Why was James and the Giant Peach condemned to the banned books list?

Question

It's such a great book - what kind of an idiot would put this book on the 'banned book list'?!?!

WHY?!?!?!?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

In the case of James and the Giant Peach, a challenge was brought to the school advisory council in Indian River County, Florida, because of the story's mystical element: magic crocodile tongues given to James by a mysterious old man serve as fertilizer to his aunts' decrepit peach tree.

The Times of London reported that James and the Giant Peach was once banned in a Wisconsin town because a reference to Spider licking her lips could be "taken in two ways, including sexual."

Other challenges to James and the Giant Peach are a bit more conventional. The use of the word "***" led to a 1991 challenge in Altoona, Wisconsin. One year later, a woman in Hernando County, Florida, took issue with Grasshopper's statement, "I'd rather be fried alive and eaten by a Mexican!", as well as references to snuff, tobacco and whiskey. Her complaints to her 10-year-old daughter's school principal led to review by the regional school board.

Source(s):

http://www.bookslut.com/banned_bookslut/…

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

"spider licking lips"?!?
that's my FAVORITE PART!! OOOOOHHHH YEAAAHHHHH!!!!!

but seriously, WHO actually thinks of these things when reading Roald Dahl?!?
dumbidiots.
you might as well just ban hello kitty

Answer 2

I didn't even know that it was on the "banned book" list! That is not right! They shouldn't even have a "banned book" list! that is stupid.

Answer 3

because the world is cracked today, harry potter's on there as well, i am christian but honestly it seems like christen groups control the banned list and put books on there that hurt our faith, but that's dumb as hell, banned books my butt hole

Answer 4

Probably the kind that can't read or write.

Answer 5

the original book James and the Giant Peach was banned from children's libraries in various places. It seems that the "magical" worm-things in the beginning seemed eerily like drug abuse to the Powers That Be. So in enjoying James and the Giant Peach, you can simultaneously amuse yourself and thumb your nose at the idiots who would ban books for foolish or spurious reasons.

Answer 6

http://www.bookslut.com/banned_bookslut/…

I have read a couple of things that indicate the book was too adult for children...whatever

Answer 7

Apparently it promotes drugs and disobedience.
Some books are challenged for crazy reasons.

Source(s):

i am a librarian. we do a banned book display every year at our library.

Answer 8

An idiot idiot.

Answer 9

Are you serious. What is the point of a banned book list. If there going to put that on the list they might as well put Cat in the Hat on the list to, cause it makes kids dream about talking cats and letting them in their house when no ones home. What is this world coming to?