Anyone who's read me for more than a few days knows that I'm not only a huge fan of books, but also of libraries in general.  I borrowed this American Librarian Association compiled list of banned books from the blog at Good Reads, because I found it facinating how many "evil books" I've read.  I'll highlight them in bold:


100 Most banned books from 1990 to 2000. How many have you read?

1.Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz - Very popular when I was in 3rd grade.  I owned the whole series
2.Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3.I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - Read it in 6th grade, cried, read it again in college, cried again
4.The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier - Read it in middle school and owned an autographed copy of it from my librarian mom
5.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain- Owned three copies of this book throughout my lifetime, they kept wearing out
6.Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Read in 10th grade, cried and then read it again in college
7.Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling - Own every one, read every one more times than I can count.
8.Forever by Judy Blume - I own an autographed copy - again, Thanks mom!
9.Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - Read in 6th grade, cried in the classroom, & no one knew why as I was 3 chapters ahead
10.Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11.Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman - Read it and owned it for a short time during college.  Loaned it out, it never came home
12.My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13.The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - I have, thus far, owned 6 copies of this book.  I carry it in my computer bag everywhere, right next to my passport (in case I have to quickly leave the country)
14.The Giver by Lois Lowry - Owned an autographed copy of this book from my mom
15.It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris - My mom got this book on reading circle and the illustrations cracked me up.  That's probably why it's banned.  Good book though.
16.Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine - 6th grade, 7th grade and 8th grade.  EVERYONE read this
17.A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18.The Color Purple by Alice Walker - read it in 8th grade, &then again in college.
19.Sex by Madonna - Own it, read it, love it.
20.Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21.The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson - This is my sister's most favorite book.  Her copy was autographed.  Mine wasn't.
22.A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - Read this as a 7th grader.  Liked it, but didn't get in to real fantasy books until much later
23.Go Ask Alice by Anonymous - Mom brought this home from her library when I was younger.  I don't think it ever went back.
24.Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25.In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26.The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27.The Witches by Roald Dahl
28.The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29.Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30.The Goats by Brock Cole
31.Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32.Blubber by Judy Blume - Own 2 autographed copies of this book.  I thought I'd lost one, so mom got me another :)
33.Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan - LOVED this book, read it until the spine fell apart.
34.Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35.We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36.Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37.The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - Read this in College. 
38.Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39.The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40.What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41.To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Read as a freshman in High School, a Junior in College and once again, just last month
42.Beloved by Toni Morrison
43.The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton - Read so often the spine fell apart on this one too.
44.The Pigman by Paul Zindel - Loved Loved Loved this book.  And It was also autographed. :)
45.Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46.Deenie by Judy Blume
47.Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes - Read the short story, the play, and have seen the stage production several times.  I still cry
48.Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49.The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50.Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51.A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein - I stole my sister's copy of this book and had to be bribed with a new copy of "Where the Sidewalk Ends" to relinquish it
52.Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Junior Year of High School, Sophomore Year of College.
53.Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54.Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55.Cujo by Stephen King - borrowed from my sister when I was in 6th grade.  Wouldn't pet our dog for a week after reading.
56.James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl - Owned it, autographed.  Haven't eaten a peach since
57.The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell - a college must own.
58.Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59.Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60.American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis - Again, a must own for college
61.What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62.Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume - Owned two copies, autographed, though one might be my sister's
63.Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64.Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher - got hooked on Chris Crutcher after reading Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes.  Read EVERYTHING by that author
65.Fade by Robert Cormier
66.Guess What? by Mem Fox
67.The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68.The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney - owned the entire series a few times now.  Read them until they fell apart and still read them. SO EXCELLENT!
69.Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - Read as a Junior in High School, A freshman in College and a Senior in College.  I love Vonnegut
70.Lord of the Flies by William Golding - Read as a freshman in High School
71.Native Son by Richard Wright
72.Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday - Read in college
73.Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74.Jack by A.M. Homes
75.Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76.Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77.Carrie by Stephen King - Read in College
78.Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume - It's a Judy Blume book, so I own it.  Autographed.
79.On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer - Own this one too, from 5th grade, it was a newberry award winner I think.  Autographed
80.Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81.Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82.Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83.The Dead Zone by Stephen King - Read in college, sadly AFTER the TV series came out
84.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - Have thus far owned three copies of this one as well
85.Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86.Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87.Private Parts by Howard Stern
88.Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford - I owned all of these!  They were great to keep my quiet on long car rides as a kid and even more fun in college.
89.Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman - My mother found this in a library she was taking over.  She showed it to me so I'd know what it was.  and if you ever see it, you'll understand... wow.
91.Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92.Running Loose by Chris Crutcher - Love Chris Crutcher and this book was really good!
93.Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94.The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95.Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96.How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell - owned three copies of this book, 2 of them autographed, and all of them the spine has all but given out.
97.View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98.The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99.The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100.Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier


So I look at the Evil books I've read and I have to wonder if they've shaped my perspective on the world at all.  Obviously, JD Salinger and Kurt Vonnegut have had no effect on molding me in to an adult or on shaping my world views.  None what so ever.

Most of the greatest lessons I've learned in life have come from reading banned books. Where would I be without my great outcast heroes, the pariahs who lit my way so that I could make it to college where I wouldn't be such an outcast any longer?  What about the lessons learned from Brave New World that make me quite ACLU friendly?  Or my attention to deatail learned from Where's Waldo?  All I can really say is, Thank you Mom and Dad for making me read evil literature, and for buying me multiple copies of the same book.  Without these books, I wouldn't be who I am today.

In parting on this personal entry, I leave you with this:

"When books are burned, in the end, people will be burned too."

Heinrich Heine
German critic & poet (1797 - 1856)