Books That Suck--LOLOMGWTFWWJD

DrPhil · #1 04-15-2010, 12:03 PM

Twilight among "most challenged" books of 2009

Los Angeles: The best-selling vampire themed "Twilight" book series has entered the top 10 list of books that US schools and public libraries were asked to remove from their shelves in 2009.

But the worst offenders were the popular young adult novel series "ttyl" by Lauren Myracle, which are written entirely in the style of instant messages, the American Library Association (ALA) said in a report on Wednesday.

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/re...f-2009_1371682

Good, bad or indifferent?

agzg · #2 04-15-2010, 12:22 PM

Wow, To Kill a Mockingbird?

Really?

tld221 · #3 04-15-2010, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agzg

Wow, To Kill a Mockingbird?

Really?

Yeah, that's blasphemy.

BluPhire · #4 04-15-2010, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agzg

Wow, To Kill a Mockingbird?

Really?

Fail (not you the list)

That just corrupted the list right there. I can understand the other books on the list, but once you include To Kill a Mockingbird, I can't take the list seriously.

PeppyGPhiB · #5 04-15-2010, 12:49 PM

One has to be pretty pathetic, ignorant and thoughtless to challenge To Kill a Mockingbird. It's one of the best American books ever written.

The people that want to ban these books are the same that make their children read the Bible, which is one of the most edgy, racy books EVER. Have they read Song of Songs/Solomon?!

agzg · #6 04-15-2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluPhire

That just corrupted the list right there. I can understand the other books on the list, but once you include To Kill a Mockingbird, I can't take the list seriously.

The list is of the most challenged books in libraries, not of the "worst" books. It's probably true (not that it's the worst, that it's one of the most challenged). I just find it surprising that people still get their panties all up in a bunch about To Kill a Mockingbird because it's generally accepted as an "American Classic" and was written so long ago.

It was required 9th grade reading when I was in High School.

BluPhire · #7 04-15-2010, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agzg

The list is of the most challenged books in libraries, not of the "worst" books. It's probably true (not that it's the worst, that it's one of the most challenged). I just find it surprising that people still get their panties all up in a bunch about To Kill a Mockingbird because it's generally accepted as an "American Classic" and was written so long ago.

It was required 9th grade reading when I was in High School.

Yeah I know, still doesn't neglect the fact I can't take it serious.

I mean if "To kill a Mockingbird" is the number 4 most challenged book on this list, it tells me that no matter how controversial, poorly written, etc the other books are the people challenging these books to make this list do not have an understanding of literature.

Thus they fail. Thus civilization is one step closer to an idiocracy. To Kill a Mockingbird should never be lumped in a top five with any of these other books.

Ooh La La · #8 04-15-2010, 01:19 PM

It's not a surprise. To Kill a Mockingbird has been on that list since its publication. Normally its usage of the "n-word" is the reason cited for the ban. I believe if the rest of the top ten were published, you'd also see Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn on the list for the same reason.

Munchkin03 · #9 04-15-2010, 01:20 PM

To Kill a Mockingbird has ALWAYS been on these lists, usually right up there with The Catcher in the Rye.

In my hometown, a HS performance of To Kill a Mockingbird was stopped because the NAACP objected to the use of the N-word, so it's not just conservative Bible-thumpers nutting up.

BabyPiNK_FL · #10 04-15-2010, 01:21 PM

I'm tutoring a 9th grader w/ To Kill A Mockingbird this now, honestly they should teach it younger because the lead character is so young and at 14 these kids just don't want to hear it.

thetygerlily · #11 04-15-2010, 01:21 PM

Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" came fourth because of challenges on the grounds of racism and language.
Yes, Pulitzer Prize winners should be removed from the shelves and never be read again once they receive the award to help preserve their place in history.

Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series, which have been turned into a blockbuster film franchise, were fifth on the 2009 list -- their first year in the annual compilation. The books were challenged for being sexually explicit, religious views and being unsuitable for their age group.
You can't read the books but you can watch the movies on your own time. After all, movies are WAY better than books. Why read when there's a movie version?

Book banning doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Maybe it will when I have kids... but not so much now. If you read a lot of different perspectives, even ttyl or whatever, you can leverage all of those varied perspectives to help form your own opinions. Wow, that sounds terrible.

/sarcasm

On the bright side, some schools can do interesting things to get around banned books. Uncle Tom's Cabin was banned (from being required reading) in my district, and the honors English teacher still wanted to read it. They had a book report where students could choose their own books- and what do you know, they all happened to choose the same book! Darn. Since they all HAPPENED to choose the same book, they decided to make classroom discussions more lively by talking about what they had read. But... I can see how that wouldn't fly in all schools, and not all teachers would toe the line like that.

Ooh La La · #12 04-15-2010, 01:58 PM

A couple years ago, my county library system got into some serious deep trouble because they were going to stop carrying To Kill a Mockingbird along with some other classics.

The reason? The books hadn't been checked out in over a decade.

33girl · #13 04-15-2010, 02:31 PM

Like Munchkin said, TKAM is on there because of the N-bombs. The idiots banning it probably think they're doing the black folk a favor or something.

I remember certain books in the jr high library being "8th grade & up only!" or "9th grade only!" Go Ask Alice and Are You In The House Alone are two that come to mind.

And I thought they didn't get busy in the Twilight series until after they were married. WTF? How is that "sexually explicit"?

Ooh La La · #14 04-15-2010, 02:35 PM

I distinctly remember that in Twilight they broke furniture from gettin' it on so rough.

ThetaDancer · #15 04-15-2010, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

I'm tutoring a 9th grader w/ To Kill A Mockingbird this now, honestly they should teach it younger because the lead character is so young and at 14 these kids just don't want to hear it.

It was required reading for us in 7th grade, which usually surprises people, but I thought it was especially effective.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower is on that list too.

Still one of my favorite books of all time.

Book banning always reminds me of the scene in "Field of Dreams" when Annie is in the PTA meeting and yells "At least he's not a book burner, you nazi cow." That scene cracks me up every time.