Banned Books Weeks is, in my opinion, one of the most important weeks of the year. The suppression of ideas and discussion runs counter to the growth and compassion that human society desperately needs.
Given how pivotal I think this week of anti-censorship awareness is I'm giving away some big prizes. Winners will be randomly drawn at the end of the week and details of how to enter will follow - but first: the prizes! These books constitute challenged and banned books that have had a profound impact on me as both reader and writer.
One winner will receive: The full box set of Harry Potter (the most challenged books of the decade!)
One winner will receive: Ellen Hopkins' Crank, Glass, and Fallout
One winner will receive: Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, Wintergirls, and Twisted
Here's how to enter:
Spread the word about Banned Books Week by mentioned a challenged or banned book you love (you can find lists of challenged books here) and link back to this post (don't worry if you don't have a blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc. are all fine). Share your link in the comments below. I'll draw the winners on Saturday!
That list is crazy. Some of the most influential books in the world are on there!
ReplyDeleteHere is our link: http://twitter.com/yabookreads
=]
Here's my tweet for now :) http://twitter.com/hmz1505
ReplyDeleteI'll blog it when I'm not supposed to be paying attention to a speaker ;) Great contest.
I was shocked to see Richelle Mead is one of the Most challenged authors. I LOVE every single one of her books!
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/Tynga/status/25712149576
My favorite Banned series is Harry Potter I get lectured on my liking of Harry Potter almost every other weekend from my boyfriends Mom who believes it needs to be banned.And me giving a lecture of my rights and freedom to read what I want to. She also tried to get a schools teachers to stop reading the book to the class because her child was in it and figured her daughter shouldn't read/listen to the book and that all the others shouldn't either. Thankfully it wasn't passed and her child has to sit out of thec lass instead so that everyone else coudl enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteHere is my tweet http://twitter.com/CassayC/status/25711911968
Cassandra C
cassandra dot crouser at yahoo dot ca
Growing up I wasn't allowed to watch/read/listen to anything secular. Believe me, it did more harm than good. I tweeted here: http://twitter.com/#!/AnneNKenny/status/25713302652
ReplyDeleteI am reading "To Kill A Mockingbird Now". I have the four most banned books in the 20th century in High School (THANK YOU ASHS)! I cannot pinpoint a favorite book on the list because there are so many that are my favorites for so many reasons. The most read would def be the Harry Potter Series. They are just magical! I love them so!
ReplyDeleteRepost FB: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1556456189&v=wall&story_fbid=155540974467964
Should read the four most banned books...typo sorry!
ReplyDeleteSo many great books banned... No wonder why I love them = )
ReplyDeleteyilingni@yahoo.com
I am a Harry Potter fanatic, but also love so many other books on the list!
ReplyDeleteHere is my tweet:
Read a banned book like The Perks of being a Wallflower and read this blog post http://bit.ly/cP2b6z #bannedbookweek
http://twitter.com/wizrockmom
This is a great idea for a contest! Way to spread the word about Banned Books Week! The English club at my university is doing a Banned Books Read-Out this week to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteHere's the link to my post in reaction to Dr. Wesley Scroggins' call to ban Speak, Slaughterhouse Five, and Twenty Boy Summer from the Republic School District.
mindfulmusings(at)live(dot)com
I am shocked at some of the books on the challenged and banned lists. It's unbelievable how people will do almost anything to keep readers from knowing the truth about the world they live in. It's so sad. :(
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/BooksCompleteMe/statuses/25717360194
cfchok (@) gmail (dot) com
I'm not entering as I own most of those books, but I wanted to cheer you for the generous giveaway and for raising awareness about censorship!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway :D I tweeted about the contest: http://twitter.com/ramen_addict/status/25719687465
ReplyDeleteI wrote a blogpost about the whole Scroggins debacle: http://5678princessreviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/speak-loudly-for-speak.html
Banning Books is wrong! Here's my link: http://wulfluva-shellsstories.blogspot.com/2010/09/reading-life.html
ReplyDeleteoreo_93@hotmail.com
Great contest, A! Bring on the banned books.
