Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris

banned books week giveaway hop 2015

Welcome to the Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop, hosted by Bookhounds and I Am a Reader.

First of all, “What is Banned Books Week”?

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. It focuses on efforts across the U.S. to remove or restrict access to books. I’m going to put on my librarian hat here to say that the reasons that someone might want to restrict access to, or ban, a book are many and varied. While when someone says “banned books” most people thing of sex, in real life anything that makes some people uncomfortable will incite in those people the idea of banning that book so that other people aren’t exposed to whatever it is that just made them uncomfortable.

Violence gets challenged. Speaking truth to power gets challenged. Books that contain historical truths that make people uncomfortable get challenged. Books that appear to uphold an opposing, untraditional or unpopular viewpoint get challenged. And yes, books that include sexual references, or even merely seem to include sexual references, often get challenged.

As I said in my Banned Books Week post a few years ago, “Everything bothers somebody”. And if that somebody gets bothered enough, they may try to ban the book that bothered them.

But Banned Books Week celebrates the Freedom to Read. Just because a book upsets one person, or even a whole group of people, does not mean that those who are upset have the right to prevent others from reading that book. If one person’s meat is another person’s poison, then one person’s book to ban is another person’s book to cherish.

This year’s Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association;American Booksellers for Free Expression; the American Library Association;American Society of Journalists and Authors; Association of American Publishers; Comic Book Legal Defense Fund; the Freedom to Read Foundation; National Coalition Against Censorship; National Council of Teachers of English; National Association of College Stores; People for the American Way; PEN American Center and and Project Censored.  And it is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.
alternate banned books banner 2015For more information on Banned Books Week, including the absolutely fascinating lists of frequently challenged books, visit the official Banned Books Week site. The books on those list are guaranteed to contain more than a few surprises.

This year’s Banned Books Week especially celebrates Young Adult books, because books for teens are so frequently challenged.

In my own celebration of Banned Books Week, I’m participating in the Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop. The prize is either a $10 Gift Card or a $10 Book, so that you can get your own Banned Book to read.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
For more bookish prizes, and more info about Banned Books Week, be sure to visit the other stops on the hop: <!– end LinkyTools script –>

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97 thoughts on “Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop”

  5. Like eeryone lse the DR. Sueess and Harry Potter. O maany rally. Thanks for your giveawy chance.
    Carol L

  7. I can’t believe the Dr. Seuss books were banned! Thanks for this amazing giveaway – I would love to win!

  8. I was most surprised to hear that parents at a Minnesota high school tried to ban “Eleanor & Park” by Rainbow Rowell, citing explicit language as their cause.

  9. So many of my favorite childhood books… and some of the most momentous pieces of literary work in this century– ‘The Color Purple’, for example. :shakes head:

  11. I wouldn’t say I’m surprised by anything on the list; people can find a way to object to just about anything. But I did get a chuckle out of the Dr. Seuss books on the list. How ridiculous.

  13. I can’t imagine a Dr. Seuss book being banned. There are so many books that are banned that I do not agree with.

  23. I read the whole list at the website. The ones I were surprised to learn were banned were the Dr. Suess books! Hop On Pop because it promotes violence towards a parent, (rolls my eyes). The more adult book I was surprised was on there was Brave New World. That was a required read in my college classes.

  25. That Charlotte’s Web and Winnie the Pooh would be banned because talking animals are an insult to God is mind boggling.

  27. I was surprised to read that A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein was banned.
    I love that book and author!

  28. I agree with most commenters, I was astounded that Dr. Seuss books would be banned! I guess I missed any underlying meanings! Thank you for the contest!

  29. It always amazes me to hear any book is banned. People can be horribly foolish. I was so shocked when I heard about the attempt to ban the Harry Potter books. And Dr. Seuss?? That one is beyond comprehension.

  38. It was actually hard to pick just one because a lot of the classics mentioned were required reading in my middle and high school classes…THE CALL OF THREE WILD, THE SCARLET LETTER, etc.

  39. I, too, was most surprised about the Dr. Seuss books being banned or really any children’s book for that matter!

  40. One book that really surprised me was Dr. Seuss’s Hop on Pop. Someone siting that it encouraged violence against fathers. All I can do is SMH.

  44. Moby Dick, I don’t recall any bad language or sex or anti-religion which seem to be the main reason books are banned. I could be wrong, it’s been about 25 years since I read it.

  45. I always find Dr. Seuss books to be an odd choice for banning because if Dr. Seuss doesn’t pass muster what will?

  49. I have worked in libraries for years and most of the books that are banned or challenged surprise me. I am always amazed how it seems every book can offend someone, for some reason. If it offends you, you don’t have to read it.

  52. Harry Potter. I really can’t fathom why it has been banned since it has a lot of positive messages!

  54. I was surprised to see Dr. Suess on this list. Do they know that elementary schools have a Dr. Suess day?? If the books were bad I highly doubt teachers would allow children to read them. Banned books list is ridiculous!

  58. Many of them surprised me, including my favorite, Of Mice and Men. Also, Dr. Seuss’ books.

    (Nikki Marie on rafflecopter)

  59. Hop on Pop really surprised me! So did If I Ran a Zoo….how can any Dr. Seuss book be on the banned list book?!

  64. I was surprised to see that Harry Potter has been banned. It is clearly not promoting the witchcraft that people think it is (and even if it was – freedom of religion, people!!)

  66. Honestly? None of them. It seems like anyone can find something to be offended by in books these days. If I absolutely HAD to choose though, I’d say any of the Dr. Seuss books.

  67. I was surprised to see Dr. Seuss. I can’t see how people can find anything he’s written offensive.

  72. Dr. Seuss and Harry Potter books were surprising but then any banning of books is ridiculous, so it becomes not so surprising!

  73. It’s crazy to see ANY Dr. Seuss books on the list!

    Thanks for the chance to win 🙂

  76. I was shocked about Dr. Seuss books. Are you kidding me??
    Also, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.

  81. I’d have to say the book that surprised me most because it was challenged has to Hop on Pop. I learned to read with those books and that book never once made me consider being violent towards my father….

  82. I was genuinely surprised that The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls was recently banned. It was a beautiful memoir and proves that bad things happen, protecting your children from a book won’t change the reality of what is out there.

  85. Quite frankly, none of these surprise me. Not because I think they should be banned, but because people will find something wrong with anything.

  86. I loved The GIver as a teenager, and I still reread it from time to time as an adult. I can’t believe anyone would want to ban it!

  88. I have read and enjoyed so many books on the list, but I have a hard time believing the Dr. Seuss books are on it.

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