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In this article, the author shares his reactions to angry letters to his books, particularly the one titled "Mr. Granite Is from Another Planet." Nearly all the complaints the author receives inform him that it's his responsibility as an author to promote positive messages and moral lessons in his books. However, the author contends that his books are purely for entertainment. His goal is to get kids excited about reading. In "Mr. Granite Is from Another Planet" (HarperCollins, 2008), the author tries to hook them with the first sentence ("My name is A. J. and I hate school."). Moreover, the author responds to one letter and stresses the freedom to make one's own decision. He asserts that freedom of speech means freedom from censorship.

When Barry Lyga finished writing his second young adult (YA) novel, he knew there'd be trouble. After all, "Boy Toy" was about a 12-year-old who has sex with a beautiful teacher twice his age, and Lyga expected it to spark letters to local papers, trigger complaints to the school board, and incite some parents to yank it off library shelves. But none of those things ever happened. At first, that didn't make much sense. "Boy Toy" (2007) was getting rave reviews from professional journals, and the "New York Times," the "Los Angeles Times," and "USA Today" loved it. So did the kid-lit bloggers who gave "Boy Toy" the Cybil Award for best YA fiction. Yet its sales figures were lower than Lyga's first novel, "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl" (2006, both Houghton). Soon Lyga started hearing stories about librarians who loved the book but refused to recommend or buy it, just in case someone complained. There was even an email from a high school media specialist in Maryland who was so nuts about "Boy Toy" that she read it three times--but ultimately decided not to include it in her collection. In this article, the author discusses self-censorship. It's a dirty secret that no one in the profession wants to talk about or admit practicing. Yet everyone knows some librarians bypass good books--those with literary merit or that fill a need in their collections. The reasons range from a book's sexual content and gay themes to its language and violence--and it happens in more public and K-12 libraries.

With the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the most troops overseas since Richard Nixon's presidency, President-elect Barack Obama will certainly have his work cut out for him. But at least Obama is a reader (and a writer), and there is no better antidote to the stress of the present than an hour or so lost in a good book. This article presents this year's selection of great reads--for President Obama as well as for everybody--which was created to help everybody better understand the past, the present, the brave new future.

Intelligent design lacks scientific validity and has been repudiated by every leading scientific organization, including the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, both of which assert that design theory lacks any scientific merit and cannot be supported by scientific research. Teaching it would be tantamount to teaching about the existence of Santa Claus. As religious conservatives continue to gain a stronger voice in the political climate, librarians must be on guard: supporters of this 21st-century version of creationism are making advances. Just this year alone, 18 states have either introduced or are considering anti-evolution bills in their legislature, according to the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), an organization that defends the teaching of evolution in public schools. Like it or not, librarians are going to be caught in the middle of this battle between science and religion, and they must prepare to defend their collections from the influence of pro-creationist groups. This article offers some tips on what should libraries do if they are caught in such predicament: (1) Understand the controversy; (2) Know your opposition; (3) Contact the NCSE; (4) Plan your strategy; (5) Update your district's gift and selection policy; (6) Explain your policies before accepting gifts; (7) Respond to all charges of censorship; (8) Organize wide-ranging support; and (9) Confront assaults on quality instruction and library resources.

This survey of public secondary schools examined factors that affected the outcome (i.e., retention, restriction, or removal) of censorship challenges to library materials. Factors found to influence outcome included oral versus written challenges, materials selection policy use, school environment, community environment, and media specialist characteristics. (three references) (LRW)

Presents transcript of an interview with Robert Cormier, winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for authors of books for young adults. Various aspects of Cormier's works are discussed, including realism; characterization; the darker themes that he uses and their origins; the influence of Catholicism; and censorship. (LRW)

Five presentations made at the 1990 American Library Association (ALA) annual conference discuss the role of book reviewers of young adult literature. The question of censorship is addressed from the points of view of editors, librarians, and reviewers, and the influence of reviews on the librarian's selection process is considered. (LRW)

In this article, the author expresses her disappointment over the self-censorship being practiced by some schools. Some schools are only letting students search sites on district-approved lists, while others are imposing stringent time limits on certain sites. In a few extreme cases, schools banned Internet entirely. These practices are blocking massive amounts of crucial information related to religion, health, politics, and other important subjects and limiting the free exchange of ideas. The author contends that filters and self-censorship will not keep students safe from online smut, but teaching them safe and smart searching techniques will. The author provides strategies on how to counter this trend of filtering and self-censorship.

