At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate. This far from civilization they can do anything they want. Anything. But as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far removed from reality as the hope of being rescued.

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Challenges and Bans:

• Violence and brutality: The novel contains graphic depictions of violence, including hunting, bullying, and murder, which some find inappropriate for a school setting. 
• Pessimistic view of human nature: Critics argue the book implies that humans are inherently evil or animalistic, a message some find demoralizing and unacceptable to teach. 
• Profanity and “lurid passages”: The book has been challenged for its use of profanity and what some describe as “lurid passages about sex”. 
• Racism and other “isms”: The novel’s language and themes have been called racist, while other critics point to alleged misogynistic and ableist implications. 
• Controversial scenes: Specific scenes, such as the brutal killing of the sow and its piglets, are often cited as examples of the book’s disturbing content. 

From Amazon:

The first book in Dav Pilkey’s megabest-selling Captain Underpants series, now available in SoundORama!

Fourth graders George Beard and Harold Hutchins are a couple of class clowns. The only thing they enjoy more than playing practical jokes is creating their own comic books. And together they’ve created the greatest superhero in the history of their elementary school: Captain Underpants! His true identity is SO secret, even HE doesn’t know who he is!

The Captain Underpants series is perfect for listeners of all ages. Like the other outrageously funny books by acclaimed author and Caldecott Honor illustrator Dav Pilkey, this adventure is sure to be hours of fun!

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Challenges and Bans:

• Offensive language: Some versions of the books have been challenged for using what some consider offensive language. 
• Partial nudity: The main character, Captain Underpants, wears only briefs and a cape, which has led to complaints about partial nudity. 
• Violence: The series has been challenged for violence, though the author argues the level of violence is comparable to superhero cartoons. 
• Disruptive behavior and questioning authority: Some have claimed the books encourage children to be disruptive and question authority, based on the premise of two mischievous schoolchildren. 
• Unsuited for age group: The series has been challenged for being inappropriate for its target age group. 
• Same-sex couple: A book in the series was challenged for featuring a same-sex married couple. 
• Racist imagery: A spin-off book, The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, was pulled by the publisher after the author acknowledged it contained “passively racist imagery” despite the intent to promote diversity. 

From Amazon: While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion, a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle—while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move—the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever.

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Challenges and Bans:

• Blasphemy and religious offense: The most common reason for the bans is that the book’s storyline is perceived as an attack on the divinity of Jesus Christ and other core Christian beliefs. 
• Fictional claims presented as fact: The controversy was amplified because the author included a “Fact Page” at the beginning of the book that presented fictional claims as if they were historical truths. 
• Negative portrayal of religious organizations: The book also portrayed the Catholic Church as having been involved in a two-thousand-year conspiracy and depicted the Opus Dei as a sinister organization, which drew strong criticism from many Catholics. 
• Historical inaccuracies: Critics also pointed to numerous inaccuracies in the book’s descriptions of art, architecture, and historical events, which they felt were used to spread false information. 

The FICTIONAL plot contains what many religious groups consider to be blasphemous claims about Christianity, such as the idea that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and had children. Some say the narrative presents these ideas as factual. It is considered to be an insult to religion in sone areas, leading to bans in places like Lebanon, Egypt, and some Indian states as well as limited areas in the U.S.

Formats: Kindle, Paperback, Library Binding

Description from Amazon: A gripping story of love and duty set in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the 1950s.

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father – despite his hard-won citizenship – Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

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This novel has its critics, especially in certain areas.

• LGBTQ+ Themes
• Alleged sexual content seemed to be the primary reason for its removal in South Carolina, although whether the scenes are explicit or merely suggestive seem to be debatable.
• Derogatory terms, such as “dyke” which is a point of contention for Moms for Liberty
• The primary censorship efforts are in South Carolina and Iowa.

Formats: Hardcover, Audiobook

Description from Amazon: Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family’s crops, Lakshmi’s stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.

He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at “Happiness House” full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.

An old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family’s debt—then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave.

Lakshmi’s life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother’s words—Simply to endure is to triumph—and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision—will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life?

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The challenges to the book:

• Sexually explicit content, as challenged by Moms for Liberty, who sometimes compare it to pornography
• Mature Themes: human trafficking and trauma
• Violence and brutality: sexual abuse, brutal and cruel treatment

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