Intellectual Freedom

Here are a few (among the literally hundreds) of cases summarized in the most recent Banned Books publication: * Junie B. Jones and the Stupid, Smelly Bus: challenged in the second-grade curriculum in the Harmony Township, New Jersey, schools in 1998 because "it sends the message that extreme emotions such as hate are fine." * Baseball Saved Us: challenged on the second-grade reading list in the New Milford, Connecticut, schools in 2006 because it contained the word "Jap." * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: challenged in the Owen J. Roberts School District, Bucktown, Pennsylvania, in 2001 because "the books tell children ... that lying, cheating and stealing are not only acceptable, but that they're cute and they're cool." * I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: removed from the freshmen required reading list in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2006 because "the book's rape scenes and other mature content is too advanced for ninth graders." The teaching profession as a whole strongly supports the principles of intellectual freedom and the rights of students to have access to a wide range of materials to meet their diverse needs and interests.