Today we feature the year 1993 and go ask alice, by anonymous. Thirteen reasons why written by jay asher originally published in 2007, this new york times bestseller has resurfaced as a controversial book after netflix aired a tv series by the same name. Parents and school boards were worried that this book would encourage teens and preteens to. The dispute over the books authorship does not seem to have played any role in these censorship battles. Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently banned books, according to the american library association. Title stance on the book 3 articles it was banned challenged in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, and 2009 it was banned usually in schools and libraries title. The book and especially the ending shows the harsh reality of drugs and addiction in teenagers. The book was number 8 on the most challenged list in 2001 and up to number 6 in 2003. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication top 100 bannedchallenged books. Go ask alice the novel, or diary, deals with the downfall of a young teenage girl in america, and her journals over the course of two years and a few days. In the tradition of go ask alice and lucy in the sky, a harrowing account of anorexia and addiction. This personal account of a young girls spiral into drug addiction begins with her first diary entry.
Go ask alice teaches you what can happen when you get into drugs and its hard to stay away from them once you have started and know how easy it is to get ahold of them. Books similar to go ask alice meet your next favorite book. I know the book is over 40 years old but go ask alice really feels it. Since my original post ive discovered that research suggests that this book is truly a work of fiction and not based on a real person. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication top 100 banned challenged books. Glory days and other stories by gillian chan critically acclaimed collection of stories. Minnesota challenged at the osseo school district in brooklyn park after a school board found the books language personally offensive. Well be looking at why the book was challenged, howif things have changed since the book was originally published and what we actually think of the book.
Go ask alice anonymous in 1978, school boards in richmond and langley, b. Parents and school boards were worried that this book would encourage teens and preteens to try out drugs. But she just cant resist the way the drugs make her feelbeautiful and popular and connected to the world around her. Go ask alice should be banned from middle school and elementary libraries and only permitted at the high school level because of the use of vulgar language, the use of illegal substances, and the explicit descriptions of the activities being done throughout the book. The dates and locations mentioned in the book place its events as occurring between 1968 and 1970 in california. The list go ask alice has been one of the most frequently challenged books, according to the american library associations frequently challenged books of the 21st century list, since its publication in 1971, for content relating to drugs, sexual explicitness, offensive language, and inappropriate themes for the target age group frequently challenged 1.
Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age. Go ask alice, a diary of a teenage girl who fell into drug use and. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks as anonymous banned books. Published in 1971, the book is presented as the diary of a teenage girl and details her troubled life, particularly emphasizing the reality and perils of teen drug addiction. At the beginning of the book, alice is a typical, insecure, middleclass teenager preoccupied with boys, diets, and popularity. Im sure the book was banned due to its drug use and sex references. Go ask alice has also ranked among the most frequently challenged books for several decades due to its use of profanity and explicit references. In richmond, students sent a petition to the school board to protest the ban, and the richmond teacher librarians. The story starts off like any other book, with a normal day and a normal family. This is appropriate for all ages, it is good for everyone to know what can happen if you get. Due to its frequent and strong references to sex, heavy drug usage, and teen pregnancy, libraries and schools across the country have banned the novel as it sits at number 23 on the american library association ala 100 most. Some of the recurring reasons for it being banned are language, sexual content, and drug use. In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, teachingbooks supports the first amendment and celebrates the right to read. The book is written in diary form, but the author is anonymous.
Go ask alice snatched from students national coalition against. The perks of being a wallflower the earth, my butt, and other big round things by carolyn mackler the absolutely true diary of a parttime indian by sherman alexie. Go ask alice was first published in 1971 and has since become one of the most banned books of all time. Jays journal is a book presented as an autobiographical account of a depressed teenage boy who becomes involved with a satanic group. Her fortunes take a sharp turn for the worse when her family moves to a new town and she finds. Go ask alice, beatrice sparks in 1968, a 15yearold girl begins keeping a diary, in which she records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and relating to her parents. Poignant and unflinchingly honest, her story is a tragedy that is repeated in towns and cities across the country. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book. Supposedly based on a diary of a young teenage girl, the book had me gripped from beginning to end. With over a million copies in print, go ask alice has become a classic of our time. The book is based on true events of 16yearold alden barrett from pleasant grove, utah, who committed suicide in 1971.
