Im an advocate for banned stories that teach difficult lessons the easier way, and go ask alice definitely falls into this category. Jul 17, 2016 ohio banned from plain citys jonathan alder school district. Captain underpants series, by dav pilkey captain underpantsadmittedly a kids book. This book deals with some very serious issues, namely teenage drug.
May 16, 2017 go ask alice in the book, go ask alice, a young girl, who felt like an outcast, was invited to a party. Lines from go ask alice that, in hindsight, should have. Although being anonymous during the mid 1980, beatrice sparks, a teen. Jul 03, 2014 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. In honor of banned books week, jo asked a few of us booktubers to pick a banned book and make a video on it. But when she attends a party and drinks a soda laced with lsd, she begins a drawnout addiction to drugs that slowly but brutally takes over her life. My plan was to read this for banned book week, and although i did not finish it. Go ask alice is a novel by youth counsellor beatrice sparks, first published in 1971. Go ask alice by anonymous beatrice sparks go ask alice. Sep 01, 2008 do you think the book go ask alice should be banned. Only parents can decide if they want their children to read go ask alice.
Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication. The most dangerous book i read when i was about was probably go ask alice. It has been banned from school libraries, and due to it being so controversial its hard to find. Pico, the school board attempted to ban go ask alice, which they described as antiamerican, antichristian, antisemitic, and just plain filthy, because of vulgar language board of education v. A case against banning go ask alice by hazel dela paz on prezi. 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. Named for grace slicks mindexpanding white rabbit lyrics and credited to anonymous, the book seemed specially designed to scare young readers away from experimenting with. In 1971 a novel was published under the name of go ask alice, the book was released.
A personal opinion on the reasons why the book go ask alice. However, the defendant claimed that removing books from school libraries inflicted on students first amendment rights. Do you think the book go ask alice should be banned. Due to its frequent and strong references to sex, heavy drug usage, and teen pregnancy, libraries and schools across the country have banned. Luckily, banned book guardian angel judy blume has spoken on the books behalf against critics. Go ask alice in the book, go ask alice, a young girl, who felt like an outcast, was invited to a party. Michigan removed from school libraries in saginaw due to language and sexual content. Published in 1971, at the height of the psychedelic era, go ask alice is a visceral and harrowing depiction of a teenage girls fatal decline into drugs. The author, through this book, doesnt wants his readers to look for advise in it, but to learn about the real world in which some teenagers have to live through. Go ask alice definitely provided an interesting discussion for us all.
Authentic, tragic tale of teen drug addiction a classic. The alas office for intellectual freedom oif receives reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. Im sure the book was banned due to its drug use and sex references. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years. Thoughts on go ask alice banned books week youtube. In go ask alice, the diary is written by a teenage girl over a twoyear period and chronicles her experiences with drugsmainly marijuana, acid, and speed. Attributed to anonymous, the book is in diary form, and was originally presented as being the edited real diary of the unnamed teenage protagonist. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age. Oct 03, 2016 this is my second read of go ask alice, and i loved it just as much the second time around.
The novel was promoted as the real life diary of an unknown teenage girl who. As a highschooler,go ask alice shouldnt be banned because im mature enough to take in the intense content. The 1971 novel, go ask alice, effectively illustrates what adolescence can be like for someone actively experiencing it. Young adult bannedchallenged books books written for ya audiences, those featuring a ya main character. There are more than 5 million copies sold,so why ban it. Go ask alice by anonymous teenagers of every race, religion, and clique relate deeply to the words of the anonymous teenager within the book go ask alice, by an anonymous girl whose life enters a place where, as most teenagers, she has no idea who to turn to, or where to go. Attributed to anonymous, the book is in diary form, and was originally presented as being the edited real diary of the unnamed teenage p. 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 frequently challenged books from 19902001. At the johnstown, ny high school, go ask alice was challenged as a. This is my second read of go ask alice, and i loved it just as much the second time around.
