Pat R. Scales. (2015).
Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1109-9
Many things have changed since ALA’s Office for Intellectual
Freedom (OIF) was founded in 1967, but not everything: the most beloved
and popular children’s books are still among the most frequent targets
of censorship and outright bans. Limiting access to controversial titles
such as Captain Underpants, The Dirty Cowboy, Blubber, or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
or leaving them out of a library’s collection altogether is not the
answer to challenges. In this important book, Scales gives librarians
the information and guidance they need to defend challenged books with
an informed response while ensuring access to young book lovers.
Spotlighting dozens of “hot button” titles written for young children
through teens, this book
- Gives a profile of each book that covers its plot, characters, published reviews, awards and prizes, and author resources
- Recounts
past challenges and how they were faced, providing valuable lessons for
handling future situations, plus a list of other books challenged for
similar reasons
- Provides discussion ideas for planning programming around banned books, whether in reading groups, classrooms, or other settings
- Includes an appendix of additional resources for librarians who find themselves enmeshed in a challenge
With
this guide at hand, library managers, children’s and YA librarians, and
other library staff will be prepared to champion intellectual freedom
for young people.
(book description)
