Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak 

Laurie Halse Anderson 

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won’t talk to her, and people she doesn’t even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that’s not safe. Because there’s something she’s trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country. 

For some time Speak flew under the radar until 2010 when it was challenged in Republic, Mo school by Dr. Scroggins. Speak was challenged in Republic, MO because it is 'soft pornography' and glorifies drinking, cursing and premarital sex. Other people including the author believe that this book prepares children for the real world, shows victims that they should share their experiences and that they shouldn't be embarrassed about what happened to them. Overall it also lets young adults know that rapes do happen and how to hand them if they or someone they know are caught in that situation. This books has a difficult content for adults and young adults to read but it is a topic that does occur and this novel is beautifully written example of how to talk about it. 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Banned Since Published

The banning of books has been going on for centuries. Huckleberry Finn has been the most frequently challenged and banned book in America since 1885. What is the big controversy? I can remember reading this book in High School and not really thinking too much about it. My teacher introduced the book to all of us and made sure we understood why the book can be offensive to certain people. She explained that she held us responsible for being mature and handling the material as we should. Since she did this, she held us accountable and there were not any issues because we did not want to let her down. 


Huck Finn was first banned for being incompetent and the characters not being strong role models. The most common reasons for being banned today is because people say that it condones and promotes racism. The word "nigger" is used 219 different times. As that might be a red flag if you know that fact without reading the book, one student speaks out about this situation: 

“The novel is a snapshot into antebellum America. It embodies the spirit of the South and portrays it as most saw it; be it racist or not. When the novel is viewed as a whole, it is one of the greatest pieces of American literature. The novel is, in short, appropriate for the classroom setting, and should continue to be taught in the public school system.”

There can be multiple opinions that come along with Huckleberry Finn and if it should be banned or not. I encourage you to not just look what people are saying about the book and actually pick it up and read it yourself - forming your own opinion! 

Banned and Challenged Books

   3Teachers1Blog is a blog from three future English teachers working to inform the public about banned and challenged books. Banned and challenged books often go "under the radar" in education. For middle school and secondary classrooms, some of our adolescents favorite reads are starting to become challenged- many for reasons that you wouldn't believe. Please follow our blog for general posts regarding this pertinent topic in education!

  What's the difference between banned and challenged books? A challenged book is an attempt to remove or limit materials based on the objections of a particular person or group. A banning of a book is the actual removal of those materials- meaning the challenge was successful. Challenges are often an attempt to remove material from a school's curriculum or library, and thus restricting future access by students and others. However, most challenges are unsuccessful and materials typically remain in a school's library or curriculum. 

 Why are books challenged in schools? Books are usually challenged in schools with the best of intentions - to protect others, frequently children, from difficult, or harmful, ideas and information. There are three main reasons cited for challenging materials: 1. sexually explicit material, 2. offensive language, and 3. unsuited to any group. 

 Popular banned books of the 20th Century: some of these books are frequent flyers on the banned books list, but others may be to your surprise. Coming out at number one this year is The Hunger Games series... Why? Some major concerns regarding The Hunger Games is that it encourages an "anti-family" lifestyle, while also being cited as "anti-ethnic" and "occult/satanic." One of the most popular banned books is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn one of our fellow bloggers is writing an entire post dedicated to Huck and his crew. Some reasons being is for its "coarse language"- leaving it the most frequented banned book since 1885. The Harry Potter series also made the cut (we were just as shocked as you). Why? Some parents believe that the books are promoting "witchcraft", "violence" and "devil worship." To Kill a Mockingbird was another popular one during the 20th-Century; some call it degrading, profane and racist, while also claiming that it promotes "white supremacy." And then there's The Catcher in the Rye; some think it has unnecessary and vulgar language, sexual scenes, and problems concerning moral issues.

 Although these are only five of the most popular banned books of the 20th-Century, the list still goes on. As stated from AdultLearn, "From the beginning of the written word, books have had the capacity to enlighten, to instruct, to entertain and to offend, sometimes all within the same text. Books are frequently banned, generally on a local level affecting only local or school libraries. Occasionally, a government will step in to ban a book. It is not illegal to read banned books, the rulings just make them more difficult to find. Booksellers are sometimes guilty of banning books as well. They cave in response to pressure from customers and perceived threats from consumer groups and will remove books from their shelves. Public outrage is a powerful tool, though seldom wisely wielded." 

 Please continue to check back for future posts regarding banned and challenged books. We appreciate any feedback, questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you!