Runs With Needles: Let's read!

Runs With Needles

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Let's read!

It’s banned books week! How many have you read?

I’ll keep my rant short: if parents would spend more time PARENTING their children instead of policing the whole damn world, their children and the whole world would be much better off.

As for all the Judy Blume books on the banned books list: I read all of those books, multiple times, as a child and teenager. Far as I can tell, they didn’t send me down the moral road of hell. In fact, several of my childhood favorites are on the banned list.

I went over the list I linked to above and found that I’ve only read 22 of the banned books. I’ve got some catching up to do.

In knitting content: I’ve cast on another blanket, a Booga bag and a pair of socks. Pictures will come later this week.

posted by Kathy at 9/27/2005 10:43:00 AM

9 comment(s):

You hang out with *US*, so you've automatically been "sent down the moral road of hell". :D

I've read 22 of the top 100. I was surprised about Where’s Waldo? though. What's wrong with a picture book? Ugh. Censorship.

I started reading "adult books" at 11 or 12, as I had read everything in the young adult section at the library. I started with Agatha Christie novels, and skipped over the Stephen King books until I was ~16-17. And I didn't read Slaughterhouse Five until I was in college, and became a Kurt Vonnegut fan almost immediately!

If hell freezes over and I decide that I want to have kids, they will be free to read whatever they want to read, and we'll discuss what we're reading. That's how it's supposed to work.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at September 27, 2005 12:56 PM  

Reading is one of the best educational tools there is, and reading controversial or troubling works is even more educational. I've learned more from books that are supposed to be controversial than I ever learned from my parents or teachers. And yes, I think kids should read them all.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at September 27, 2005 1:39 PM  

I've read 38 of them, and will indeed be catching up on some others. It was nice to be reminded of Summer of my German Soldier, which I'll have to re-read soon.

Odd mix of kids books and some very adult stuff on there. I suppose people's complaints know no limits....

By Anonymous Anonymous, at September 27, 2005 2:15 PM  

I haven't read that many on the list, but I did read quite a few of the kids books when I was a kid. "Brave New World" was required reading in one of my H.S. English classes. Some friends were required to read others on the list, "OF MICE AND MEN" etc. I did grow up in Australia and I have noticed that Australians are a little less freaked out by stuff (the reasons some of these were challenged) than over here in the U.S.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at September 27, 2005 3:56 PM  

Only twelve books... but hey, I'm not a native speaker. I wonder why no one's compiling a similar list in Spanish? Actually, I'm glad no one is.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at September 27, 2005 4:25 PM  

I counted 23 that I have read - and like Beck, am surprised at how many of these were required reading while I was in high school... and how many of these are children's books. Not that I have read it, but what could be wrong with Halloween ABC?

By Anonymous Anonymous, at September 27, 2005 7:48 PM  

Oh, shit.

When I get to Hell, they're going to give me a Management job.

Damn.

I read too much smut.

Also known as classic literature.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at September 27, 2005 9:58 PM  

WHAT! is wrong with Shel Silverstein?? AND To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my favorites (my mom teaches, this is on the list every year,hmmm... not banned in NV??)
This is an amazing list, I now have to go to Amazon.com and place an order now.
great topic!

By Anonymous Anonymous, at September 29, 2005 6:55 PM  

I have read all the judy blumes on the list and I loved them when I was young. I kind of cringe at them now tho...

I thought it was funny that books that are on high school let classes like the outsiders and to kill a mockingbird and handmaid's tale are on there - yes they are challenging books to read but isn't that was reading is about? gaining new knowledge and being challenged.

By the way, awesome blog, I've been here before but never commented.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at October 04, 2005 7:55 AM  

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