Why the Gossip Girl Series Has Been Banned

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Recommended: introduction to book banning: at issue

Books have been challenged and banned ever since books have begun to be published. There are many reasons why books are challenged and/or banned. Books get banned for everything from profanity to sex. Many books have been challenged and banned throughout history. One series has had every single book within the series banned in some locations; there are thirteen books in the series. Gossip Girl, written by Cecily von Ziegesar, is one of the most challenged and/ or banned books in recent years. Gossip Girl has been challenged and/ or banned for multiple reasons including: sex, drugs, and scandals. There is a difference between banned books and challenged books. According to the American Library Association (ALA), “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group (About banned, para. 2). A banned book is when a book or other reading material is removed from certain locations and not available. For example, one of the most challenged books in the 21st century is The Giver by Lois Lowry (100 Most). The novel, The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sheman Alexie was banned in high school in Oregon because a parent complained that the book was offensive (Doyle, 3). There are many reasons why books get challenged and/or banned. According to Robert Doyle, the main reasons for banned are sex, profanity, and racism (Doyle, 3). The most common initiator of the challenge is a parent or group of parents (Challenges by, chart 2). Challenges can also come from: patrons, board members, or organizations (Challenges by, chart 2). Challenges can also come from whole institutions; usually they come from schools (Challenges by, chart 3). The Gossip Girl Series is written by C... ... middle of paper ... ...ailable in public libraries, parents or guardians should monitor what their children are reading anyhow. If I were a teacher I would not teach or read about this book in my classroom. There is no knowledgeable information in the books; they are for entertainment purpose only. I would also not suggest that any of my students read the books. If they find them on their own that would be perfectly fine. Books are banned and/or challenged for multiple reasons. Many books have valued information within them however, still become banned or challenged. The Gossip Girl series is a series that should be banned in certain locations such as a middle school library. The content in the books should not be made available to people under the age of fifteen. Some of the inappropriate content includes: sex, drugs, offensive language, inappropriate attitudes, and scandals.

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