As you all (should!) know, ALA's Banned Books Week is from September 26th to October 3rd this year. Be sure to hit up the website for some awesome graphics and other banned book goodness for your blog.
Here on Bites, I want to take it one step further and make the entire month of September all about banned and challenged books. I'm sure we all think the same thing about banned and challenged books--STOOPID! So consider this the Rally Against Stoopid.
Anyone can participate in Ban This! All you have to do is do something for/about banned and challenged books in the month of September (technically until the end of Banned Books Week). Have giveaways for books on the most recent top challenged list, interview an author of a banned book (or any author and get them to talk about book banning and challenging), have running commentary on the slew of articles out there about the idiotic actions of people attempting to ban (and in some cases burn) books, review banned and challenged books, and so on.
Just as long as you're doing something for banned and challenged books, even one post, I'll add you to the list of participating bloggers. It's going to be a month of fun pointing and laughing at the stoopid in the world and it will culminate with ALA's awesome Banned Books Week. You really can't go wrong!
The following bloggers are showing banned and challenged book love in the month of September--
The Book Muncher
1 ARC Tours
Shooting Stars Mag
TV and Book Addict
Reading Rocks
The Eclectic Book Lover
Bloody Bookaholic
The Book Obsession
Mrs. Magoo Reads
Presenting Lenore
The Book Pixie
I Was a Teenage Book Geek
An Addicted Book Reader
Steph Su Reads
The Book Lush
The Obsessive Reader
Neither Here Nor There
Vent
Behind The Cover
Page Turners
Serendipity Book Reviews
Book Rat
Wag the Fox
Crackin' Spines and Takin' Names
1 ARC Tours
Shooting Stars Mag
TV and Book Addict
Reading Rocks
The Eclectic Book Lover
Bloody Bookaholic
The Book Obsession
Mrs. Magoo Reads
Presenting Lenore
The Book Pixie
I Was a Teenage Book Geek
An Addicted Book Reader
Steph Su Reads
The Book Lush
The Obsessive Reader
Neither Here Nor There
Vent
Behind The Cover
Page Turners
Serendipity Book Reviews
Book Rat
Wag the Fox
Crackin' Spines and Takin' Names
Be sure to stop by all these blogs, plus check back in right here at Bites, for all sorts of banned and challenged books love during September.
If you want in on the list and plan on showing some First Amendment love, just let me know, either by commenting or sending me an email that you'd like your blog added. All I ask is that you post the Ban This! banner on your site for the month to get the word out.
If you want in on the list and plan on showing some First Amendment love, just let me know, either by commenting or sending me an email that you'd like your blog added. All I ask is that you post the Ban This! banner on your site for the month to get the word out.
28 comments:
Hi Donna,
Please add my blog, The Book Pixie, to your list. I'm planning atleast two giveaways for banned/challenged book month and possibly some guest posts.
Here is my link: http://thebookpixie.blogspot.com/
~Briana
Hey, on my blog I'll make a post and review some of the books at http://anaddictedbookreader.blogspot.com/. Thanks, Adrienne
Please add me. I was already planning a post on one of the books listed, and could definitely do a couple more.
Will do, guys! Absolutely! Thanks!
No books have been banned in the USA for about a half a century. See "National Hogwash Week."
Sweetheart, you came to the wrong place to attempt to promote horseshit like that.
Banned Books Week exists because de-evolved citizens attempt to take control of what libraries should and should not have in their stacks, and it provides excellent fodder for those of us with fully functioning gray matter.
Even IF no book has successfully been banned, that doesn't mean there aren't attempts at book banning, highly vocal protests, and book burnings. Google Maureen Johnson for just ONE example of how stupid people get over books and the fight against ignorance based censorship. The only reason there haven't been any books banned in however many years this person suggests is that National Banned Book Week and other initiatives have bravely fought the Thought Police.
I oppose book banning and censorship. Serious instances, real instances. I support authors saying anything they wish.
