Banned Books Week & Ellen Hopkins Book Giveaway Contest
Tomorrow is the first day of Banned Books Week, an annual event started in 1982 where hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events.
Books might be banned by libraries, schools, and bookstores for any number of reasons – sexual or violent content, the use of profanity or slang…even positive portrayals of homosexuals. Over the years, books ranging from The Gossip Girls series, and TTFN to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Judy Blume’s Forever have been targeted.
One of my favorite authors, Ellen Hopkins, has faced censorship issues with nearly all of her hard-hitting books. Her latest book, , about teen prostitution, is no different.
The Kids Right to Read Project recently interviewed Ellen about the issue of book banning and censorship. Here’s some of what she had to say:
My books speak to real life. My latest book Tricks is about teen prostitution. To write it requires having sex in the book, and not pretty sex. It has to include sex. In Identical which is about sexual abuse by a parent and I take my readers right into the bedroom. Why not shut the door? Well, a lot of books do that and we need to really look at what is going on. What do perpetrators really look like? We expect them to be a certain way – and we need to explore our ideas of who sexual predators are to access the way to protect ourselves and our children. As adults we want to believe things like this, or drug use, are not happening anymore, or happening less and less, but that’s not the case and we need to acknowledge that in order to help the victims. We can’t make life prettier for youth, but we can arm them. In high schools today there are youth who cut, there are those who commit or think about suicide. We have to give our kids the tools.
I don’t back-pedal and I don’t sugar-coat things for my readers. Crank and Glass were both based on true stories- fictionalized of course to give space to my daughter and those that the stories are based upon. I don’t feel as an author I need to tip toe around addiction, sex or anything else. In my books my characters experience things as they are. Kristina for instance feels meth is like riding a roller coaster the first few times she does it. The point is obviously kids should just say no, but they should do so because they understand the consequences of saying yes on their lives. My books allow youth an honest look at important issues affecting them.
I couldn’t agree more. It’s no fluke that Ellen’s books have connected with teens in such a huge way – her writing is raw and and real and she has a willingness to talk about things that frankly aren’t so pretty. If anything, Ellen’s books are realistic portrayals of what could happen and can serve to deter someone from going down a dangerous path. They also have the potential to be important conversation starters. I mean, shouldn’t we be talking and getting real about difficult issues like sex and drug abuse and incest instead of sweeping them under the rug? Censorship is never the answer…discussions, frank conversations, and openness is the only way to go
Do you want to take a stand against book banning? Here are some ideas from the Kids Right to Read Project for getting involved and making a difference:
- Send a letter to local newspapers and magazines, or write an “op-ed” article.
- Write to any and all public officials involved in the situation, including the mayor, city council, and other city officials, superintendent of schools and school board members, members of the library board, and state education officials. Find your local representative on this website.
- Attend school board, library board, and PTA meetings and raise the issue. Bring your friends to voice their support.
- Start a petition or letter-writing campaign. Organize a local anti-censorship group, and publicize your activities on the Internet.
- Spread the word online: start a Facebook group, a blog, a Twitter account to connect your friends to the issues you care about and to find other people who share your concerns.
- Work with community groups, especially professional and civic organizations, and religious groups, to call attention to the problem.
- If the censorship incident is in a school, get affected parents and students involved. If a teacher is targeted for criticism because s/he used “controversial” materials, it is particularly important to support the teacher—if you ever expect any other teachers to stick their necks out in the future. Circulate a petition in support of the teacher or the materials. Solicit help and support from other teachers and educators.
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Book Giveaway Contest
Where do you stand on the issue of book banning in schools? Leave a comment explaining the reasoning behind your position on the issue and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Ellen Hopkin’s brand new book, . A winner will be chosen at random on October 7, 2009. And to read Ellen’s recounting of the current censorship battle she’s fighting over a canceled school visit in Oklahoma and a local news anchor’s public call out for her books to be banned, read her blog here.
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marthabee Said,
September 25, 2009 @ 10:03 am
Great post! The whole thing leaves me sick at heart–when we censor something we don’t like, when we call a tragedy something as trite as “inappropriate,” we dehumanize everyone who’s ever had that experience, and those are the people who most need their stories told.
sandy Said,
September 26, 2009 @ 5:29 am
I look at the list of books under censor and am disgusted, its a free world and free choice.
scottsgal Said,
September 26, 2009 @ 6:52 am
Age appropriate books should not be banned – teens should have the option to read the hard truth
basma Said,
September 26, 2009 @ 3:24 pm
these kind of books helps us to see the real image of the society surrounding us. These books should not be banned.
Alicia Said,
September 26, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
Books should never be banned. Just because I don’t agree with a subject matter doesn’t mean someone else shouldn’t read it.
Thanks for the giveaway >^..^<
Lisette Said,
September 26, 2009 @ 6:48 pm
I understand when parents banned really sex crazed books from elementary and middle schools but when they ban books just because of curse words or something silly like that, I just think it’s beyond ridiculous. Sure I get you don’t want your kid reading books with the word s**t in it but if he/she is in high school, come on! Obviously they pretty much say it themselves and besides they’re most likely hear it everyday.
Most of the challenged/banned books end up that way for the silliest of reasons. People need to lighten up.
Deedles Said,
September 27, 2009 @ 8:06 am
I am against book banning. I don’t believe anyone should dictate what others should read, I think age limits for reading certain books is acceptable.
Claire Said,
September 27, 2009 @ 10:21 am
I’m very much against it, especially when the books in question are being banned so teens won’t read them.. believe me when I say that teenagers aren’t naive and know more about “bad” words, illegal activities and sex than parents want to admit.
liz Said,
September 27, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
Censorship is the tool of fascism. In order to expand minds and open dialogue, we need to encourage youth to read and question and learn through literature. The topics and content may be graphic or controversial, but they get an opportunity to experience the world from another’s perspective and with good teaching, they can take important lessons and deep learning from these powerful stories. Thanks for the blog post. Very interesting!
