Not everyone was amused by the John Oliver send-up of a picture book by the wife and daughter of Vice-President Mike Pence.
B次元官网网址淟ast Week Tonight With John Oliver Presents A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo,B次元官网网址� in which the PenceB次元官网网址檚 family bunny turns out to be gay, was among the books most objected to in 2018 at the countryB次元官网网址檚 public libraries. The bestselling parody ranked No. 2 on the list of B次元官网网址渃hallengedB次元官网网址� books compiled by the American Library Association, with some complaining about its gay-themed content and political viewpoint.
OliverB次元官网网址檚 book, credited to staff writer Jill Twiss, was a response to the PencesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淎 Day in the Life of Marlon BundoB次元官网网址� and to the familyB次元官网网址檚 conservative social viewpoint. The Pences themselves did not publicly object, and daughter Charlotte Pence has even said she purchased a copy of the B次元官网网址淟ast Week TonightB次元官网网址� book, noting that proceeds were going to charities for AIDS and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth.
The library association announced Monday that Alex GinoB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淕eorge,B次元官网网址� a middle-grade novel about a transgender child, was No. 1 on its list. Others included Angie ThomasB次元官网网址� bestseller about a teen girl whose friend is shot by police, B次元官网网址淭he Hate U GiveB次元官网网址� (drug use, profanity, B次元官网网址渁nti-copB次元官网网址� bias); and Dav PilkeyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐aptain UnderpantsB次元官网网址� series (same-sex couple, B次元官网网址渆ncouraging disruptive behaviourB次元官网网址�).
The report also includes Raina TelgemeierB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淒rama,B次元官网网址� Jay AsherB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭hirteen Reasons Why,B次元官网网址� Sherman AlexieB次元官网网址檚 prize-winning B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址漈he Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,B次元官网网址� Mariko and Jillian TamakiB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭his One SummerB次元官网网址� and Judy SchachnerB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪kippyjon JonesB次元官网网址� series. Books included on the list in previous years range from B次元官网网址淭o Kill a MockingbirdB次元官网网址� to the B次元官网网址淗arry PotterB次元官网网址� series.
The ALA usually lists 10 books, but included 11 this year because two tied for 10th place: Gayle E. PitmanB次元官网网址檚 and Kristyna LittenB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭his Day in June,B次元官网网址� and David LeviathanB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭wo Boys Kissing,B次元官网网址� both cited for LGBTQIA+ content and both among those burned last October in Orange City, Iowa, by the director of a B次元官网网址減ro-familyB次元官网网址� group called Rescue the Perishing.
Deborah Caldwell Stone, interim director of the library associationB次元官网网址檚 Office for Intellectual Freedom, said the protests from parents and other local residents about gay content reflected a B次元官网网址減ushbackB次元官网网址� as B次元官网网址渨riters work to be more inclusive of underrepresented or marginalized communities.B次元官网网址�
The list is part of the associationB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪tate of AmericaB次元官网网址檚 Libraries ReportB次元官网网址� and comes at the start of National Library Week, which begins Wednesday. The ALA defines a B次元官网网址渃hallengeB次元官网网址� as a B次元官网网址渇ormal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.B次元官网网址� The list is based on news reports and on accounts submitted from libraries, although the ALA believes many challenges go unreported. The association tracked 347 challenges last year, compared to 356 in 2017.
B次元官网网址淭he number has been fairly steady over the past few years,B次元官网网址� Stone said.
The ALA did not have a number for books actually pulled from library shelves or moved to an adult section.
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Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
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