Censorship in Children’s Literature

From a young age, children are bombarded with a vast array of information: TV, movies, advertisements, for example.  Children are exposed to this information through books they encounter in school or discover on their own, often without a parent’s knowledge.  This has created a struggle between protecting children and preserving the author’s freedom of speech.  This struggle has led to both the challenging and censorship of many children’s books.

What is Censorship?

The American Library Association’s website (www.ala.org) defines censorship as “a change in the access status of material, based on the content of the work and made by a governing authority or its representatives.  Such changes include exclusion, restriction, removal, or age/grade level changes”.

Types of Censorship

·        A challenge is the attempt of any person or group to censor materials.  These are not just expressions of opinion but rather an attempt to restrict others’ access to materials.

·        Overt censorship is the official removal of materials by a governing authority.

·        Covert censorship is the unofficial removal of materials in an attempt to restrict access.

Why Books Get Challenged

There are many themes and ideas found in books that some adults find unsuitable for children.  In an attempt to protect them, these adults may challenge books based on the content found in the book.  One of the most common objections is that the material is unsuitable for its intended age group.  There are other common objections: poor outlook on life, poor behavior, racial issues, contains profanity, sexual content, occult themes, violence, homosexual content, anti-family themes, un-Christian ideals, and un-American beliefs

Commonly Challenged Children’s Books

Among the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2003:

·        Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor for sexual content, offensive language, and being unsuitable for age group.

·        Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowlings for its focus on wizardry and magic

·        “Go Ask Alice” by Anonymous for drug references

·         “We All Fall Down” by Robert Cormier for offensive language and sexual content

·        “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson for offensive language and occult/Satanism

Other frequently challenged books:

·       Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

·       “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain

·       “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain

·       Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz

·       “The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier

·       “The Giver” by Lois Lowry

·       Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

·       “The Great Gilly Hopkins” by Katherine Paterson

·       “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeline L. Engle

·       “Halloween ABC” by Eve Merriam

·       “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

·       “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes

·       “A Light in the Attic” by Shel Silverstein

·       “James and the Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl

·       “The Witches” by Roald Dahl

·       “Where’s Waldo” by Martin Hanford

·       “How to Eat Fried Worms” by Thomas Rockwell

Learn More About Censorship

You can learn more about this topic and other censored books by visiting The American Library Association’s web page on intellectual freedom located at: http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section

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Information Compiled by John Burton and Jen Costa.