Go ask alice is a 1971 novel by beatrice sparks that bills itself the reallife diary of an anonymous teenage girl. Sep 23, 2014 in honor of banned books week, jo asked a few of us booktubers to pick a banned book and make a video on it. The anonymous diarist in the 1971 book go ask alice is just a normal 15yearold girl dealing with crushes, friendships, a new move and body image. Supposedly based on a diary of a young teenage girl, the book had me gripped from beginning to end. Published in 1971, the book is presented as the diary of a teenage. Sep 14, 2012 at the johnstown, ny high school, go ask alice was challenged as a required reading assignment because of numerous obscenities. Jan 04, 2008 was go ask alice the reallife diary of a teenage girl.
She was so excited to finally be accepted by them, all she ever really wanted was to be one of. The kids who were there were considered popular at her old school. It has sold over four million copies, was adapted as a tv movie with william shatner, and is still in print over 40 years later. Please join us the last monday of november when we will be discussing lunas banned book choice annie on my mind by nancy garden. On another note i read the book in highschool, its good but somewhat disturbing.
Novel versus the movie adaption of go ask alice essay cram. Its a diary about a teenage girl who abuses drugs and eventually overdoses. Go ask alice is based on the actual diary of a fifteenyearold drug user. The thoughts, emotions, trials, changes, and the everyday roller coaster that is a part of teenage life are captured in the pages of this fifteenyearolds diary. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. I know the book is over 40 years old but go ask alice really feels it.
As as child in high school i was 15, im 49 now, i read the book go ask alice, i was a loner i wanted cool friends. Challenges in 1978, school boards in richmond and langley, b. In richmond, students sent a petition to the school board to protest the ban, and. Go ask alice was first published in 1971 and has since become one of. Since its publishing in 1971, go ask alice has become one of the most challenged and banned books of all time. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks goodreads share book. 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. In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage. While not a feelgood story, go ask alice has been praised for its candid portrayal of addiction and realistic teen voice. Oct 27, 2014 go ask alice definitely provided an interesting discussion for us all.
Some of the recurring reasons for it being banned are language, sexual content, and drug use. 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. For our final project my group read the book go ask alice by anonymous. It has also been banned time and time again, generally because of its depictions of drug use and sex and for using offensive language. She was so excited to finally be accepted by them, all she ever really wanted was to be one of them. A banned book is a book removed from a school or library by a school system, parental group, religious group or government. 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. Its said that the author of the book upon which this movie was based wrote it as a work of. Its mostly due to the expectations parents have for their children because establishment parental units, and the necessary acts of rebellion kids go through during puberty. When the family moves for the collegeenglishprofessor fathers new job, alice apprehensively approaches the unfamiliar and befriends another shy girl.
Sep 23, 2014 banned books week banned ya novels we love. Go ask alice was originally published in 1971 in the format of a teenage girls diary. Go ask alice, a diary of a teenage girl who fell into drug use and. Go ask alice, which reads like a diary, describes a teenage girls experiences with narcotics and sex. In richmond, students sent a petition to the school board to protest the ban, and the richmond teacherlibrarians association supported them. I am always on the look out for classics and banned books often one and the same when i seen a copy of this book. This is a pretty common teenage sentiment, if you ask us. Bookbanners like to take go ask alice out of libraries because they. Go ask alice by anonymous beatrice sparks banned library. It is, however, a highly personal and specific chronicle. I read it when i was in the seventh grade and was absolutely terrified by the searingly honest portrayal of what i assumed it felt like to do drugs. I think ill go into child guidance when i get out of school. If go ask alice will continue to be banned, how will people like alice be able to relate. 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.
