Banned Book Week!

We at Boston Arts Academy actually love Banned Book Week; it is how we find books to add to our reading lists!

The Top Ten Banned Books of 2016 were: 

1. This One Summer written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
   Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and it was considered sexually explicit with mature themes
2. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
   Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint
3. George written by Alex Gino
   Reasons: challenged because it includes a transgender child, and the “sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels”
4. I Am Jazz written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
   Reasons: challenged because it portrays a transgender child and because of language, sex education, and offensive viewpoints
5. Two Boys Kissing written by David Levithan
   Reasons: challenged because its cover has an image of two boys kissing, and it was considered to include sexually explicit LGBT content
6. Looking for Alaska written by John Green
   Reasons: challenged for a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to “sexual experimentation”
7. Big Hard Sex Criminals written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky
   Reason: challenged because it was considered sexually explicit
8. Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread written by Chuck Palahniuk
   Reasons: challenged for profanity, sexual explicitness, and being “disgusting and all around offensive”
9. Little Bill (series) written by Bill Cosby and and illustrated by Varnette P. Honeywood
   Reason: challenged because of criminal sexual allegations against the author
10. Eleanor & Park written by Rainbow Rowell
    Reason: challenged for offensive language

We are also taking part in the American Library Association's Rebel Reader Twitter Tournament! 

Participate by: 

• Taking a selfie with a banned or challenged book
• Share a video of yourself talking about censorship or reading from a banned or challenged book
• Post a quote from a favorite banned or challenged book
• Share a story about an educator who helped you learn the power of works
• Take a photo of a completed ALA Banned Books Week coloring sheet
• Take a photo of yourself with any Words Have Power swag
• Share a link to your local library's homepage or book selection policy
• Tweet some love at a banned author from this list: twitter.com/OIF/lists/banned-authors/members

Use the hashtag #rebelreader and don't forget to tag @baa_lib 

Check out our displays and read a Banned or Challenged Book! 

Habibi
Challenged for "nudity" and
being "sexually explicit"

And Tango Makes Three
Challenged for being "anti-family"
and due to "homosexuality"

Being Jazz
Challenged for "homosexuality"
and "sexual education"

Eleanor & Park
Challenged for "offensive language"

My Mom's Having a Baby
Challenged for "nudity"
and "sex education"

Drama
Challenged for "LGBT content"
and "offensive political viewpoint"

George
Challenged for "LGBT content"
and "sexuality"

TTYL (series)
Challenges for "offensive language"
and "religious viewpoints"

Two Boys Kissing
Challenged for "explicit LGBT content"

Beyond Magenta
Challenged for being "anti-family"
and for "sex education"

Nasreen's Secret School
Challenged for "religious viewpoints"
and "violence"

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
Challenged for "offensive language"
and "sexually explicit"

Pride
Challenged for
 "sexually explicit content"
*note: Brian K. Vaughan is
often on the banned lists!

It's Perfectly Normal
Challenged for "violence"
and "sexual content"

Scary Stories (series)
Challenged due to being
"unsuited for age group" and "violence"
*note: original artwork ONLY,
not the updated versions

I Am Jazz
Challenged for "sex education"
and "portrayal of a transgender child"

Lush
Challenged due to "drugs"
and "sexually explicit"

Captain Underpants (series)
Challenged for
"offensive language" and "violence"