Sullivan, Maureen
Flood, A. (2015). Sherman Alexie novel tops list of books Americans want censored. The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/13/sherman-alexie-novel-tops-list-of-books-americans-want-censored-2014.
Summary: The American Library Association released its top ten banned books from 2014, and Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian made the number one spot. The article discusses the reasons why some of the books are banned, but also points out that over half of the books that are banned contain diverse content, and/or were written by authors of color, referring to Malinda Lo's study of diverse authors and banned books.
Evaluation: In considering books to purchase in our collection, I am especially interested in culling the blogs and reviews of diverse books, about young people from all backgrounds, and written by authors from all backgrounds and experiences. While I am not surprised by some of the books on the banned list, I am concerned about the idea raised by Malinda Lo that the underlying reason that those books may be banned is due to their differences. "Diversity is actually under attack." Deeming a book inappropriate for readers is challenging to navigate as it is, but if it is also potentially denying a student or young person to read about an experience they have experienced, or inspire them to write their own story, that is oppression.
As a reader, I truly enjoy reading about people from different walks of life. I haven't read any banned books lately, but agree with you that the it is disturbing to think that the underlying reason for banning books is due to their differences. Azar Nafisi discusses the how western culture through literature impacted her life in Iran and offers insight into our own culture now that she is a citizen of the US in her new book: The Republic of the Imagination. The acceptance/rejection of books in this day and age can be surprisingly political and takes us back to our 1st Amendment freedoms.
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