...according to the Library of Congress, who offered this caveat:
“This list is a starting point,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “It is not a register of the ‘best’ American books – although many of them fit that description. Rather, the list is intended to spark a national conversation on books written by Americans that have influenced our lives, whether they appear on this initial list or not.”
And here's their blog post asking for your life-changing reads. (Mine, as I've mentioned here before, have mainly been children's books. It was less about the specific stories or mind-blowing writing for me, and more about realizing that there were a lot of other kids out there who were experiencing the same stuff. It sounds like a small thing, but it isn't. Realizing that you aren't alone? Pretty freaking huge, actually.)
Relatedly, the NCAC has created a short slideshow highlighting some of the titles on the LOC list that were banned at one point or another:
Great American (Banned) BooksView more PowerPoint from ncac
Some interesting links here. Thanks!
Posted by: neal | 23 June 2012 at 08:14 PM
It's a pretty solid list...but any word on why 88 instead of 90 or 100 or whatever?
Posted by: (monkey) steve | 23 June 2012 at 11:02 PM
Wow--that is actually EXACTLY why I want to write books for kids: to show them they're not alone. And no, it is definitely NOT a small thing.
As for 88 . . . I don't know. Maybe b/c it's the number of infinity? (weak ;-)
Posted by: Ilana Waters | 24 June 2012 at 05:30 PM