Efforts to keep children from material inappropriate for children is not censorship, as the US Supreme Court has noted, no matter how dramatic or loud mouthed such efforts may be. As one ALA Councilor said:
"It also highlights the thing we know about Banned Books Week that we don't talk about much — the bulk of these books are challenged by parents for being age-inappropriate for children. While I think this is still a formidable thing for librarians to deal with, it's totally different from people trying to block a book from being sold at all."
Totally different. Do you agree?
Now true censorship, true book burnings, true persecution of librarians, that really happens. This is what I oppose. And I know that is what readers here oppose.
The ALA does not oppose that. You read that right. The ALA does NOT oppose that. Read, by way of just one example, "American Library Association Shamed," by Nat Hentoff, Laurel Leader-Call, 2 March 2007.
I'll ask you and anyone else reading this to explain why the ALA views book burnings, bannings, and jailed librarians in Cuba as NOT censorship, and why people legally keeping children from inappropriate material IS censorship.
Set aside any bias in favor of the ALA and Banned Books Week. Set aside any disagreement with Thomas Sowell speaking about National Hogwash Week.
Think for yourselves--why does the ALA not only refuse to assist jailed Cuban librarians, but go further and actually thwart efforts by others to assist them? Then go further. Why should members of the public consider the ALA to be authoritative on the definition of what is censorship in local public libraries?
Indeed, why should local libraries care one whit about an organization actively blocking efforts to assist jailed and beaten Cuban librarians and associated censorship and book burnings?
These are legitimate questions. Honest answers may be revealing. The question is, are you willing to be honest with yourselves?
Wow, Safe. Your ignorance makes my eyes bleed.
If you did your own research instead of blindly spouting off someone else's stupidities, you'd know that books have been banned within the last 50 years, most notably from school libraries in Texas and Brooklyn. This means no access to the books. That is restricting people's First Amendment rights. Get your facts straight. What you're talking about, this "true" book banning, is an invalid definition in this country as no book will ever be wholly forbidden here. This isn't a fascist country.
As for the ALA not supporting instances in Cuba? Really? It's CUBA. Libraries and librarians are paid by the government. In case you didn't know, there's this little thing called an embargo on Cuba where we're not even legally allowed to travel there, let alone attempt to save jailed librarians. It's a Communist country. The whole fucking place is censored. Get your head out of your ass. It's not like this is something new.
We can't use government money to help those people because it's illegal. If people go over there in an attempt to help, and they get detained . . . guess what, they're not coming back and no one from this government is going to get them.
Seriously, think before you post on this blog because I will tear you and your idiocies to shreds.
I'm sure the Nazi's thought they were justified in their book burning too. Ha-ha good one.
Anyone who bans books or tries to should have stupid seared into their forehead. If you are not my parent then there is no reason for you to try to dictate what I read or my library caries. As I am now an adult and see these kind of things still happening I am even more grateful to my mother for allowing me to read whatever I wanted and oh my god I turned out to be a normal fully functioning adult. Imagine that.
If fact I am better off because of the books I have read banned books among them. Banned books should be the ones we are all in fact made to read. They are the ones that we should all be exposed to not hidden from.
Forgot to add please count me in. I will for sure be blogging about this. Doing my part to make sure we are all nice and corrupted with these book things. lol
I'm also going to participate in Banned Books Week. I think its utterly retarded. If you don't like what you are reading or somehow think its bad than shut the book and put it away. No one is making you do anything or forcing their opinions on you so you should show the same consideration. You don't want your kids to read something than don't let them read it. You can't shield people from the evil of the world. Everyone had to face some how and they have to choose how to deal with it. Like I said everyone has their own opinions on everything just don't try to force it on others. Oh and I just might have to steal your Ban This! sidebar graphic.
For anyone interested, here's a list of challenged books and books banned from local libraries since 2007. Not surprising but thoroughly depressing.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=112317617303679724608.00047051ed493efec0bb8
Woohoo! Another participant! And that's what the banner is there for, Rachel! Steal away!
