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Adapted from Banned Books Awareness: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger http://world.edu/banned-book-awareness- catcher-rye-jd-salinger/ http://world.edu/banned-book-awareness- catcher-rye-jd-salinger/ The Catcher in the Rye: A Censor-y Description

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Immediate Success Within two weeks of its 1951 release, J.D. Salingers novel rocketed to Number 1 on the New York Times best-seller list.

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Immediate Success On July 16, 1951, Nash K. Burger of The New York Times gave a glowing review of the novel: Holdens story is told in Holdens own strange, wonderful language by J.D. Salinger in an unusually brilliant novel, The Catcher in the Rye. The Book-of-the- Month Club has chosen it as its current selection. Mr. Salingers rendering of teen-age speech is wonderful: the unconscious humor, the repetitions, the slang and profanity, the emphasis, all are just right.

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And Immediate Censorship The book has been a favorite of censors ever since its publication. In 1960, school administrators at a high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, fired an English teacher for assigning the book to an 11 th grade class. He was later reinstated after winning his appeal. Between 1961 and 1982, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States. In 1981, it was both the most censored book and the second most taught book in public schools in the United States.

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And Immediate Censorship According to the American Library Association, The Catcher in the Rye was the 13 th most frequently challenged book from 1990-2000. It was one of the ten most challenged books in 2005.

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And Immediate Censorship Heres a breakdown of the last decade alone: 2010 challenged and/or banned for offensive language, being sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group 2009 challenged in Big Sky High School (Missoula, MT) 2006 challenged for sexual content, offensive language, and being unsuited to age group 2005 challenged, but retained as an assigned reading, in Noble High School (North Berwick, ME) 2002 removed in South Carolina as a filthy, filthy book. Challenged and retained in Georgia due to profanity. 2001 challenged repeatedly because of complaints that the book contained sex, violence, and profanity