Banned in the U.S.A. : a reference guide to book censorship in schools and public libraries /

This revised and expanded edition of Foerstel's book, whose first edition drew favorable reviews in 1994, deserves equal attention. The structure remains the same, but each chapter contains key updates and enhancements. The introduction adds a discussion of the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) and comments on recent issues concerning Internet filtering. The chapter "The Law of Bookbanning" addresses these issues in greater detail and includes a brief history of ALA's fight against the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). "Survey of Major Bookbanning Incidents" remains much the same, with two new incidents described, including an attempt to suppress the book Nappy Hair. The chapter "Voices of Banned Authors" incorporates updated statements from previously featured authors and adds conversations with David Guterson and Leslea Newman. The only completely new chapter, "Banned or Challenged Books, 1996-2000," provides a synopsis, background information, and lengthy account of challenges to 50 disputed books, including the Harry Potter series. Foerstel, a noted authority on intellectual freedom, supplies informative appendixes and an index that make this book a valuable resource for all libraries. R. M. Roberts Lincoln Land Community College

Best known in the library community for Surveillance in the Stacks: The FBI's Library Awareness Program (1991), Foerstel here offers four perspectives on censorship, covering major book-banning incidents from 1976 to 1992; court opinion and the relevant case law, which he aptly labels "unsettled"; the experiences and views of authors such as Judy Blume and Robert Cormier, whose books have been targeted by censors; and the content and censorship history of what he considers the 50 most frequently challenged books in the 1990s. His findings are based on reports from People for the American Way and the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom. However, the book, which is more a chronicle of censorship than a guide to dealing with it in a library, will be more useful as general nonfiction than professional reading. Librarians will find the fourth edition of the ALA's Intellectual Freedom Manual (1992) and the revised edition of Reichman's Censorship and Selection [BKL O 1 93] more practical and useful. On the other hand, Foerstel's is the perfect book to hand to students writing papers on censorship or anyone doing research on the topic. ~--Charles Harmon

Two recent publications explore the controversial and important issue of censorship in the press and in our schools and libraries. Phillips, editor of Censored 2003, is director of Project Censored, an investigative project conducted out of Sonoma State University studying freedom of information and the media. The project's network of students, faculty, and community evaluators annually assesses and ranks the top 25 news stories not adequately covered by the mainstream press in the preceding year. Stories featured in this year's publication examine controversial issues such as NAFTA, U.S. foreign policy, corporate malfeasance, labor reform, and public health. The source of the press coverage, a brief synopsis of the story, and an analysis of the reporting are included, and instructive essays contributed by scholars and writers examine such topics as grass-roots news and corporate dominance of the media. Two appendixes include a comprehensive directory of independent press publications and a guide to media activist organizations. A fascinating and disturbing look at our nation's media, this work is authoritative, well organized, and exhaustively documented. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries. In the revised and expanded edition of Banned in the U.S.A., Foerstel gives an enlightening analysis of censorship in U.S. schools and public libraries. Provided is a survey of major book-banning incidents in the United States, accessible background material on the legal history of book banning, new and updated interviews with banned writers, and a synopsis of the 50 most frequently challenged books from the period 1996-2000. A selected bibliography of works about censorship is also included. Recommended for school and public libraries that don't own the first edition or need information on challenges after 1996, the only area in which this book was expanded.-Katherine E. Merrill, Rochester P.L., NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The first edition of this book (Greenwood, 1994) has been a valuable reference tool for librarians and teachers who are dealing with censorship. Since its publication, book banning and Internet filtering issues have risen to epidemic levels. This edition continues with historical references to precedent cases, but updates the material by including in-depth accounts of new challenges to books in "A Survey of Major Bookbanning Incidents," and provides legal analysis of more recent cases in "The Law on Bookbanning." Such legal analysis also includes other First Amendment cases such as the CDA (Communications Decency Act) and COPA (Child Online Protection Act), tried before the Supreme Court in the late 1990s. "Voices of Banned Authors" includes updated remarks from writers such as Judy Blume and Katherine Paterson. Two additional writers have been added: David Guterson, author of Snow Falling on Cedars, and Lesla Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies. The final chapter, "The Most Frequently Banned or Challenged Books, 1996-2000," is completely reworked. Though some titles appeared on the previous list and continue to be an issue in libraries, books like "Harry Potter" now top the list. Librarians and teachers need this book, but patrons who want to better understand the threats to their First Amendment rights should be led to it as well.-Pat Scales, South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, Greenville (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.