ALA releases 2010 list of most challenged books

The American Library Association released this week its annual State of America’s Libraries reports, which includes its annual list of Top 10 List of Frequently Challenged Books for 2010.

The previous year’s most challenged books included:

- “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

- “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie

- “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley

- “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins

- “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins

- “Lush” by Natasha Friend

- “What My Mother Doesn’t Know” by Sonya Stones

- “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich

- “Revolutionary Voices,” edited by Amy Sonnie

- “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer.

Only two of these books were on the Top 10 list of most challenged books in 2009 – “And Tango Makes Three” and “Twilight.”

Books that fell out of the top 10 included “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger and “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker.

The American Library Association reported 348 challenges to books in 2010 and at least 53 outright bans on some books. They also noted that there were likely other challenges and bans that went undocumented.

According to their Web site, the library association defines a challenge as any effort “to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves.”

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The good folks up at the state tourism department released this week their list of Top 10 events to attend in May.

This month’s list includes the following events:

- 62nd Annual Blessing of the Fleet, Bayou La Batre, May 1

- The Regions Tradition Golf Tournament, Birmingham, May 3-8

- The 25th Annual Prattville CityFest, Prattville, May 6-7

- The Russell Cave 50th Anniversary Celebration & Native American Festival, Bridgeport, May 7-8

- Courage Under Fire (Photo Exhibit): The 1961 Burning of the Freedom Rider Bus in Anniston, Anniston, May 14-15

- The Pepper Place Saturday Market, Birmingham, May 14-Oct. 8

- The YellaWood Johnny Mack Brown Western Festival, Dothan, May 14

- Jubilee Cityfest, Montgomery, May 20-21

- The Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Festival, Decatur, May 28-29

- The 22nd Annual North Alabama “Down Home” Blues Festival, Hunstville, May 28

Personally, I was kind of surprised that the 32nd Annual Hank Williams Festival in Georgiana, which is scheduled for May 20-21, didn’t make the list. As many of you know from having attended past Hank Williams Festivals, this event attracts visitors from around the world and provides excellent family entertainment in the form of music, arts and crafts and food.

The Hank Williams Festival is also important because its helps fund Georgiana’s Hank Williams Museum, which is one of our area’s biggest attractions.

This year’s festival will include a number of performers, including Jett Williams, Brad Magness, Gene Watson, Jeff Whitlow, Jim Ed Brown, the Southern Legends and former members of The Drifting Cowboys.

For more information about this year’s festival and to buy tickets, visit its official Web site at www.hankwilliamsfestival.com.