Top Ten Challenged Books of 2005.

Wouldn't it be cool if bookstores used the Top Ten list as a marketing device?

From the ALA:

It's Perfectly Normal for homosexuality, nudity, sex education, religious viewpoint, abortion and being unsuited to age group;

Forever by Judy Blume for sexual content and offensive language;

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger for sexual content, offensive language and being unsuited to age group;

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier for sexual content and offensive language;

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher for racism and offensive language;

Detour for Emmy by Marilyn Reynolds for sexual content;

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones for sexual content and being unsuited to age group;

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey for anti-family content, being unsuited to age group and violence;

Crazy Lady! by Jane Leslie Conly for offensive language; and

It's So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families by Robie H. Harris for sex education and sexual content.

Captain Underpants for VIOLENCE??  Violence against what?  Giant robots and POOP?   Why don't they just admit that they don't like poop jokes?  Or is that what they mean by anti-family content?  (God, I loved Super Diaper Baby.  Look at how cute he is!  That book had me in tears.  I laughed so hard I was sore for days...)

Robie Harris is a double-winner this year, not surprisingly...  Congratulations to Cormier, Pilkey and Sones for continuing their streaks...  Nice to see that Judy and J.D. are back in action.  And look!  Two of my all-time favorite books EVER made the list this year!  Whale Talk and What My Mother Doesn't Know!  (If you haven't read those two, they are both must reads.  Like, right now.)