Cut, by Patricia McCormick
87 Grendel, by John Gardner
88 The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende
89 I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte
90 Ironman, by Chris Crutcher
91 The Stupids series, by Harry Allard
92 Taming the Star Runner, by S.E. Hinton
93 Then Again, Maybe I Won’t, by Judy Blume
94 Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
95 Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel
96 Nathan’s Run, by John Gilstrap
97 Pinkerton, Behave! by Steven Kellog
98 Freaky Friday, by Mary Rodgers
99 Halloween ABC, by Eve Merriam
100 Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman
Now I know what I’m reading next…
I’ve read about 30 on the list. Sounds like I’ve been negligent in reading the other 70. It seems important to read what they say we shouldn’t…makes you wonder what the secret is. And yes, I think we can handle it. I don’t understand some of them at all. Many of the ones I read are ones I read as a child or that I’ve read to my children. Yes, to them. I think you’re on the right track, Nancy!
Jen
Guess what? Just went to the bookmobile and they have a shelf of “gifted books” which just happens to be mostly books on the banned list. Eric just kind of said “Hmmm.”
Jen
These lists tend to raise my hackles a little. I don’t believe any book should be banned. That being said, I don’t think children are able to comprehend some of the books at their reading level. Informed guidance is key. A special shelf is good, a librarian (vs. automated check out) or involved parent is better.
I just started a job as a elementary school library clerk and have been reading more juvenile lit. I highly recommend a funny & smart book I just finished titled ‘The Wednesday Wars’ by Gary Schmidt. RL 5.9 but some of it will be over a 5-6th grader’s head.
Hello to Santa Cruz Co…I do miss it!
Karen – Aptos HS class of ’75