Some famous entries from recent years have dropped off the top 10, likely a sign of reduced attention overall: J.K. "So, I do feel there is real value in showing kids that not all authority figures are good or kind or honorable."Ĭhallenged books are a measure of trouble, but also a measure of popularity, whether as a cause or an effect. "None of the children in my school, including me, thought to question them," he said. Pilkey said his characters are based in part on teachers and principals he had between grades 2 and 5 - some of whom were villains who got away with it because they were authority figures. They are bullies and they do vicious things." "Some of the authority figures in the "Captain Underpants" books are villains. Perhaps they demonstrate the value of questioning authority," Pilkey said. "I don't see these books as encouraging disrespect for authority. Some praise the books because they encourage boys to read, others criticize them for their toilet humor and irreverent attitude the title character is a superhero devised by two 4th graders about their grouchy principal, Mr. The "Captain Underpants" books, which Green said he's currently reading to his 3-year-old son, have long been debated among parents and educators. Also on the list were Alvin Schwartz's "Scary Stories" (Unsuited for age group) and Jeanette Wells' memoir "The Glass Castle." (Offensive language, sexually explicit). Young adult star John Green was included, for "Looking for Alaska" (Offensive language, sexually explicit), along with perennial chart-maker "And Tango Makes Three," by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, the story of two male penguins who raise a baby penguin. Local library representatives at the time denounced the novels as "semi-pornographic" and unfit for "community standards."īut the list also included some works highly regarded in the literary community: Morrison's "Beloved," winner of the Pulitzer Prize Alexie's novel, a National Book Award winner and a book club favorite, Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" (Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit). The "Fifty Shades" books were released last spring and public libraries in Georgia, Florida and elsewhere soon pulled the racy romance trilogy or decided not to order the books, saying they were too steamy or too poorly written. The challenged books list was included in the library association's annual "State of the Libraries" report, which examines how libraries are responding to budget cuts and the financial advice they offer for patrons during hard economic times. "One reason we think the number went up in 2012 is that we made challenges easier to report by including a portal on our Web page," said Barbara M. The association has long believed that for every complaint registered, 4-5 go unreported by libraries, and that some librarians may restrict access in anticipation of objections.
Exact numbers, including how many books were actually pulled, are hard to calculate. The library association's Office for Intellectual Freedom defines a challenge as a "formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness." The office received 464 challenges last year, a jump of more 25 percent from 2011, but still low compared to the 1980s and '90s. "But I worry that some parents might see this list and discourage their kids from reading `Captain Underpants,' even though they have not had a chance to read the books themselves." "It's pretty exciting to be on a list that frequently features Mark Twain, Harper Lee, and Maya Angelou," Pilkey said in a statement.