Fifty Shades, Bible on list of books most objected to

12 April 2016 - 02:45 By ©The Daily Telegraph

A list of books most objected to by US public schools and libraries has been released and it includes Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the Holy Bible. Books are challenged by readers on the grounds of too much sex and violence (or for legal and moral issues raised). The Bible was sixth on a list topped by John Green's Looking for Alaska, cited for "offensive language and sexual content". The runner-up was, predictably, EL James's raunchy romance Fifty Shades of Grey."Some people feel that, if a school library buys a Bible, it's a violation of church and state," says James LaRue, director in the Office for Intellectual Freedom for the American Library Association, which released its annual top-10 snapshot of challenged books, in its State of Libraries Report for 2016.I Am Jazz, a transgender picture book by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, was No3, followed by another transgender story, Susan Kuklin's Beyond Magenta.The list also includes The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, Craig Thompson's Habibi, Jeanette Winter's Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan and David Leviathan's Two Boys Kissing, with one objection that it "condones public displays of affection"."Books dealing with diversity are often challenged," LaRue said.Works challenged in recent years range from Harry Potter novels to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. ..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.