Tag Archives: Banned Book Week

by | October 1, 2010 · 6:09 pm

Special Books Banned for Special Reasons, 5

Banned Book of the Day: Friday, October 1st

The Fragile Flag, by Jane Langton, is a little book about little Georgie, who decides to march to the White House from her home in Massachusetts, with only her brother and sister in tow. She does this because she believes she can sway the mind of the President of the United States of America. The President, you see, is in possession of a big bad bomb and knows how to use it. And will. Unless Georgie stops him. Along the way, against all odds, presumably, she is joined by many thousands of other children. And they march to Washington, DC– they do so peacefully, with one end in mind: to ensure peace.

Banned. Yes, this book was challenged and banned. Why? Because this book “portrays the U.S. government as lacking in intelligence and responsibility.” Ha!

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by | September 30, 2010 · 6:21 am

Special Books Banned for Special Reasons, 4

Banned Book of the Day: Thursday, September 30th

Shel Silverstein was one of the greatest poets this country has produced. (Have you read The Missing Piece?) They tried to ban this book quite often and in quite a lot of places when it came out. Eventually they succeeded at some elementary schools, in the mid-’80’s.

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If You Have to Dry the Dishes, by Shel Silverstein

If you have to dry the dishes
(Such an awful boring chore)
If you have to dry the dishes
(‘Stead of going to the store)
If you have to dry the dishes
And you drop one on the floor
Maybe they won’t let you
Dry the dishes anymore.

Also, a funny poem about a girl who dies because she doesn’t get a pony, which some parents definitely did not find funny. Because they feared their children would threaten to kill themselves if their requests for ponies were denied? Or because they feared their children would grow to believe that they’d die without ponies?

Also, obviously, the poem above encourages dish-breaking. And that’s definitely not a good thing.

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