Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Adolf Hitler and Captain Underpants: Banned Books Week throws up some surprises

Mike Tweed
By Mike Tweed
Multimedia Journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
24 Sep, 2021 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Esther Newrick (left) and Rachel Smith with a selection of the ALA's top 100 most challenged books. Photo / Mike Tweed

Esther Newrick (left) and Rachel Smith with a selection of the ALA's top 100 most challenged books. Photo / Mike Tweed

Whanganui District Library is celebrating an unusual event over the next seven days - Banned Books Week.

The initiative was started by the America Library Association (ALA), which has been documenting attempts to ban books in libraries and schools around the world since 1990.

A challenge to a book is an attempt to remove or restrict materials based upon the objection of a person or group, while a ban is the total removal of those materials.

Whanganui District Library currently stocks 45 of the ALA's 100 most challenged and banned books between 2010 and 2019.

Learning and discovery librarian, Esther Newrick, said the books weren't held because they were on the list, it was because they were "classics".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Books can be challenged for any number of reasons, including religious objections, race, political viewpoints, sexual content, and offensive language.

"To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960, and it was still one of the most challenged books from 2010 to 2019," Newrick said.

"Often they're award-winning titles that have been turned into movies or TV series, like Catch 22, Lord of the Flies, and even Harry Potter."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Other books on the list include The Catcher in the Rye, Goosebumps, A Clockwork Orange, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and The Holy Bible.

New Zealand author Ted Dawe had his novel Into The River challenged and banned for six weeks in 2015, after concerns were raised about depictions of underage sex.

Discover more

Whanganui River Markets return in a limited capacity

23 Sep 05:00 PM
New Zealand

Pink Ribbon Appeal under threat in rural centres

24 Sep 05:00 PM

Whanganui & Partners move key events online

24 Sep 05:00 PM

Museum Notebook: The slow journey of TV to what it is today

26 Sep 04:00 PM

It was the first time a book had been subject to an interim restriction order in New Zealand in 22 years.

Unsurprisingly, Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler also made the top 100 list.

In 2018, the third most challenged book was the Captain Underpants series, because it was perceived as "encouraging disruptive behaviour".

Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir-Stinks-A-Lot was also challenged for including a same-sex couple.

Whanganui District Library stocks both Mein Kampf and Sir-Stinks-A-Lot.

Many books on the list have been turned into movies or TV series. Photo / Mike Tweed
Many books on the list have been turned into movies or TV series. Photo / Mike Tweed

Fellow learning and discovery librarian, Rachel Smith, said interest in novels like Into The River only spiked after they had been restricted.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"As soon as it was challenged, everybody wanted to read it. We had to remove it from the shelves, though.

"Even staff weren't allowed to take it during that time."

Newrick said the Whanganui District Library did deal with customers who objected to books from time to time.

"They might even write 'disgusting' or 'bad language' in the book itself. Sometimes words will be scratched out too."

"Maybe they think they're doing a service to other customers," Smith said.

At the end of the day, it was up to the individual to decide if they wanted to continue with a book or not, Newrick said.

"People are welcome to their opinions, as long as those opinions aren't stopping others accessing stuff.

"The role of the library is to give equal access to everyone. It's not really our role to censor.

"These books are really important, because even if they're challenging to start with, they get us talking, stimulate conversation and change views."

Whanganui District Library will be hosting a quiz and other events to celebrate Banned Books Week (September 26-October 2).

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Opinion

Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

11 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

11 Jul 06:00 PM

Former members are 'more than welcome' to return, RSA Welfare Trust president says.

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP