Books have a numerous amount of ways to get banned. Book banning can cause the books not to be presented in certain places. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, was banned and challenged due to inappropriate language, rape, sexually explicit, racism, and not appropriate for certain age groups. Banning the books means to remove the books from libraries or take them away from the readers (Cho, 1). Challenging the books means that someone is attempting to remove the books from shelves or the readers. “Challenges are written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting that the books be removed or restricted (Censored, 1).
Anyone can request to challenge a book they do not agree with the content of (Cho, 1). Another way of challenging the books is to remove it from certain age groups such as moving it to a higher level (Censored, 1). One group that is known for challenging the books the most is the parents. (Cho, 1). Most librarians must go through certain training or programs for challenging books (Censored, 1). In 2007 there was an estimate of 420 books that were challenged or banned. As an individual parents have the most challenges (University, 1).
In a span of 9 years parents have banned/challenged a total of 2,500 by themselves. As a group schools have banned or challenged the most books. Librarians must go through that training because they are usually always at the head of challenging or banning books (Censored, 1). Librarians always separate their books into age levels because of the context of the book. The first thing a Librarian must do when a group or person is requesting a challenge is to contact the “Office for Intellectual Freedom” (OIF) before they do anything with the book.
The first way to challenge or attempt to ban a book is called an oral complaint (Cho, 1). The second way is a written complaint to the school or library. The third thing is a public attack, which is a way to get support from other people by talking to the media and making it become public. The fourth way is Expression of concern, which is asking about the content of the book, and talking about why they think it should be banned or challenged. The fifth and final way to challenge or attempt to ban a book is censorship. This is where the access of the book becomes difficult.
Changes in censorship include changes in level or age groups, restriction from the book or even removal. Lawyers are sometimes getting involved in the attempt of challenging books (Censorship, 1). Most people challenge the books because they want to protect themselves or others from the inappropriate ideas (Cho, 1). The number one way that a book has gotten challenged is because the book was sexually explicit (Crum, 1). Another main way the books get challenged is the bad language some authors use. Another way that books get banned is having the idea of homosexuality in their content.
Drugs play a major role to the readers and drugs are also a major effect on why books are being banned. Even though these are not the main focus of the books story people still challenge them (Censorship, 1). Some books are challenged just because of their title. Religious views our one way a book has also gotten banned because people don’t like the way the book was written because they are thinking they are trying to change their own views on religion (Crum, 1). Surveys from the “American Library Association,” (ALA) have come up with 85% of books that have been challenged are unreported (Censored, 1).
The “OIF” received 311 attempts to challenge books, in 2014. (Cho, 1). Some people such as librarians and school workers have even lost their jobs over parents challenging the books that they are letting their children read (Censored, 1). Since 1990 the “OIF” has been collecting data about books that have been challenged. Since they have started this data they have on recorded about 18,000 books that have been attempted to be challenged (Cho, 1). In one year a librarian contacts the “OIF” about 12 times a year over books that are up for challenging (Censored, 1).
President of the “ALA” says, “that the freedom to choose books for ourselves and our family is a right not a privilege. ” “The American Library Association” celebrates banned and challenged books week every year at the end of September. Judith King was the founder of “Banned Books Week. ” Judith believed that is all the people went against book banning they could over rule their challenges. There have been 11,300 book have been challenged since Judith founded “Banned Books Week. ” Some teens even fight against book banning. Most times the books doesn’t get banned because it takes away from other people from reading the books.
Some readers like to read the books that others think should be challenged, and when someone challenges the book it takes away from those readers (Censorship, 1). I chose a book titled, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. In 2008, it was the 9th most challenged book of all challenged books (University, 1). It moved up in the charts in 2012 to the 6th most challenged book. The Kite Runner was banned in the U. S. not in any foreign country. The Kite Runner was banned for many reason such as homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoints, violence, and sexually explicit (Censorship, 1).
In The Kite Runner the young boys don’t follow their religion, therefore, it was challenged for religious viewpoints (Hosseini, 55). In the book an elder boy rapes a little boy, and the book is challenged for homosexuality and sexually explicit (Hosseini, 66,67). The Kite Runner was also banned because of violence. The neighborhood bully’s like to beat up the 12 year old boys (Hosseini, 8). In The Kite Runner it says, “I took her from behind by that creek over there,” this is another reason why the banned was challenged for being sexually explicit and inappropriate language (Hosseini, 6).
Khaled Hosseini is a very successful man that had a rough child hood growing up. Hosseini was born is Kabul, Afghanistan, he says, “Afghanistan play a large part in who he is today” (Hoseeini, Khaled, 1). His mother was a teacher in Kabul, and his father was worked for the Afghan Foreign Ministry as a diplomat. Hosseini’s love for books was established when he was at a very young age. His childhood started getting rough when his family was forced to move to Paris, in 1976. They were able to return home in 1980, but when they did everything was destroyed because of the invasion of the Soviet Army.
Khaled graduated high school in 1984. Hosseini attended a total of 2 university’s including University of Santa Clara and the University of California. He studied to medicine at the University of California and received his medicine degree, in 1993. Hosseini says, “My novels are written from the heart , tales of fatherhood and motherhood. His first two novels sold more than 10 million copies in the U. S. and more than 38 million copies worldwide. Hosseini favorite piece that he has written is “The Kite Runner,” it has sold in more than 70 different countries. This book was published in 2003.
For over 100 weeks this book was on the “New York Times,” best seller list. Hosseini then kept his writing going and he published his second book in the year 2007. Hosseini’s secong novel, “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” was also a top selling book. Hoseeini didn’t publish another book for another 6 years and he finally publish, “And The Mountains Echoed,” in 2013. Khaled Hosseini owns his own foundation called, “The Khaled Hosseini foundation it was founded in 2006. This foundation helps raise money, shelter, and helps human recourses. They have raised over 35 thousand dollars.
It takes them almost 2,000 dollars to help the family and provide all the recourse the family needs. Khaled Hosseini received the Goodwill Envoy award, and most of his books were bestsellers. . Khaled Hosseini currently lives in Northern California. Hosseini would have never written “The Kite Runner” if he did not still believe in his Native culture. Authors are saying, “it is very hard to write a book” because they don’t know if the reader will not like the content and attempt to challenge the book (Censored, 1). Authors always fight against the censorship of their books to keep them on the shelves (Censored, 1).
My opinion on The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, should not have been banned. The book is just trying to show what life can be like. My opinion on book banning is that it should be dismissed, although, the parents and people are just trying to protect each other it takes away from readers. Anybody should be able to read what he or she wants. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, was banned with a various amount of ways. The books have been removed from many different schools and library’s due to “inappropriate” ways the book was written. Book banning has many more ways to be banned than you can imagine.