Thanks for the list, Maria! It is indeed a sad thing.
it's like we're still living in the fifties, come people, grow up! I'm in! I think this is the best post i've seen all day!
Please add us to the list. I was just thinking of another challenge and giving away banned books is perfect.
Page Turners
weblogbooks@gmail.com
So cool, I'd love to do this! I was planning somethign like this anyways on my blog, so I'd love to do this. I've had a love for Banned Books ever since I heard about people in Wisconsin trying to publicly burn a Weetzie Bat novel earlier this year :)
http://serendipityreviews.blogspot.com
P.S. *using that biting sardonic deadpan tone of mine, haha* Thanks so much to SafeLibraries for that little thesis of yours. Goody, something to (rip off) "write" for my L.A. paper, if only any of it made any sense and wasn't completely irrelevant. *thumbs up* :D Also, may I formally request you STOP getting on here to spout out your ideas? Make your own blog, don't waste people's time.
Oops, I sound all angry! Sorry :) Anyways, off to steal the sidebar :)
Thank you, thank you for the additions! I love my growing list!
Yeah, Safe Libraries is a little much. They hunt out people at other blogs and post their shit. They got me on my writing blog when I promoted this over there.
"They hunt out people at other blogs and post their shit." I'm not allowed to speak with people, during Banned Books Week? The ALA stuff is on hundreds of sites and I'm not allowed to make comments to people? This from the freedom of speech police.
If you don't like my "stuff," try Nat Hentoff: "American Library Association Shamed," by Nat Hentoff, Laurel Leader-Call, 2 March 2007, for example.
Wow, you dumb fucking tool. You really like squeezing blood from a stone there, don't you? Did I say you're not allowed? No. I said your dumb fucking ass seeks out other people's blogs to post your misguided, misinformed, unintelligent, factually bereft bullshit on. You're a fucking spammer. So stop inserting what you want to be there when it very obviously isn't there.
This isn't a public forum. This is my fucking blog and if I want to tell you to fuck off and stop spouting your shit here, I will. Because it's my fucking blog. You have zero rights here. Why? Because I give people the right to post here and I can take it the fuck away. I am not the government. I am not legally obligated to allow you your piece to say. Now shut the fuck up and get the fuck away from me you ignorant sack of bile.
I don't know how many fucking times I have to tell you to fucking think before you come and fucking post on here but obviously you're too fucking dense to get it. One more fucking ridiculous comment from you and you're getting deleted. Period. I don't need idiots like you running around on my blog.
Omg I love you Donna so much. How do I love thee let me count the ways. You are so fucking awesome.
That was so sweet.
Why are you censoring me? Even though you haven't deleted my comments. Wow what a great argument.
Oh and to add is it not convenient that "censorship" is now a bad thing but book banning is ok. Wow brilliant logic there. What a moron. If you cannot see the stupidity in that then there is no hope for you.
LOL at the Donna/Safe Libraries smackdown.
On another note, I fully intend to post BBW goodness. Hopefully, a full week of reviews and delicious goodness for the brain. And maybe some of my favorite stories from hosting 24 hr readathons for BBW for the last few years (teaser: I have got some great Perks of Being a Wallflower/masturbation material to look forward to) So I am stealing your banner and I am in, if you want to list me...
~Misty at Book Rat
Of course I'll add you! Thanks for hopping on board! And I can't wait to start your challenge!
Hey, Donna. Think you could my blog to the list? (http://waggingthefox.blogspot.com/)
I'm hoping to have reviews of banned books for each weekday.
Of course!
Hey Donna,
Could I be added to the list, please? I added the banner (which is awesome, BTW! I'm leaving it up fulltime.) and posted my thoughts about book banning and censorship.
Here's the link: http://crackinspines.blogspot.com/2009/09/ban-this.html
Much abliged,
ZG :)
Of course! Consider yourself added!
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