ReplyDelete@JSFoushee: Celebrate #BannedBookWeek with @andreacremer: http://tinyurl.com/2fad8hw. Their Eyes Were Watching God & Beloved are two of my favs! You?
Link to comment on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jsfoushee
jsfoushee (at) gmail (dot) com
Wow, there are so many that I didn't know were on this list. It's crazy! Some of them I even read in public school, so I'm guessing public school doesn't succumb to the list?
ReplyDeleteHere's one that surprised me: http://twitter.com/aLmYbNeNr/statuses/25722618691
I never realized how much Harry Potter was challenged! People are crazy.
ReplyDeleteHere's my tweet about this contest and my favorite banned book: http://twitter.com/geekcdunbar/status/25726840037
Great giveaway! Thanks for doing this!
Awesome giveaway!!! Wow so many on the list that I didn't expect to see!!! The Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer!! I've read all the books over and over!! I can't get enough of them!!
ReplyDeleteparagould_gal_05@hotmail.com
I also tweeted!!
http://twitter.com/jess_gal_0430/status/25727393718
Here's my BBW post!
ReplyDeletehttp://inkedbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/banned-books-week.html
spongyman1026@yahoo.com
I cant believe that @RichelleMead is on the most challenged Banned list! I <3 all of them! And Speak being challenged is wrong! @andeacremer
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/princessearth88/status/25727486453
I can't believe people think bad things about some of those books on the list! >_< I mean there is soooo much more to HP than magic! People just need to realize that if kids cant tell the difference between what is real and what is fake, well then you just fail as a parent! Magic, sex, drugs, etc. are just part of life, so people read about them. It makes sense! Plus hiding your kids from the real world doesn't help them in the long run!
I can't believe the entire VA series by richelle mead has been banned! this is not right at all
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/Personafied/status/25728279863
It's insane what is challenged. While I don't want anyone forced to read any of these books, everyone should have the right to choose to read them! Here's my blog post: http://itsjustlifeasiknowit.blogspot.com/2010/09/its-banned-books-week.html
ReplyDeleteEmily ebdye1(at)gmail(dot)com
Though I hate that they were banned in the first place, I can't say I don't love how most of the banned books are still popular, in spite of this.
ReplyDeleteHere's my link: http://twitter.com/#!/SkyeHandley/status/25730179886
http://twitter.com/ThisLittleLamb3 <---my link
ReplyDeleteProud to say I've read many of the "banned books" and enjoyed them all quite a bit.
Gosh, your prizes are epic! :D
ReplyDeleteHere's my link http://www.twitlonger.com/show/67vhvf
nadjscr at hotmail dot com
Yaaayy! here's mi link: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/f540e0e99d2985e5aa37f7ae7d594579
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/mercyR
Harry Potter has been a big part of my childhood and it got me into reading, so I'm really thankful for it. I think it deserves much more than being a banned book. No book deserves being banned. And Richelle Mead? Her books are amazing and very unique and I love it. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of other authors I haven't mentioned but I hope the banning of books stops. No book deserves to be banned.
ReplyDeleteHere's where I gave banned books some love:)
http://twitter.com/sylveeya/status/25737810615
Thanks for this contest. It IS epic.
sylvia_uy4(at)yahoo(dot)com
A bunch of my favorite novels end up on the banned book list. I'm consistently floored at how decades after publication A CATCHER IN THE RYE and HUCKLEBERRY FINN both get banned. Amazing novels that speak to young adults.
ReplyDeleteAlso, seeing that Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series including any of her FUTURE WORKS was on the list blew my mind. I'm not surprised to see vampire novels on the list, that's normal, but that the would ban things she hasn't even written yet is crazy.
chelsea AT vampirebookclub.net
Banned books week is important! Awesome that you're supporting.
ReplyDeletehttp://victoriasaavedra.blogspot.com/2010/09/speak-voice.html
I'm tweeting a favorite banned book every day this week! Monday one of my favorite series "The Chronicles of Narnia".
