Banned Book: Winnie-the-Pooh

By A. A. Milne
Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard
Originally published 1926

Sing Ho! For the Life of a Bear!

Winnie-the-Pooh is part of a collection of stories written by A. A. Milne featuring a boy, Christopher Robin, and his group of animal friends, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga and Little Roo, and Eeyore. This book has delighted audiences for many generations, so why was it banned?

Banned Book: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
By Lewis Carroll
Illustrations by John Tenniel
Originally published in 1865

Illustrations by
John Tenniel
1866

Originally banned in china because of the humanistic portrayal of some of the animal characters, namely their being able to talk and more recently challenged in the 1960’s in relation to the drug culture of that time, Carroll’s story of Alice has been met with trepidation. Still, it’s a fine example of fantasy in children’s literature.

Banned Book: Where the Wild Things Are

Where the Wild Things Are
By Maurice Sendak
1963

Where the Wild Things Are is a story about a child coming to grips with his emotions. Max is truly a terror and is punished for being so. Alone in his room, Max creates an alternate reality complete with tumultuous seas, sharp toothed monstrous Wild Things and deep dark forests. In this reality Max is King and enjoys romping around creating chaos, that is until he craves the comforts of home.

Banned Books Week September 21-27

It’s Banned Books Week this week, all the way through September 27^th.  Libraries, bookstores, and classrooms around the country celebrate the freedom to read through elaborate displays and fun events. Books that have been challenged or banned both in the U.S and around the world will receive recognition this week.

So what exactly is a banned book?