Facts about the books go ask alice banned

Based on the diary of a fifteenyearold girl who turned to drugs because of her feelings of loneliness and rebellion against the world. As as child in high school i was 15, im 49 now, i read the book go ask alice, i was a loner i wanted cool friends. Beatrice sparks was an american therapist and mormon youth counselor who was known for producing books purporting to be the real diaries. As a highschooler,go ask alice shouldnt be banned because im mature enough to take in the intense content. Leading up to banned books week 2012, ala will highlight one book from its new timeline of banned and challenged books each day.

The book go ask alice was the reallife diary of a teenage girl. Go ask alice is my current read for banned books week. The list go ask alice has been one of the most frequently challenged books, according to the american library associations frequently challenged books of the 21st century list, since its publication in 1971, for content relating to drugs, sexual explicitness, offensive language, and inappropriate themes for the target age group frequently challenged 1. The book was written in 1967 and the song was originally written around 1965. As mentioned before, banned book week was celebrated the last week of september and into october. Kris from sf, ca this song was not written about the book go ask alice. Go ask alice by anonymous beatrice sparks go ask alice. If youd like to joining in there is a list of the books well be reading at the bottom of this post. Howif things have changed since the book was originally published. Scott fitzgerald is often best remembered, and perfection learning named it the top american literature title for the classroom. A banned book is a book removed from a school or library by a school system, parental group, religious group or government. Top books that were banned at schools whats your favorite banned book.

Supposedly based on a diary of a young teenage girl, the book had me gripped from beginning to end. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks with chrissi reads and lunas little library. According to the library journal 1978, in may of 1978, a british colombian school board voted 43 in favor of banning go ask alice as encouraging experimentation with drugs and sex and for having no redeeming social or literary value go ask alice 920. The song white rabbit predates the book go ask alice. Without books, much of todays entertainment would not be the same. Pressure to use drugs at school intensifies, as the kids harass alice and her family. All picture source titles are hyperlinked to the pages that they appear on this site. As it has been hailed by scholars as the epitome of the literary nonsense genre and by children for its vivid imagery and comical whimsy, it may surprise some to find lewis carrolls pseudonym for charles dodgson alices adventures in wonderland on a list of banned books. It was a brave decision on her part, but the text always stayed with me. Unlike film or tv, a book is only limited by an authors abilities as a writer. The book thief is an important book for the world to have circulating. Go ask alice by anonymous banned book but was it real. I didnt know it was in diary format or that it could possibly contain facts.

Go ask alice by anonymous beatrice sparks a story of order and a nightgown with little anchors then a book about an anonymous diary full of lies about drugs and a life not worth living. However, the ala keeps track of official challenges and go ask alice is a frequently challenged book. Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently. This is because of its strong commentary on sex, suicide. Our county has a group which reads the questionable book and determines whether its educational value exceeds the weight of the objections against it. Since its publishing in 1971 go ask alice has become one of the most controversial banned books. Of the 483 books challenged or banned in 2018, the top 11 most challenged books are. In the 21st century, a number of books and pieces of literature are still challenged and censored on a regular basis. While in no way do i agree with banning or restricting the ability to read a book, its reasons for being banned are legitimate within the guidelines.

Go ask alice definitely provided an interesting discussion for us all. Some books challenge the perception of everything while others can inspire a whole generation. Because this tragedy know as the holocaust happened so long ago it is hard to relate to it. Today we feature the year 1993 and go ask alice, by anonymous. The story starts off like any other book, with a normal day and a normal family. The book is written in diary form, but the author is anonymous. He and alice get to know each other better, as does her family. If go ask alice will continue to be banned, how will people like alice be able to relate.

Go ask alice was first published in 1971 and has since become one of the most banned books of all time. One reason this book should be banned is the use of vulgar language. Im sure the book was banned due to its drug use and sex references. But it is unfair to maintain that something is a true story when in fact. There are more than 5 million copies sold,so why ban it.