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/#!/KewpieDoll23
(PS- I don't know if this link will work, but my username is KewpieDoll23.
my twitter: @staceymorvitz my favorite banned book is Forever by judy blume
ReplyDeleteA ton of my favorite books are on that crazy list. I've never understood why people think Harry Potter will make their kids witches. Most of the protesters haven't even read the book! Many years ago, when I still had to go to church, I heard someone reproach the series for "human sacrifice"...I've read those books more times than I can count, and I still have no idea what they were talking about.
ReplyDeleteHere's my tweet: http://twitter.com/The_BookishType/status/25747827991
I also might post an old essay on To Kill A Mockingbird (one of my all-time favorites too) in honor of BBW.
Thanks for the great contest!
Casey
thebookishtype[at]yahoo.com
Oh my word! I could understand some of the books (or at least the reasoning at the time)...but some of them are ridiculous! The most obvious being Harry Potter. I mean if you're going to ban Harry Potter you might as well ban Twilight or the Vampire Diaries, etc. Although, I come from a household where the Harry Potter books are banned...so I've been trying to read them slowly over the years discreetly...(I have to borrow them from a friend).
ReplyDeleteSome of the books that have been recently challenged have me wondering who is raising up the fuss. Is it the parent's because they feel the content is "too mature" sometimes? Well, maybe they should have a talk with their child or look around-times have changed (not for the better in my opinion) where children younger and younger are acting in ways that would probably not have been done by people twice their age at that time. It's insane. Childhood does seem to be getting shorter and shorter but we can't blame it on the books. If we do that then we should take a look at the movies, the television shows, the music listened to, etc.
http://twitter.com/#!/mallyj89/status/25751703537
The list of banned books makes me feel ill. The Grapes of Wrath? The Lord of the Rings? I tweeted your link (I am katieknitsny on Twitter).
ReplyDeleteSorry, here's the link...(and thanks so much for your post and for reminding us of this insanity).
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/KatieKnitsNY
There are too many books on that list that I read growing up, it's impossible to chose. Though 1984 did have a huge impact on me. Twitter.com/cabechler
ReplyDeleteWhy ban a book when in fact almost everybody loves it? I am a huge fan of Harry Potter series and it's sad to know that they're banned.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's really unnecessary to ban a book just because of its contents that are not "advisable" for very young readers. I think what's more appropriate is to strongly recommend PARENTAL GUIDANCE.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/jenileeantonio/status/25791083137
~ ljeni at yahoo.com
I agree with what you said Jenilee about parental guidance.
ReplyDeleteI am so shocked at the books on this list! It's insane to think that someone would even consider doing away with a book because they don't like it.
I did a post about Speaking Up For Speak here
http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/2010/09/speaking-up-for-speak.html
and we've been posting about Banned Books Week through out the month and every day during this week here
http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/search/label/Banned%20Books%20Week
Thank you Andrea!
http://twitter.com/Script_Girl/status/25807809514
ReplyDeleteThis has started a great conversation in our house. My house mate (45), his daughter (16) and I (26) went over the lists, reasons and years they were challenged. Alot of those books are on or have been on her reading lists for her (Catholic) school as they were on my (Church of Christ) school list and as they were on her father's public school reading list. Each of us talked over the books stories, themes and aims.
I'm currently starting on the Harry Potter series which was challenged in 2000 - 2009 (I know a few years late to the game).
My house mate is reading Twilight (Challenged in 00 - 09), or trying too.
And his daughter is reading the Color Purple (Challenged in 90 - 99) - from her school reading list.
Those lists prompted us to read books we may not have tried. I hope it has this effect on more people, if we all explore the true message of a book and story we'll see beyond the ignorance of a few.
We all agreed and took the message to school and work; #SpeakLoudly
Finally posted our Banned Books Week blog item up: http://vampirebookclub.net/banned-books-week-future-vampire-academy-and-house-of-night-novels-already-banned/
ReplyDeleteCan't balieve how many haters are out there... Here's my tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/Entre_Libros/status/26204453114
ReplyDeletethe second book of nightshade "wolfbanned" comes out on my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can't wait to read it!!!! i love the first one!!!!!!! i readed it twice!! I <3 THIS SEIRES!
ReplyDelete