Last Tango in Paris (1972)
When a widower and a sad girl get together in an apartment, things get weird. A little sexy, then not, then things just go super creepy pants. Trigger warnings for rape, sexual content, and suicide.
Read MoreThe Great Dictator (1940)
The time is late 1930s and a childish dictator of a European country and a Jewish barber are trying to make their way in the world.
Read MoreWonder Woman (2017)
A woman of wonder comes from a fabled island of Greek legend to help out during World War I. No man's land, indeed.
Read MoreGone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
We get into one of the most memorable Southern fairy tales of all time, talking about the O'Hara family and how Scar-O plans to win the hand of Ashley at the barbeque before he marries his cousin.
Read MoreA Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
A young boy grows up on a farm and is destroyed by a bull, but he gets a pig out of it so winner winner chicken dinner.
Read MoreAnastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry
Being ten is so hard, especially when you have to make lists about all the things you hate. Plus there's the cocaine addiction. Maybe?
Banned
#75 on the Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
1986 - California - Roosevelt Elementary School's principal in Tulare removed the book but returned it later with the word "shit" whited out
1991 - Kansas - Challenged as offensive in Wichita public schools, it was retained.
1992 - Wisconsin - For profanity and references to underage drinking the book was removed but later returned to Stevens Point Area School elementary recommended reading list.
1998 - South Carolina - Because of "Lowry's use of a vulgarity for human waste, as well as the use of a slang term for sex," the book was removed from the Cayce-West Columbia School District's Congaree Elementary School library.
Sources
ALA. "Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009." Retrieved on 17 Aug 01 from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/top-100-bannedchallenged-books-2000-2009
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. ALA. 2014.
Lowry, Lois. Anastasia Krupnik. Yearling, 1979.
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"Dances and Dames." Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
A man in wings jumps off the hospital where an important baby soon known as Milkman is being born.
Banned
#72 on ALA's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
1993 - Ohio - Challenged but retained in Columbus schools for "language degrading to blacks and is sexually explicit"
1994 - Georgia - Richmond County School District removed the book from reading lists and library shelves after a parent complained passages were "filthy and inappropriate"
1995 - Florida - St Johns County Schools in St Augustine challenged the book
1998 - Maryland - Complaints to St Mary's County schools referred to the novel as "filth," "trash," and "repulsive" and lead to challenges. A faculty committee recommended the book be retained, but the superintendent removed the book from the approved text list.
2009 - Michigan - The superintendent of Shelby school suspended the book from the curriculum. The book was reinstated but parents are informed in writing and at a meeting of the books content. Students who don't wish to read it can read an alternative.
2010 - Indiana - Parents of Franklin Central High School's Advanced Placement English class in Indianapolis were concerned about language and sexual content, but the book was retained.
Sources
ALA. "Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009." Retrieved on 17 Aug 01 from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/top-100-bannedchallenged-books-2000-2009
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. ALA. 2014.
Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. Alfred A. Knopf. New York, 1977.
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Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames." Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
War is hell but not in this book of truth-telling fiction. Crank up the Credence because we're going to 'Nam and learning what the war was really like.
Banned
#65 Top Banned and Challenged Books 2000-2009
1992 - Wisconsin - Because of "anti-American attitudes, offensive language, political bias, and disturbing fiction" it was removed from Waukesha classrooms
2000 - Pennsylvannia - Challenged but retained at Pennridge high school for language
2002 - Mississippi - Banned for profanity from George County schools
2006 - Illinois - Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlintgon Heights with eight other titles based on excerpts from the internet. The board member instigating the challenges was elected amid promises of bringing Christian beliefs to decision making.
Sources
ALA. "Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009." Retrieved on 17 Aug 01 from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/top-100-bannedchallenged-books-2000-2009
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. ALA. 2014.
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Houghton Mifflin. Boston, Mass, 1990.
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Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames." Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Always Running by Luis Rodriquez
The true story of a gang member's journey into and out of la vida loca. And not one Ricky Martin joke.
Banned
#68 on the Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
1996 - Illinois - Challenged as optional reading at the Guilford High School in Rockford as "blatant pornography."
1998 - California
San Jose - Challenged but retained at the San Jose Unified School District as optional reading after complaints the book is "pornographic and offensive in its stereotyping of Latinos." Students must have parental permission to check out of school library.
Santa Rosa - Removed from the high school reading list
Fremont - Removed pending review
2003 - California - Challenged but retained in three Beyer High School classrooms in Modesto after complaints it is pornographic. District administrators removed the book in November 2003 and this descision reversed those actions.
2004 - California - Santa Barbara schools pulled the book after a parent complained about graphic violent and sex passages.
Sources
ALA. "Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009." Retrieved on 17 Aug 01 from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/top-100-bannedchallenged-books-2000-2009
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. ALA. 2014.
Rodriguez, Luis J. Always Running. Simon and Schuster. New York, 1993.
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Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames." Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
The Terrorist by Caroline B Cooney
A young boy gets blowed up, his family get super sad, and then we wrap it all up pretty easy with a rather genre ending to a literary tale.
Banned
#63 on Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009
2000
Iowa - Challenged but retained despite objections the story negatively depicts the Islamic religion and Arabic people at Franklin Middle School in Cedar Rapids
Maryland - Objections about anti-Arab content caused the book to be objected to but retained at Rockville in Montgomery County
Sources
ALA. "Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009." Retrieved on 17 Aug 01 from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/top-100-bannedchallenged-books-2000-2009
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. ALA. 2014.
Cooney, Caroline B. The Terrorist. Scholastic Inc. New York, 1997.
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or RSS Feed
Help support the podcast on Patreon
"Dances and Dames." Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/