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History of challenged books: how it all started

The first book to be challenged in the United States was Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852. Stowe’s book talks about slaves being taken away from their families and being sold by their masters. When it first got released, the book was a huge hit and sold more than 300,000 copies in less than 3 months. Stowe’s book completely changed the way people in the North viewed slavery. However, the book was challenged in the south of the United States because it supposedly portrayed a wrong image of slavery. The confederacy removed the book from plenty of stores because they considered that it had a pro-abolitionist agenda, and that it sparked heated arguments about slavery between the North and the South. Southerners even went as far as writing “Anti Tom” novels to argue that Stowe’s arguments and depiction of slavery was completely incorrect and to expose their own point of view about slavery.

Some scholars still challenge and criticize the book today. They object to the use of African American stereotypes in the book. The way black characters are depicted, e.g. the way they look, speak, and behave, is considered racist by many. Some even think that the book had an important role in sparking the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln allegedly told Stowe: “ So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War!”. Because of this, some scholars went even as far as accusing the author of permanently cementing stereotypes of the black community into the minds of Americans.

Common reasons for challenging books

Sexually explicit: According to the ALA, the books that are most commonly challenged are the books that contain sexually explicit content. People who challenge books for this reason are usually opposed to the situations of sex displayed in them. For example, the Handmaid’s Tail by Margaret Atwood was challenged in 1990 at Rancho Cotati High School in Rohnert Park, California, because it was deemed as “sexually explicit”. After deliberation, a committee formed by the school decided to retain the book in the curriculum.

Offensive language: Books that contain offensive language are likely to be challenged. People commonly complain about books that include profanity such as the F-word or the N-word. Looking for Alaska by John Green was banned in 2013 from the reading list at Sumner County school because of “inappropriate language”.

Encouraging of damaging lifestyle: Books that portray characters that make life choices deemed out of the norm are frequently challenged. These life choices include drug use, alcohol consumption, smoking, gambling amongst others.Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff, was banned in Monroe Township public schools in 2011 because parents complained about the drug use portrayed in the book.

Religious grounds: Books that contain unpopular religious view such as witchcraft or magic are often challenged. The challenges are often related to the satanic themes found in the book. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling has been challenged several times for it’s apparent promotion of witchcraft.

Homosexuality: Books which promote same-sex relationships are frequently challenged. People say that these books promote alternative lifestyles that are not supported by many. And Tango Makes Three By Justin Richardson and Henry Cole was removed from shelves at a Loudoun County, Virginia elementary school because of claims that it promoted a “homosexual agenda”.

Article evaluation

In the article about the book And Tango Makes three, the objections against the book are overrepresented and the section about the value of the book is underrepresented. In fact, most of the article is focused on different cases about complaints against the book.

Although there is an overrepresentation of the complaints the book received, one complaint that they fail to mention is that the cover is controversial because it is misleading. There is no way to know that the two penguins cuddling on the cover are both male.

The sentence explaining why one of the themes for the book is love should be evaluated because the book doesn't necessarily say that the two penguins are in love, and they might just be really close friends. It would be better not to talk about this as the two penguins might just be really close friends.