Amanda McDonald Said,
September 29, 2009 @ 11:21 am
We are celebrating books that have been banned this week in our school library by promoting them. The freedom to read is a precious right we each have. Our students love Ellen Hopkin’s books! We can’t keep them on the shelves!
Molly Capel Said,
September 29, 2009 @ 8:16 pm
I am totally against banning books. Some of our great classics were banned at one point. How are we supposed to learn from things, if we can’t read about them?
Mary D Said,
September 30, 2009 @ 6:47 pm
I am unequivocably against banning books! It is ridiculous, in this supposedly modern day, that the right to read material of one’s choice should come under fire. Where has freedom of choice gone? Or did it ever exist?! 🙁
Wykeema Said,
October 1, 2009 @ 1:21 pm
I’m against book banning because I feel that what people constantly try to hide one way such as books, ends up getting to us in another or maybe even worse way as in real life with all of the consequences. Sex is something everybody knows about. Little kids know about it too, I volunteer at a daycare. They even know what faggot means, they know the anatomy involved in the process- but that’s not the point I’m trying to make. You’d be surprised if you sat down with some children and what you hear coming out of their mouths everyday. How much they listen, observe and know. As for teenagers, okay we probably know more about sex, drugs, and profanity than our parents. Heck, for some of us our parents taught it to us! If we don’t hear it at home, when we go to school we hear about someone screwing a girl, or how this one guy want to start some sh*t. Let’s face it, all of this is a part of our lives. Banning books that’ll give a sense of what we should do and the consequences of what we shouldn’t isn’t helping anything. In fact it makes things even worse because there was something a friend could’ve done, she could’ve gave her friend a Ellen Hopkin’s book or a Judy Blume book so that person can read it and find their own solution from it. There was a way to prevent a girl from killing herself, or a girl who’s been raped for years by family to find out that she’s worth something and wouldn’t be out with a child on the street! Ellen Hopkins knows how to address these issues perfectly in a way teens can understand. When I picked up Impulse, the first book I read of hers, I was amazed, I thought that a teenager had written it until I looked her up and realized she was old enough to be a mom or in today’s society, a grandma. Adults can print as many pamphlets with all the bright colors and smiling teens on the front that says ‘Drugs aren’t Good for You’, then when you open it you can hardly understand what they’re talking about because it’s just a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo or it says what you already know. They can have all of the pamphlets with the sad girl who looks like she’s trying REALLY hard not to crack a smile on the front and tells you things about rape that you already know. Yes it’s terrifying,yes it hurts don’t tell me that mess if it felt go there wouldn’t be a taboo on it! However, I personally will pick me up a book where I could relate to the characters or learn from them or be inspired when I see their strength and say, “Hell if something like that happens to me, I’ll know what to do or know now what I’m worth. Why don’t adults get the corks out and stop keeping useful information or otherwise materials that could help us, from us! Why don’t they just let us read whatever we want!
Marianna Said,
October 1, 2009 @ 1:45 pm
I think it’s ridiculous to ban books. What happened to parental responsibility? If someone is so worried about what their kids read, be involved. The rest of us would like to have open choice not smothered choice.
Hillary F Said,
October 2, 2009 @ 6:56 am
I am completely against banning books! I would LOVE to win this! Thank you for the chance!
Chrysa Said,
October 3, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
I am astonished at some of the books that are banned. I don’t believe in banning any books unless they are extremely sexual or have extreme unnecessary violence.
Alexandrea M Said,
October 4, 2009 @ 9:31 am
I have no problem in “banning” books that are mainly about blatant sex or glorify torture or violence in them in school libraries, but not in public libraries.
Every kid should have a library card anyway, & if they want to make the effort to travel to the library to pick up whatever they want, good for them.
Lord knows I did enough reading back in those days, but I didn’t suffer from not being able to grab a book about throbbing thrusting members during my lunch break.
Parents can’t supervise their teens reading at school anyway if the books stay in the locker, so I’d prefer to be able to have kids get them at the library and be more likely to bring them home so their parents can see what they are reading and discuss it.
claire Said,
February 28, 2010 @ 8:47 am
I’m a teenager and I’ve read all of Ellen Hopkins books. I myself know kids that have been abused, thought about suicide, cut themselves, used drugs, have been raped. I’ve also lost three friends to suicide and sometimes I think if they had read books like this, maybe they wouldn’t have killed themselves because maybe they might not have felt so alone. I have also written several books dealing with things like child abuse and rape or homosexuality and murder, suicidal thoughts and self-harm because these are things that kids today really deal with.
I’m against banning books. If you ban a book about real issues like this, you’re preventing teenagers from seeing that they aren’t, in fact, as alone as they feel. Others have been where they have and they just need to realize it.
Katheryn Said,
March 15, 2010 @ 5:57 pm
I agree with Wykeema. Banning books is completly wrong and should never be done, no matter how graphic or “inappropriate” they seem to adults. Teenagers have the right to read what they want to read, and if you tell them they cant then they just want to do it more. These books will herlp teens to learn about what they dont feel comfortable talking about with their parents and what parents dont want to think about or bring up with their kids!
kai charles Said,
September 27, 2010 @ 9:37 am
I’m against banning books! I’m so grateful my Mother never restricted anything I read. I undrstand a parents desire to protect their children but banning a book usually has the opposite response. I remember as a teen seeking out books that I haeard were “bad” 🙂
I just read crank and I feel Ellen’s books are very important and need to reach tons of teens