Banned Books Week: Stories of Censorship
Students in the bridge experience course LI 202, Free to All: Public Libraries in U.S. Society, researched cases of censorships in public libraries over the last two centuries. Using primary sources they wrote short reports about these cases and designed corresponding posters for Banned Books Week. Browse this guide to learn about the variety of cases in libraries.
Course Instructor: Johanna MacKay
Poster and Report by Annie Campbell '27
And Tango Makes Three has received a lot of backlash since it was first published in 2005. The story follows two gay penguins located in the Central Park Zoo. The penguins conceive a child with the help of another female penguin, and together, the two male penguins raise their child. The main reason for the backlash against this book has to do with the two gay penguins. The book was first challenged in Missouri, "when a library director who had received complaints moved our book from the fiction to the (less browsed) nonfiction section in order not to 'blindside' parents” (Bird). There were other attempts to censor the book like hiding it from the shelf so fewer people could try to check it out. Some patrons even went to the extent of checking out the book for long periods, so others could not read it. The book was challenged so much in the past decade that “the American Library Association reported that it was the most frequently challenged book between 2006 and 2010” (Bird). Many parents and patrons felt a book about gay penguins was not appropriate for the specific age of their children. One parent said: “I don’t have a problem with the book being at the library, but it is not appropriate material for children in that age group. I’d feel the same way if the penguins were murderers or rapists. Don’t sugarcoat that type of material by making it pertain to cute penguins, or dogs or kittens or whatever. It's not appropriate material for a three-year-old to see and hear” (Magnuson). The parents were frustrated by the fact that the authors were trying to “cover-up” such an “intense” topic with cute penguins. Other patrons have “described it as ‘unsuited for age group,’ and cited ‘religious viewpoint’ and ‘homosexuality’ as reasons for challenging the book” (And Tango Makes Three). Many times, when an author writes a book about a topic that can be seen as controversial, there is a lot of backlash. Although And Tango Makes Three received a lot of hate and challenges from many patrons, it had a positive effect on their readers. One parent said “This book is an excellent choice for helping explain the diverse make-up of families today. It provides an age-appropriate story that illustrates tolerance and how a family is based on love and caring” (Moore).
Sources:
“Banned: And Tango Makes Three.” American Experience, Public Broadcasting Service, September 2017.
Moore, Tracy. “And Tango Makes Three Book Review.” Common Sense Media.