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What Girls Are Made Of
A 2017 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalist
When Nina Faye was fourteen, her mother told her there was no such thing as unconditional love. Nina believed her. Now she’ll do anything for the boy she loves, to prove she’s worthy of him. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost. What is she if not a girlfriend? What is she made of? Broken-hearted, Nina tries to figure out what the conditions of love are.
“Finally, finally, a book that is fully girl, with all of the gore and grace of growing up female exposed.” —Carrie Mesrobian, author of the William C. Morris finalist, Sex & ViolenceChallenges:
Elana K. Arnold’s book, What Girls Are Made Of, has been banned or challenged primarily due to sexually explicit content that critics describe as pornography. Critics also claim the book normalizes abortion and praises Planned Parenthood.
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Water for Elephants
Jacob Janowski’s luck had run out–orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was the Great Depression and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. There he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but brutal animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this group of misfits was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Challenges:
This book is added to the list, more to clarify than to list it as challenged or banned.
The book and the film are NOT banned, although the film has had challenges. The film, not the book, has faced allegations of animal cruelty.
- Allegations of abuse: Animal rights groups claim the film depicts the severe abuse of the elephant, Rosie, despite the filmmakers stating that special effects and CGI were used to create the scenes of abuse.
- Misleading representation: Critics argue the film falsely suggests that the depicted abuse was solely a work of fiction by using it as a plot device to further the narrative of the abusive trainer.
- Use of special effects: The film’s production used special effects and CGI to create scenes of violence, but this was not disclosed to the public.
- Lack of full transparency: The filmmakers did not inform the public about the use of special effects to create scenes of animal abuse.
- Renewed debate: The film’s portrayal of animal abuse sparked a renewed debate over the ethics of animal use in entertainment and the role of circuses in animal welfare.
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Tricks
When all choice is taken from you, life becomes a game of survival.
Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching . . . for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don’t expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words “I love you” are said for all the wrong reasons.
Five moving stories remain separate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story, a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, “Can I ever feel okay about myself?”
Challenges:
- Sexually explicit content: The book has been challenged for being sexually explicit and for its depiction of a variety of adult themes.
- Drug use: The novel deals with themes of drug use and prostitution, which has led to it being banned in some areas.
- LGBTQIA+ content: The book has been challenged for its LGBTQIA+ themes.
- “Obscene” and “pornographic” characterizations: Some individuals and groups have labeled the book as obscene or pornographic, leading to challenges.
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The Giver
Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce newchildren, who are assigned to appropriate family units. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Everyone is the same. Except Jonas.
Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Gradually Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test—when he must try to save someone he loves—he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?
Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the provocative story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs.
Challenges:
- Infanticide: The book describes the euthanasia of infants considered “imperfect” by the community, a practice that has drawn criticism.
- Suicide: A scene depicts assisted suicide (euthanasia) as a normal part of society, which some view as inappropriate for young readers.
- Violence: The book contains descriptions of violence and other disturbing content.
- Sexual themes: Some critics have also cited sexual themes in the book.
- Other controversial topics: The book also explores themes of conformity, control, and the suppression of individuality, which some find objectionable.
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1984
Nineteen Eighty-Four centres on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance, and repressive regimentation of persons and behaviours within society. Orwell, himself a democratic socialist, modelled the authoritarian government in the novel after Stalinist Russia. More broadly, the novel examines the role of truth and facts within politics and the ways in which they are manipulated. The story takes place in an imagined future, the year 1984, when much of the world has fallen victim to perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, historical negationism, and propaganda. Great Britain, known as Airstrip One, has become a province of a totalitarian superstate named Oceania that is ruled by the Party who employ the Thought Police to persecute individuality and independent thinking. Big Brother, the leader of the Party, enjoys an intense cult of personality despite the fact that he may not even exist. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a diligent and skillful rank-and-file worker and Outer Party member who secretly hates the Party and dreams of rebellion. He enters into a forbidden relationship with a colleague, Julia, and starts to remember what life was like before the Party came to power.
Challenges:
Political and social themes
- Anti-totalitarianism: The novel’s direct criticism of totalitarian government, surveillance, and censorship has been found subversive by some authorities.
- Pro- or anti-communism: The book has been banned in different contexts for contradicting political ideologies. The USSR banned it for being anti-communist, while some have challenged it in the U.S. for being pro-communist.
- Fear of government control: The novel’s exploration of how a government can control thought, language, and reality has made some authorities uncomfortable with its potential to influence public thought.
Other controversial elements
- Sexual content: Some instances of the book being challenged cite its explicit sexual content as a reason for the ban.
- Violent language: In some cases, the book has faced challenges due to its “violent, sexually-charged language”.
Examples of bans and challenges
- USSR: Banned for being anti-communist.
- Vietnam: Denied certification for publication.
- United States:
- Challenged in Jackson County, Florida, for being “pro-communist” and for its sexual content.
- Appeared on lists of challenged books under Florida’s parental rights bills.
- Challenged in other states, such as Idaho, for using “violent, sexually-charged language”.