Erotic fiction trilogy Fifty Shades
of Grey is one of the most complained about books on America's library
shelves, according to a new study.
E L James' multimillion selling novel is at number four on the American Library Association's annual study of 'challenged books' - works subject to complaints from parents, educators and other members of the public.
The objections were for offensive language and graphic sexual content.
First on the list were Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants books, followed by Sherman Alexie's prize-winning The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why.
Also on the list, at number ten, was Nobel laureate Toni Morrison's 'Beloved,' with objections raised about it being sexually explicit and violent.
'It's pretty exciting to be on a list that frequently features Mark Twain, Harper Lee, and Maya Angelou,' Mr Pilkey said in a statement.
'But I worry that some parents might see this list and discourage their kids from reading Captain Underpants, even though they have not had a chance to read the books themselves.'
The library association's Office for Intellectual Freedom defines a challenge as a 'formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness.'
The office received 464 challenges last year, a jump of more 25 per cent from 2011, but still low compared to the 1980s and 90s.
Exact numbers, including how many books were actually pulled, are hard to calculate. The association has long believed that for every complaint registered, four to five go unreported by libraries, and that some librarians may restrict access in anticipation of objections.
'One reason we think the number
went up in 2012 is that we made challenges easier to report by
including a portal on our Web page,' said Barbara M. Jones, director of
the OIF.
The challenged books list was included in the library association's annual 'State of the Libraries' report which examines how libraries are responding to budget cuts and the financial advice they offer for patrons during hard economic times.
The Fifty Shades books were released
last spring and public libraries in Georgia, Florida and elsewhere soon
pulled the racy romance trilogy or decided not to order the books,
saying they were too steamy or too poorly written.
Local library representatives at the time denounced the novels as 'semi-pornographic' and unfit for 'community standards.'
But the list also included some works highly regarded in the literary community: Morrison's Beloved, winner of the Pulitzer Prize; Alexie's novel, a National Book Award winner; and a book club favorite, Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner.
The Captain Underpants books, which Green said he is currently reading to his three-year-old son, have long been debated among parents and educators. Some praise the books because they encourage boys to read, others criticize them for their toilet humor and irreverent attitude; the title character is a superhero devised by two fourth graders about their grouchy principal, Mr Krupp.
'I don't see these books as encouraging disrespect for authority. Perhaps they demonstrate the value of questioning authority,' Mr Pilkey said.
'Some of the authority figures in the Captain Underpants books are villains. They are bullies and they do vicious things.'
Some famous entries from recent years have dropped off the top 10, including, J K Rowling's Harry Potter books, Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy.
E L James' multimillion selling novel is at number four on the American Library Association's annual study of 'challenged books' - works subject to complaints from parents, educators and other members of the public.
The objections were for offensive language and graphic sexual content.
First on the list were Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants books, followed by Sherman Alexie's prize-winning The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why.
Also on the list, at number ten, was Nobel laureate Toni Morrison's 'Beloved,' with objections raised about it being sexually explicit and violent.
'It's pretty exciting to be on a list that frequently features Mark Twain, Harper Lee, and Maya Angelou,' Mr Pilkey said in a statement.
'But I worry that some parents might see this list and discourage their kids from reading Captain Underpants, even though they have not had a chance to read the books themselves.'
The library association's Office for Intellectual Freedom defines a challenge as a 'formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness.'
The office received 464 challenges last year, a jump of more 25 per cent from 2011, but still low compared to the 1980s and 90s.
Exact numbers, including how many books were actually pulled, are hard to calculate. The association has long believed that for every complaint registered, four to five go unreported by libraries, and that some librarians may restrict access in anticipation of objections.
Reaction: EL James' books were pulled off
shelves by public libraries in Georgia, Florida and elsewhere soon after
they were released
The challenged books list was included in the library association's annual 'State of the Libraries' report which examines how libraries are responding to budget cuts and the financial advice they offer for patrons during hard economic times.
TOP TEN 'MOST OFFENSIVE' BOOKS
- Captain Underpants series
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
- Thirteen Reasons Why
- Fifty Shades of Grey
- And Tango Makes Three,
- The Kite Runner
- Looking for Alaska
- Scary Stories series
- The Glass Castle
- Beloved
Local library representatives at the time denounced the novels as 'semi-pornographic' and unfit for 'community standards.'
But the list also included some works highly regarded in the literary community: Morrison's Beloved, winner of the Pulitzer Prize; Alexie's novel, a National Book Award winner; and a book club favorite, Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner.
The Captain Underpants books, which Green said he is currently reading to his three-year-old son, have long been debated among parents and educators. Some praise the books because they encourage boys to read, others criticize them for their toilet humor and irreverent attitude; the title character is a superhero devised by two fourth graders about their grouchy principal, Mr Krupp.
'I don't see these books as encouraging disrespect for authority. Perhaps they demonstrate the value of questioning authority,' Mr Pilkey said.
Some famous entries from recent years have dropped off the top 10, including, J K Rowling's Harry Potter books, Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy.