Battle of the Banneds - The Winners!!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Battle of the Banneds events and survey.  We had a lot of great conversations with you about banned books and the freedom of information.  Many of the books in our display were borrowed by eager readers wanting to re-read a beloved classic or just to see what the fuss is about.

Congratulations to Allyson B. who won our $25 iTunes gift card. 

And now to the Battle results!!

Your favorite classic banned is...

 

 The Bible came in second. The Catcher in the Rye, Slaughterhouse-Five and 1984 tied for third.

Your favorite current banneds are...

 

and

The Kite Runner came in second, Go Ask Alice and The Hunger Games trilogy tied for third.

Here are some of the things you had to say about those banned books:

Candide is philosophical discourse at its sassy-ist. Instead of merely critiquing the Philosophy of Optimism, Voltaire takes it to its absurd limits with hilarious and tragic form. Plus, what philosopher can say that their writing inspired a musical from Leonard Bernstein? – Christopher Culp – Faculty, Music

(1984) is a book that speaks to the human fear of being constantly watched and judged. It plays with the idea of pretend freedom, and that is a powerful idea. – Allyson, Student

Slaughterhouse-Five has been accused of being irreverent and obscene (which just makes it that much more interesting of a read) and of course anything with sex/homosexuality is likely to put books on banned lists. I like the mix of reality with fantasy and how it addresses the concept of free will. – Sara, Student

Margaret Atwood is a master storyteller, and one of my favorite authors. This book (A Handmaid's Tale) about a world in which women suddenly become second class citizens always struck me as all too frighteningly possible. An unforgettable story. – Susan Cutrona, Library

What other book has raised more controversy than the Bible? A book that causes such debate draws your attention whether you believe it or not. It has taken lives and has given life. No other book has that power. - Leigh-Ann, Student