Comics and graphic books are flourishing these days: writers and illustrators are tackling ever more sophisticated subject matter, and children’s authors are finding the perfect balance between naughty and cute. but several of the books have been criticized by critics who would like to see them banned from schools and libraries. That’s why comics and graphic books are in the spotlight at this year’s Banned Books Week, an annual event that draws attention to contested titles.
Jeff Smith, author and illustrator of the popular Bone series, was at the annual Comic-Con convention in San Diego when he discovered that he had earned the dubious distinction of being named one of the 10 most questioned books in America.
You are reading: Why are bone books banned
He recalls: “I was sitting in a room, a pretty big room, there were probably 500 to 1000 people in the audience, and there were people of all ages and races in the room, and everyone was like, what? “
smith just didn’t get it. According to the American Library Association, which maintains the list of questioned and banned books, critics had tried to ban the bones for three main reasons: violence, racism, and political views.
See Also: Lottery Master Guide Books – Top 5 Books That Can Increase Your Chances To Win The Lottery
smith doesn’t understand how anyone can find his racist books. As for the political point of view, he says that the books should reflect a certain moral sensibility. and the violence? well, he says he, it’s a comic. Still, once Smith got over his initial shock, he got philosophical about it.
“I want to say that my heroes are on this list,” he says. “People like Mark Twain, Steinbeck, Melville, and Vonnegut, so part of me is like, ‘OK, OK, I can be on this list.'” “
bone was ranked number 10 on the list of most frequently questioned books. at no. 1 location? Another graphic: Dav Pilkey’s hugely popular Captain Underpants.
“It’s mischievous and seditious and it’s certainly irreverent and defies authority,” says Judith Platt of the American Publishers Association. Platt is the chair of this year’s banned books week committee. While some parents may find Captain Underpants offensive, Platt says, others say their kids wouldn’t be reading if it weren’t for books.
“There are so many kids who are reluctant to read that they’re drawn to Dav Pilkey and the antics of Captain Underpants,” says Platt.
See Also: How To Cite A Kindle Book – APA
Captain Underpants has topped the most-reviewed book list for two years now, and Pilkey is also taken aback by its notoriety. he suspects that the book’s anti-authoritarian tone may be to blame.
“I don’t think of the books as anti-authoritarian,” he says, “but I think it’s important, if you think something is wrong, to question authority, because, you know, there are villains in real life, and they don’t always use capes and black hats. They are sometimes dressed as authority figures and children should know that it is important to question them.”
pilkey has an idea to resolve differences of opinion people may have about books; it just involves people making a simple change:
“I had a drawing of a very angry adult saying ‘I don’t think children should read this book,'” he says. “And then the simple change was… I added the word ‘my.’ So instead of saying ‘I don’t think kids should read this book,’ it becomes ‘I don’t think my kids should read this book.’ “
Despite some high-profile campaigns to remove picture books from schools and libraries, National Book Week chair Judith Platt points out that these kinds of challenges aren’t always successful. Teachers, librarians, parents, and children often struggle to keep these books available to those who want to read them.
See Also: The 9 Books Every Artist Should Have on Their Shelf | Artwork Archive