I like to think that the books parents complain about are the best ones to read. Think about it. Harry Potter. Potter made the list because a parent brought up the fact that it has magic. Of course it does! It is about a wizard school. A school that is now a theme park and the most popular series and has eight movies that run on ABC Family on a monthly basis. Over the past few years, more and more books are being banned and challenged based on their content. Books like Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, and there are more. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982, according to the Alabama Library Association.
I did a book review for my high school newspaper on The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. After reading the book, I wrote, "The story of little Pecola Breedlove, told by her friends Claudia and Frieda, is tragic and beautiful, but it's not just about her. It is a fearless look at racism, poverty, damaged self-esteem, and hatred. It is a hard look at people in tough situations, and how our society views those who are thrust into situations they cannot control." The father in Morrison's story when through something horrible, I understand that. But the difference between seeing the book as something "inappropriate" and as an issue that needs to be addressed is made when people read between the lines, not the lines themselves.
What I am trying to say is, maybe we need to take a step back and think for a moment. Is this book really so bad? The only way to find out is to read it and then decide.
