Controversial Book List 1
Running head: Controversial Books Wiki
Controversial Books Wiki
Marcia Miller
Grand Canyon University: RDG-585
April 11, 2013
Controversial Book List 2
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Book 1.
Name of Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008)
Description: In north American , the ruler of Panem maintain control through an annual
televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts
against one another, a sixteen year old Katniss’s skills are put to test when she voluntarily
takes her young sister’s place.
Genre: Fiction
Controversy: Many critics of the story accuse The Hunger Games of anti-ethnic; antifamily; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence.
Public Opinion: The book was thought to be harmful because of the violence that goes on
in the book. The book is on shelves of public but challenged for public school.
History of Censorship: this book has not been banned but questionable for school but not
for public library.
Age: 9th – 12th grade
Book 2
Name of Book: MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins (2010)
Description: Katniss a girl on fire has survived, even though her home has been destroyed
by the fire.
Genre: Fiction
Controversy: Many critics of the story accuse Mockingjay of anti-ethnic; anti-family;
insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence.
Controversial Book List 3
Public Opinion: The book was thought to be harmful because of the violence that goes on
in the book. The book is on the shelves of public library.
History of Censorship: this book has not been banned but questionable for school but not
for public library
Age: 9th – 12th grade
Book 3
Name of Book: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (2009)
Description: By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen
and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their
families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of
an impending rebellion.
Genre: Fiction
Controversy: Many critics of the story accuse Catching Fire of anti-ethnic; anti-family;
insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence.
Public Opinion: The book was thought to have violence b
Age: 9th – 12th grade
History of Censorship: This book has been challenged on the top 100 banned/challenged
books: 2000-2009.
Book 4: Name of Book: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (1972)
Controversial Book List 4
Description: Peter Hatcher a fourth grader feels that he has a terrible problem his little
two year old brother.
Genre: Fiction
Controversy: peter has to deal with his little brother always getting into his stuff and
people think that his little brother is so cute.
Public Opinion: The book didn’t have a public review.
History of Censorship: This book has been challenged on the top 100 banned/challenged
books: 2000-2009.
Age: 4th- 5th grade
Book 5: Are You there God? It’s Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume (1970)
Description: Faced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion a twelve
year old girl talks over her problem with her private God.
Genre: Fiction
Controversy: This book is believed to help promote religion.
Public Opinion: The book was like by many girls but it questions things in the book.
Age: 3rd-5th grade
History of Censorship: Judy Blume is the author of five books that appear on the
American Library Association's Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 20002007.
Book 6: Please, baby, Please by Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee (2002)
Description: A toddler’s antics keep her mother busy as she tries to feed her, watch her
on the playground, give her a bath, and put her to bed.
Controversial Book List 5
Genre: Fiction
Controversy: The controversy is that the cover f the book is showing the child naked and
causing major problems in the public school system.
Public Opinion: the parents ask that this book be removed from the public schools of
Washington, County in the primary grade level because it promotes children as being
nudity. The book is still in the library of Washington County primary school.
Age: Pre-K- 2nd grade
History of Censorship: this book has been challenged by Washington, County Public
School Primary level.
Book 7: Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone by J. K. Rowling
Description: Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy
with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry.
Genre: Fiction
Controversy: The book promotes the characters of the boy by stealing, cheating, and
lying.
Public Opinion: One parent thinks this book is harmful to children.
Age: 3rd -5th grade
History of Censorship: This book has been challenged on the top 100 banned/challenged
books: 2000-2009.
Book 8: The Stupids Step Out by Harry Allard (1974)
Controversial Book List 6
Description: The stupid family and their dog Kitty have a fun filled day doing ridiculous
things.
Genre: Fiction
Controversy: The family don’t take anything serious.
Public Opinion: “Excellent pacing, concise, witty prose, and artwork perfectly suited to
the text." School Library Journal
Age: 1st -2nd grade
Book 9: The Stupids Die by Harry Allard (1981)
Description: The Stupid family think they are dead when the lights go out.
Genre: Fiction
Controversy: The Stupid family think they will die because the lights went out and now
they think they have died.
Public Opinion: Excellent pacing, concise, witty prose, and artwork perfectly suited to
the text." School Library Journal
Age: K -2nd grade
History of Censorship: This book has been challenged on the top 100 banned/challenged
books: 2000-2009.
Book 10: Captain Underpants and The Invasion of The Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria
Ladies From Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of The Equally Evil Lunchroom
Zombie Nerds) by Dav Pilkey (1999)
Description: It's about when Captain Underpants has to save the world from alien
cafeteria ladies turning kids into zombie slaves. It has lots of illustrations that are funny,
and it has flip-o-rama and comics as well. If you liked this book, be sure to look for
Controversial Book List 7
Captain Underpants, Talking Toilets, Professor Pippy P. Poopypants, Wedgie Woman,
and more!
Controversy: Challenged for anti-family content, being unsuited to age group and
violence.
Public Opinion: Dav Pilkey has written and illustrated several popular award-winning
books for children. The Adventures of Captain Underpants, which has nearly one million
copies in print, was an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists and a Publishers Weekly
"Cuffie" Award winner for the Funniest Book of the Year.
Age: 3rd- 5th grade
History of Censorship: This book has been challenged on the top 100 banned/challenged
books: 2000-2009.
Book 11: Captain Underpants and the wrath of the Wicked Wedge by Dav Pilkey (2001)
Description: She's faster, smarter, and more evil than anything the world has seen before
— she's Wedgie Woman! With the help of her horrible robots and her horrendous hairdo,
Wedgie Woman is on a mission to take over the world, and she'll give a whopping
wedgie to anyone who stands in her way — including Captain Underpants.
Controversy: Challenged for offensive language and modeling bad behavior.
Public Opinion: Dav Pilkey has written and illustrated several popular award-winning
books for children. The Adventures of Captain Underpants, which has nearly one million
copies in print, was an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists and a Publishers Weekly
"Cuffie" Award winner for the Funniest Book of the Year;
Age: 3rd -5th grade
Controversial Book List 8
History of Censorship: This book has been challenged on the top 100 banned/challenged
books: 2000-2009.
Book 12: The agony of Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (1985)
Description: eleven year old, motherless Alice decides she needs a gorgeous role model
who does everything right; and when placed in homely Mrs. Plotkin’s class she is greatly
disappointed until she discovers it’s what people are inside that counts.
Controversy: Challenged, but retained at the Franklin Sherman Elementary School library
and on the Fairfax County, Va. Approved reading list(200). The book, however, is
limited in its classroom use to small discussion groups for girls only.
Public Opinion:
Age: 3rd-5th grade
History of Censorship: This book has been challenged on the top 100 banned/challenged
books: 2000-2009.
Controversial Book List 9
Controversial Book List 10