At the time, it was sold as a non fiction book, the diary of a real middle class, white, american, teenage girl. Her fortunes take a sharp turn for the worse when her family moves to a new town and she finds. Book banners like to take go ask alice out of libraries because they. Feb 07, 2016 the 1971 novel, go ask alice, effectively illustrates what adolescence can be like for someone actively experiencing it. Go ask alice, written by an anonymous author, is a diary kept by a fifteenyearold drug user. 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. The story is a look into a teenage girls life as she gets mixed up in the tragic life of drugs. It is famous for its drugs are bad message, being banned for references to sex, rape and drugs, and almost certainly being a fake. When the family moves for the collegeenglishprofessor fathers new job, alice apprehensively approaches the unfamiliar and befriends another shy girl, beth, who shares her outsider status. I chose go ask alice and it is certainly the strangest book ive read this year. This book is an honest account of a young person finding themselves accidentally in the world of addiction. It is not a definitive statement on the middleclass, teenage drug world. Powtoon gives you everything you need to easily make professional videos and presentations that your clients, colleagues, and friends will love. Mar 23, 2017 published in 1971, at the height of the psychedelic era, go ask alice is a visceral and harrowing depiction of a teenage girls fatal decline into drugs.
Go ask alice has also ranked among the most frequently challenged books for several decades due to its use of profanity and explicit references. 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 by anonymous banned book but was it real. The novel was compelling while the history behind the story was even more engaging. New york removed from school libraries in levittown due to language and sexual content. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the. Novel versus the movie adaption of go ask alice essay. Challenged as a reading assignment at hanahan middle school in berkeley county 2008 because of blatant, explicit language using. As powerful and as timely today as ever, go ask alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. Somehow, i have never gotten around to reading go ask alice before. Sep 29, 2015 the anonymous diarist in the 1971 book go ask alice is just a normal 15yearold girl dealing with crushes, friendships, a new move and body image. Apr 25, 2014 go ask alice is a 1971 novel by beatrice sparks that bills itself the reallife diary of an anonymous teenage girl. Rather than being a real life diary of a young drug.
Go ask alice is small, 224 under size pages and written in diary format so is a quick read. We compile lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools. This story scares the hell out of you through a teenage girl. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks is an epistolary work, meaning that is structured as a series of entries such as letters or in this case, a diary. Virginia removed from warm springs sophomore english class for language and indecent situations 1998 rhode island principal in tiverton middle school confiscated the book from a class while reading.
As such, we hope it will provide insights into the. Go ask alice was first published in 1971 and has since become one of the most banned books of all time. Essay about go ask alice by anonymous 837 words bartleby. 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. So many people mistake the words they are reading as a tool to promote what the book is talking about. Young adult banned challenged books books written for ya audiences, those featuring a ya main character. My plan was to read this for banned book week, and although i did not finish it during the week i meant to, i did finish it. 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.
Top books that were banned at schools whats your favorite banned book. At the beginning of the book, alice is a typical, insecure, middleclass teenager preoccupied with boys, diets, and popularity. Creating film adaptations for movies has become very common because directors can be sure that their target audiences are intrigued by the topic of their future film. Go ask alice is my current read for banned books week. Go ask alice by anonymous reading guidebook club discussion. At the johnstown, ny high school, go ask alice was challenged as a required reading assignment because of numerous obscenities. It is the story of a troubled young woman who seeks solace in drugs and the counterculture. Parents and school boards were worried that this book would encourage teens and preteens to try out drugs. I knew of it but all i really knew is that it is considered a classic, was anonymous and was about a teenage girls descent into addiction. Told in the first person perspective of an unnamed teenage girl, who is just trying to fit in. But, unlike some books and many movies these experiences are not glamorized at all. It graphically describes the waking hell into which the main character descends, her heartfelt but futile battles to. Opinion on the reasons why the book go ask alice should not be banned.
Sep 16, 2012 go ask alice 1973 full movie miss flowahs. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks as anonymous banned. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks as anonymous banned books october 27, 2014 october 23. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after. Attributed to anonymous, the book is in diary form, and was originally presented as being the edited real diary of the unnamed teenage. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks as anonymous banned books. A story of order and a nightgown with little anchors then a book about an anonymous diary full of lies about drugs and a life not worth living. There is an alice in the book go ask alice, but shes a minor character mentioned in only one paragraph.
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