Reasons for banning certain books in certain states are various. Rarely those reasons are founded on common sense, but most of the time they are guided by certain ideological intentions or religious dogmas. Often such actions regarding certain books have given them even more popularity then they would achieve by themselves.
We can mention a book of Dan Brown “The Da Vinci Code” one of best sold crime novels in the world prohibited in Lebanon in 2004 because they felt that it is “insulting for Christianity” or a book “The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie which at the end of eighties caused chaos all over the world due to its attitude towards Islam. The subjects of censorship are not only book intended for adults. There are BOOK BANNED FOR CHILDREN. In this case the reasons for prohibition can be more or less justified.
10“THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL”– BY ANNA FRANK
This book is banned in Lebanon for portraying Israel favorably. A book is also banned in 2010 by a Virginia school for “sexually explicit” and “homosexual” themes.
09“THE DA VINCI CODE”– BY DAN BROWN
The best-selling mystery novel was banned in Lebanon in 2004. It was thought to be offensive to Christianity.
08“BRAVE NEW WORLD” – BY ALDOUS HUXLEY
Dystopian novel banned in Ireland in 1932 due to its sexual promiscuity. Several US states have tried to ban it because of its negative themes.
07“BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE?”– BY BILL MARTIN JR.
This children’s book was banned in 2010 by the Texas Education Board. The author was mistaken for a Marxist theorist with the same name.
06”THE GRAPES OF WRATH” – BY JOHN SETINBECK
This book burned en masse after its release due to its portrayal of the rural poor. A book was banned in various parts of the US – including Kansas and California.
05”ANIMAL FARM” – BY GEORGE ORWELL
A book was banned on its 1945 US release for being critical of the USSR, a wartime ally, banned in 2002 in UAE due to talking pigs being seen as contrary to Islam.
04“WHERE’S WALDO” – BY MARTIN HANFORD
A book was taken off the shelf in some US schools in the early 1990s due to a partially naked woman in the background.
03“THE SATANIC VERSES” – BY SALMAN RUSHDIE
A book sparked riots around the world due to blasphemous treatment of Islam. Reading it in Venezuela was punishable with a 15 – month prison sentence.
02“ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND” – BY LEWIS CARROLL
This book was banned I parts of China back in 1931 because it features talking animals. Authorities feared children would begin treating animals like humans.
01“THE DICTIONARY”
Merriam Webster and American Heritage Dictionaries are banned in some US schools. Some of the words inside are “not age appropriate”.
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