As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. In richmond, students sent a petition to the school board to protest the ban, and the. Published in 1971, the book is presented as the diary of a teenage girl and details her troubled life, particularly emphasizing the reality and. Only parents can decide if they want their children to read go ask alice. In richmond, students sent a petition to the school board to protest the ban, and the richmond teacherlibrarians. For thirtyfive years, the acclaimed, bestselling firstperson account of a teenage girls harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. Go ask alice by anonymous if you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. This powerful reallife diary of a teenagers struggle with the seductive often fatal world of drugs and addiction tells the truth about drugs in strong and authentic voice. Go ask alice has also ranked among the most frequently challenged books for several decades due to its use of profanity and explicit references to sex and rape, as well as drugs. A lot of the time i dont notice age with books when im lost in a story but i dont think the text has dated well. A photograph is a secret about a secret, diane arbus famously said. A mothers objection to language in go ask alice so stirred the principal thatwith no time for discussionhe demanded that the books be.
Go ask alice is one of the most banned books of all time. Go ask alice by anonymous banned book but was it real. Go ask alice is based on a true story about a teenager who becomes addicted to drugs. Go ask alice, which reads like a diary, describes a teenage girls experiences with narcotics and sex. Thoughts on go ask alice banned books week youtube. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks as anonymous first published. Go ask alice, a diary of a teenage girl who fell into drug use and committed suicide, is the most frequently censored book in high school libraries, according to a survey of librarians. Since its publishing in 1971, go ask alice has become one of the most challenged and banned books of all time. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication. The novel has numerous references to sex, heavy drug use, and teen pregnancy causing libraries and schools across the country to ban the novel from their. In honor of banned books week, jo asked a few of us booktubers to pick a banned book and make a video on it. Our team members have advanced degrees in public health, health education, medicine, counseling, and a number of.
All picture source titles are hyperlinked to the pages that they appear on this site. She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. Like a blink of an eye the main character turns towards drugs, sex, and running away. It graphically describes the waking hell into which the main character descends, her heartfelt but futile battles to return home and stay clean, her pleas to god to. The book was adapted into the 1973 television film go ask alice, starring jamie smithjackson and william shatner. Go ask alice this book is on the challenged book list. Top 10 most challenged books lists advocacy, legislation. By anonymous go ask alice, which reads like a diary, describes a teenage girls experiences with narcotics and sex. The american library association listed go ask alice as number 23 on its list of the 100 most frequently challenged books of the 1990s. Of the 416 books challenged or banned in 2017, the top 10 most challenged books are. Banned books according to, more than 60% of teens are doing or have done drugs at one time. It sits at number 18 on the american library associations list of 100 most frequently challenged books from 20002009. It has been banned in some schools and libraries in the. Shannon lark as the rabbit sallie smith as alice asked in united kingdom, alices adventures in wonderland book, banned and challenged books was alice.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. She is a typical teenager, adjusting to school, struggling with friendships, noticing boys, and concerned with finding her place in high school. Maybe its partly to blame for the disconnect i felt to the characterstory. Go ask alice is my current read for banned books week. But, unlike some books and many movies these experiences are not glamorized at all. Every time after she uses, she feels guilty and low and vows to stay away. Go ask alice by anonymous epistolary novel that describes a teenage girls experiences with narcotics and sex. After participating in several occult rituals, jay believes he is being haunted by a demon named raul. Go ask alice by anonymous about the book she doesnt want to get hooked on drugs. Go ask alice by anonymous beatrice sparks banned library. Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently banned books, according to the.
Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years. She is a pretty typical teenage girl in the late 1960sshes mostly concerned with school, boys, her hair, and fitting in okay, thats pretty typical for any decade when her fathers new job causes her family to move across the country, alice is thrust into a new school at a time when she is at best sensitive. The diary begins right before alices fifteenth birthday. She gets a fever and has to go the hospital with help of someone. Based on a 15yearolds diary, go ask alice is the intimate account of one girls fatal journey into the world of drug addiction. At the johnstown, ny high school, go ask alice was challenged as a required reading assignment because of numerous obscenities.
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