National Library Week: 2011’s Most Challenged Books

The library is a haunt of mine most days of the week. There is fiction, non-fiction, DVDs, CDs, magazines, etc. all at one's fingertips. Take your children to browse the books and DVDs for their age and sit in on story reading times. Make it a family event where everyone goes and looks into things that interest them. Grab a DVD and have a family movie night. The library is the most wonderful place ever where the world is waiting to be discovered.

Connie Fischer
conniecape@aol.com

Why in the world would "a religious viewpoint" be a reason to challenge a book? Isn't that a part of cultural diversity, and isn't cultural diversity something we want to teach our kids about? So weird. Also, the Hunger Games is occult/satanic? That made me laugh.

I've always believed that parents should be the only people allowed to censor what their kids read.

@Allison_Brennan: I agree. There is nothing wrong with a parent deciding what is okay for their child to read, but that doesn't mean it has to be forced on others. For example, my 12 yr old son read THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy. I read it along with him so we could talk about it. My 9 year old always wants to do/read what his older brother is. Usually, that is not an issue, but I really think that 9 is too young and he's a sensitve soul so I don't think he's ready. I told him he had to be 12. He told me some kids in his class are reading them and I flat out told him that I don't think those parents are wrong--each family has different rules. I think 9 is too young--for my son. But another 9 year old can be ready and be fine.

Anyway, I just wanted to say I agree.

It is my strong opinion that a Librarian who is doing her/his job is familiar with the tastes and desires of her/his patrons and, therefore, has a better ability than anyone else to determine what books sould be purchased for her/his Library. This should change from Library to Library, as patrons change from location to location. The patrons are the most important consideration; if they stop coming to the Library because they can't find the books they want to read, there will no longer be a Library for any of us.

As to the genre of Young Adult fiction in general: As an adult I have read four popular YA series: the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, the Immortals series by Alyson Noel and the Daniel X series by James Patterson and of the four, I would only reccommend the Twilight series to the target YA 11 to 14 age group. The other three series, in my opinion, are inappropriate for the lower end of that age group. I do not think tweens should be forced into making permanent life-altering decisions, even in a fantasy-fiction setting. That being said, the parents are the only ones who should be making these decisions about what their children are reading. What are we going to do? Start putting the "E" sticker on books the way they used to do to record albums? Please...

The Library is one of the very few remaining places of equality left on the planet earth. Non-fiction lives with Mystery. Romance lives with Education. Fantasy lives with Gardening. Cooking lives with Juvenile. And on, and on, and on. All in the same room. In peace. Everyone has the same standing. Everyone is just as important as everyone else. The Library is hallowed ground. Don't let censorship mess that up.