The series follows smart bookworm Anastasia through her pre-teen and teen years. This was one of my very favourite middle-grade book series when I was still middle grade, and I was surprised to see it on ALA’s list. As far as I can tell, this book is challenged mostly because a racial slur appears in the text-a slur that is no doubt accurate to the time period and is in no way endorsed by the book. Once they get to the camp, Shorty and his dad decide to build a baseball diamond and create their own league. This picture book is about a dark chapter in American history: the decision to send thousands of Japanese-Americans into internment camps after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Except that trying to ban the book on that basis is completely ridiculous. It is a true challenge to notice one bare breast amid the confusing and jam-packed scenes these books contain, and I almost want to congratulate whoever found it. Why? Apparently, a version published in 1987 showed a woman’s bare breast in one of its beach scenes. Yes, believe it or not, your favourite elusive stripe aficionado has been challenged. Here are some surprising banned children’s books from ALA’s list to check out in honour of Banned Books Week. And if today’s youth are anything like I was as a child, knowing that a book has been banned or challenged just makes it infinitely more compelling. In many cases, children aren’t able to have access to these books at home, so it’s crucial that schools and libraries are able to keep books in circulation and preserve access for all children.

The American Library Association keeps a list of frequently challenged children’s books based on reports from schools and libraries across the United States.

It turns out that there are a whole lot of reasons, including parents’ desires to protect their children from things like magic (the Harry Potter series), scientifically accurate sexual education ( Where Willy Went), and even depictions of people at the beach ( Where’s Waldo?). You might wonder why anyone would try to ban a picture book or a young adult novel. Did you know that even children’s books are challenged sometimes? It’s true. This week is Banned Books Week, the week we celebrate having the freedom to read whatever we want.

I am jazz banned book