Coming-of-age Fiction

by Steven Otfinoski

Published 30 May 2009
Many of the most controversial young adult books portray young people on the cusp of maturity. Such books are often controversial for their frank depictions of issues of sexuality, personal identity, and more. ""Coming-of-Age Fiction"" contains entries on some of the most popular and often-challenged books in America. Coverage includes: ""The Alice"" books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor; ""A Day No Pigs Would Die"" by Robert Newton Peck; ""The Goosebumps"" books by R.L. Stine; ""Then Again, Maybe I Won't"" by Judy Blume; ""We All Fall Down"" by Robert Cormier and many more.

Each year, the American Library Association receives reports of hundreds of attempts to ban books from schools or libraries, with many other censorship efforts remaining unreported. The engaging, student-friendly titles in the new ""Our Freedom to Read"" set examine popular young-adult books that have been banned or challenged. Each fascinating entry summarizes the content of a particular book under assault and then tells the story of how the book was challenged - and in many cases, how that challenge was resisted by courageous defenders working to preserve our freedom to read what we choose.

Outsider Fiction

by Steven Otfinoski

Published 28 February 2009
Outsider Fiction, which features tales of people trying to fit into society, contains entries on some of the most frequently challenged books in America. Coverage of this title includes: ""The Bluest Eye"" by Toni Morrison; ""The Buffalo Tree"" by Adam Rapp; ""Fools Crow"" by James Welch; ""Nappy Hair"" by Carolivia Herron; ""The Outsiders"" by S.E. Hinton; ""The Pigman"" by Paul Zindel; ""Whale Talk"" by Chris Crutcher; and, many more.

Classic Books

by Steven Otfinoski

Published 28 February 2009
A surprising number of 'classic' works of literature have been banned from schools and libraries. ""Classic Books"" contains entries on some of the most frequently challenged books in America. Coverage of this title includes: ""The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"" by Mark Twain; ""Animal Farm"" by George Orwell; ""The Little House Books"" by Laura Ingalls Wilder; ""To Kill a Mockingbird"" by Harper Lee; and, many more.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

by Steven Otfinoski

Published 28 February 2009
From dystopian novels to popular fantasy series, books from the science fiction and fantasy genres have often been contested as appropriate material for young readers. ""Science Fiction and Fantasy"" contains entries on some of the most widely challenged books in America. Coverage of this title includes: ""Fahrenheit 451"" by Ray Bradbury; the ""Goosebumps"" books by R.L. Stine; the ""Harry Potter"" books by J.K. Rowling; ""His Dark Materials"" trilogy by Philip Pullman; ""James and the Giant Peach"" by Roald Dahl; ""A Wrinkle in Time"" by Madeleine L'Engle; and, many more.