In 2006, there were a total of 63 challenges to books, materials, events, and exhibits in colorado public libraries. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years. Its difficult to pin the book as banned because the us doesnt officially ban books, specific organizations usually schools or libraries do. However, schools can ban books without this lengthy procedure. View the censorship by the numbers infographic for 2018. Alice meets a freshman at the university library, joel. Thoughts on go ask alice banned books week youtube. Go ask alice banned book project go ask alice when the. So many people mistake the words they are reading as a tool to promote what the book is talking about. For thirtyfive years, the acclaimed, bestselling firstperson account of a teenage girls harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. Banned and challenged books missouri secretary of state.

The perks of being a wallflower the earth, my butt, and other big round things by carolyn mackler the absolutely true diary of a parttime indian by sherman alexie. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach. It gives a unique perspective to a topic that can become cast aside by todays generations. Like a blink of an eye the main character turns towards drugs, sex, and running away. Only parents can decide if they want their children to read go ask alice. On the american library association ala list of the 100 most frequently challenged books of the 1990s, go ask alice was ranked at number 25. Also there is no exact tally of the number of places that ban a certain book. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication. Do you think the book go ask alice should be banned.

A case against banning go ask alice by hazel dela paz on prezi. A banned book is one that has actually been removed from a library or school system, a challenged book is. When celebrated, one of the focal points was the ten most challenged books from 2015. According to the american library association, the following contains reasons why books were banned in 2014. Fun facts there is a difference between challenging and banning a book. The top 5 banned books of this decade are the harry potter series by j. Go ask alice by anonymous, all bleeding hearts and shocking truths and primary. After reading go ask alice and preparing a research project on it, i feel that the biggest reason books are banned is because of depiction vs.

Go ask alice when the book was first published in 1971, the. They just choose not to order the books in the first place. Im now a mum and i decided a couple of years ago to read the book myself. Banned books week calls attention to the most challenged and banned books in the u. Authentic, tragic tale of teen drug addiction a classic. Go ask alice by anonymous beatrice sparks banned library. It began in 1982 in response to a growing number of attempts in different parts of the country to. Go ask alice is based on a true story about a teenager who becomes addicted to drugs. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. This was the lowest number of challenges since 2003. D espite the popularity of go ask alice, the mystery of the diarists identity has never been truly solved, and none of her relatives have ever come forward to claim a share of the royalties. I first read go ask alice when i was in middle school.

Of the 115 public libraries in the state, 23 had a challenge during the year. Title stance on the book 3 articles it was banned challenged in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, and 2009 it was banned usually in schools and libraries title. Books are essentially a gateway to another world through written word. Go ask alice is small, 224 under size pages and written in diary format so is a quick read. But, unlike some books and many movies these experiences are not glamorized at all. Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently banned books, according to. Top 10 most challenged books lists advocacy, legislation. Go ask alice, written originally in 1971 is still relevant today. A list of important facts about anonymouss go ask alice, including setting, climax, protagonists, and antagonists.

My very go ahead principal read it to the whole school in assembly over the course of a couple of weeks. However, the childrens bookabout a young girls dream of. View essay go ask alice banned book project from english english ii at leonia high. The ala office for intellectual freedom tracked 347 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2018. A personal opinion on the reasons why the book go ask alice.

Well be looking at why the book was challenged, howif things have changed since the book was originally published and what we actually think of the book. Go ask alice has also ranked among the most frequently challenged books for several decades due to its use of profanity and explicit references to sex and rape, as well as drugs. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks as anonymous banned books. Parents and school boards were worried that this book would encourage teens and preteens to try out drugs. In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage. I did give it an extra star in recognition of the fact that it probably read better decades ago. Go ask alice should be banned from middle school and elementary libraries and only permitted at the high school level because of the use of vulgar language, the use of illegal substances, and the explicit descriptions of the activities being done throughout the book.

I first heard of go ask alice when still in school in the 1980s. Some of the recurring reasons for it being banned are language, sexual content, and drug use. My plan was to read this for banned book week, and although i did not finish it during the week i meant to, i did finish it. The great gatsby, published in 1925, covers several characters living in the fictional town of west egg on long island during the height of the jazz age. Banned books master list absolutely true diary of a parttime indian, the by by sherman alexie a stolen life by jaycee dugard adventures of huckleberry finn, the by mark twain adventures of super diaper baby, the by george beard and harold hutchins adventures of tom sawyer, the by mark twain alice series by phyllis reynolds naylor.