Discusses censorship in libraries, particularly relating to children's books, from the perspective of an editor. The power of words, the diversity of stories and characters, story and imagination, and the responsibility of librarians are discussed. (LRW)

Discussion of music censorship provides a chronology of banned music from 1850 to the present. Highlights include reasons for music censorship, including lyrics that concern politics, sex, drugs, or death; rewriting song lyrics; radio air play versus sales; warning labels; First Amendment principles; and suggestions to defuse censorship in libraries. (19 references) (LRW)

Offers definitions, statistics, and suggestions for public librarians working with homeschoolers. Library concerns are addressed, including censorship, negative staff attitudes, technology demands, and administrative limits; and ways to make homeschoolers more welcome are suggested, including compiling homeschooling resource materials, library tours, reference workshops, and attending homeschooler meetings. (eight references) (LRW)

Discusses the censorship of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" since it was first published in 1885. Highlights include Twain's public image, viewpoints of censors, the banning of the book and school censorship cases, and the celebration of the centennial of "Huckleberry Finn." Nine references are cited. (EJS)

Relates events surrounding decision made by a public school board of education and school administrators to institute the policy of obtaining parental permission for students who want to borrow five Judy Blume books from the middle school library. Actions taken by the librarian and parental involvement are covered. (EJS)

Describes the censure of the Racine Unified School District by the Wisconsin Library Association for its internal censorship of library materials. Highlights include a chronology of events in the case, the district's history of censorship, its selection policy, and the importance of the case as a model. (EM)

Focusing on issues raised in secondary schools, this report itemizes book protests gleaned from both the American Library Association's "Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom" and the newspapers and compares results with six published censorship surveys. Interpreting the survey, most frequently and least frequently protested books, and examples of nonprotestors are noted. (EJS)

Discusses events and trends involving libraries in the 1980s, including: "The Satanic Verses"; censorship of children's literature; educational reform; funding, fees, salaries, programs, and preservation in public libraries; the literacy movement; school libraries; the international library scene; status of the profession; book and audiovisual trends; and activities of professional associations. (CLB)

This discussion of movie censorship outlines federal court cases involving controversial films which led to the development of the Motion Picture Association of America Code and Rating System. The Age-Classification System and the President's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography established in 1968 are described. (EJS)

This narrative of events leading to the publication of "Molly's Pilgrim" in a third grade textbook by the Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishing Company illustrates the types of censorship exercised by textbook publishers in response to public pressure. Revisions of the story to avoid mentioning God and the Bible are described. (EJS)

Discusses recent changes in Supreme Court interpretation of the First Amendment with regard to public school students, and reviews a 1988 case, Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, which decided in favor of the principals' right to censor written or spoken student communication. (MES)

Discusses research on censorship attempts that occurred in schools and school libraries over the last decade, including studies that considered types of materials targeted, by whom, and with what results. The increase in school censorship and the problem of the often unclear use of the term censorship are discussed. (EM)

Discusses issues related to handling complaints, legal questions; expectations and responsibilities as these relate to the selection of materials by librarians for children and young adults. (CMV)

The International Year of the Child has provided a good time for librarians to begin to clear their sights, define what the real problems facing children's services are, and do all that is possible within their particular province to effectively serve children. (Author/CMV)

Examines conflicting perspectives on the use of values clarification as a teaching method or as part of a curriculum for elementary and secondary levels. Implications for school libraries on issues such as materials selection and censorship by a school board are discussed. (BK)

Pat Scales, a spokesperson for First Amendment issues, provides school librarians with guidance on: (1) how to handle questions from parents about books that employ offensive language; (2) selecting age-appropriate books for middle school libraries; (3) the difference between banning books and removing reevaluated books; and (4) whether books deemed unsuitable should be removed from all district libraries.

Discusses the issue of intellectual freedom as it relates to videotape collections and the free circulation of tapes to patrons, particularly children. Research on the effects on children of viewing violence is reviewed briefly. Development of a procedure for handling complaints and clear guidelines for children's access to videos are recommended. (Seven references) (MES)

Recommends that libraries include conservative 'Moral Majority' as well as liberal views of human sexuality in their acquisition of books for young adults to provide a balanced collection and blunt atttempts to limit academic freedom through censorship. Five 'New Right' choices are reviewed. (RAA)

It is suggested that, in order to be prepared for efforts at censorship, private school libraries should establish a written selection policy, prepare a request for reconsideration of library materials form, set up a materials review committee, and keep up to date on intellectual freedom issues. (CHC)

Library procedures and practices that effectively deny minors access to certain services and materials available to adults, and administrative policies and procedures that affect the right of free access to information for all individuals, are discussed as they relate to Article Five of the Library Bill of Rights. (CHC)