Raising a Ruckus

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Children's books have often served as lightning rods for controversy, with topics considered taboo—Death! Race! Sex!—and notions of child-appropriateness triggering sharp debate and vigorous efforts to limit or bar access to certain books. While acts of censorship are often driven by overt political or cultural agendas, other, more ambiguous cases blur the line between blatant suppression and well-intentioned editorial—or parental—judgment.

In the United States, censorship has typically been instigated by self-appointed gatekeepers, not centralized governmental authorities. Cold War-era authors Garth Williams, Madeleine L'Engle, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, and Judy Blume saw their popular books routinely challenged, primarily by fundamentalist religious groups.

Nearly a century before, Mark Twain had divined an upside to such pious literary witch-hunts. When informed that the Concord, Massachusetts, public library had "expelled" Huckleberry Finn from its shelves, deeming it "trash," Twain crowed to his publisher, "That will sell 25,000 copies for us sure."


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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Written by Mark Twain

Illustrated by Edward W. Kemble

1884

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Pippi Långstrump

(Pippi Longstocking)

Written by Astrid Lindgren

Illustrated by Ingrid Vang-Nyman

1945

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The Rabbits' Wedding

Written and Illustrated by Garth Williams

1958

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A Wrinkle in Time

Written by Madeleine L'Engle

2012

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The Beast of Monsieur Racine

Written and Illustrated by Toni Ungerer

1971

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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

Written by Judy Blume

1972

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The Story of Little Black Sambo

Written by Helen Bannerman

1903

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Little Black Sambo

Written by Helen Bannerman

Illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren

1948

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Sam and the Tigers

Written by Julius Lester

Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

1996

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The Story of Little Babaji

Written by Helen Bannerman

Illustrated by Fred Marcellino

1996

Raising a Ruckus