Sunday, September 18, 2011

Two [More] Titles from "Books Banned and Challenged, 2010-2011"

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Doubleday)
Mark Haddon

Removed from the Lake Fenton, Mich. summer reading program (2010) after parents complained about its “foul language.” The book is about an autistic child who investigates the death of a neighborhood dog. It was a joint winner of the 2004 Boeke Prize and won the 2003 Whitbread Book of the Year award. 
Source: Sept. 2010, p. 200.

The Dead Man in Indian Creek (Clarion Books; Sandpiper)
Mary Downing Hahn

Challenged at the Salem-Keizer School District, Oreg. elementary schools (2010) because of the drugs and drug smuggling activities in the book. The book was previously challenged in 1994 in the same school district because of graphic violence, examples of inappropriate parenting, and because it was too frightening for elementary students. The book has won awards from the International Reading Association, the Children’s Book Council, and the American Library Association. 
Source: May 2010, pp. 105–6.
Posted by Rob Bittner at 11:02 AM

2 comments:

  1. Karyn HuenemannSeptember 22, 2011 at 9:26 AM

    The mind boggles. How could anyone be offended by the completely in-context swearing in The Curious Incident? I handed that one to my kids when they were 10, and taught it in an advanced reading group for grade 6 students at my daughter's school... No complaints from parents here, that is for sure!

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  2. kelmarieSeptember 26, 2011 at 9:48 PM

    Funny, I would have put The Curious Incident on a 'must read' list due to its ability to portray a point of view we so seldom get to see.

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