‘And Tango Makes Three’ Still Most Frequently Challenged

Filed Under Books, Censorship, GLBT Parents, LGBT Youth | April 17th, 2009 

And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell (Author), Justin Richardson (Author), Henry Cole (Illustrator)CHICAGO, IL — For a third consecutive year, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s award-winning “And Tango Makes Three” a children’s book about two male penguins caring for an orphaned egg, tops the American Library Association’s (ALA) Top Ten list of the Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2008.

“Books, magazines, and other reading materials should reflect the diverse views and the rich multicultural tapestry of our Nation” said Caldwell Stone, deputy director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. “While not every book is right for each reader, every reader has the right to choose reading materials for themselves and their families and should be able to find those materials in libraries, classrooms, and bookstores. Our goal is to protect one of our most precious fundamental rights – our freedom to read.”
His Dark Materials Trilogy
For nearly 20 years, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has collected reports on book challenges. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting that materials be removed or restricted because of content or appropriateness. In 2008, OIF received 513 reports on efforts to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves.

Though OIF receives reports of challenges in public libraries, schools, and school libraries from a variety of sources, a majority of challenges go unreported. OIF estimates that its statistics reflect only 20-25% of the challenges that actually occur.

The ALA’s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2008:
Scary Stories
1. “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell/Henry Cole
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Anti-Family, Homosexuality, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2. “His Dark Materials Trilogy” (Series), Philip Pullman
Reasons: Political Viewpoint, Religious Viewpoint, Violence

3. “TTYL“; “TTFN“; “L8R, G8R” (Series), Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

4. “Scary Stories” (Series), Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, Religious Viewpoint, Violence
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
5. “Bless Me, Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Sexually Explicit, Violence

6. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Drugs, Homosexuality, Nudity, Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Suicide, Unsuited to Age Group

7. “Gossip Girl” (Series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group
Uncle Bobby's Wedding
8. “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding” by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: Homosexuality, Unsuited to Age Group

9. “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group (This book is actually listed as being meant for Ages 18 and Up.)

10. “Flashcards of My Life” by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

For more information on book challenges and censorship, please visit the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s Banned Books Week Web site.

Source: ALA

Related Post: Children’s Book About Gay Penguin Family Tops Most Challenged List (Last year’s list)