Kelly wrote: "That is both disturbing and scary. I'm guessing that since the ALA is the American Library Association they are focusing on books challenged and banned in the US."

My guess too ... but you'd be surprised how easy reading materials can get you in trouble!

That is both disturbing and scary. I'm guessing that since the ALA is the American Library Association they are focusing on books challenged and banned in the US.

Beth wrote: "ALA just came out with their list of the most frequently challenged books for 2008. I thought others on this list might be interested.

"The ALA's Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 200..."

Unfortunately ALA does not encompass the range of banned material. Note

Australian arrested in Thailand for lese-majeste Sep 3, 2008

BANGKOK (Reuters) - An Australian writer has been arrested in Thailand and faces a lese-majeste charge for publishing a novel deemed defamatory to the country's royal family, police and the Australian embassy said on Wednesday.

An embassy official identified the man as a 41-year-old from Melbourne and police named him as Harry Nicolaides, who was unaware there was an arrest warrant out for him when he tried to fly out from Bangkok to Australia on Sunday.

"An arrest warrant was issued in March for a book he wrote in 2005 deemed defamatory to the crown prince," Police Lieutenant-Colonel Boonlert Kalayanamit told Reuters.

He has been charged with lese-majeste, a crime that can carry a 15-year jail sentence in Thailand, and was being held at a remand prison pending further interviews, Boonlert said.

Nicolaides, a regular visitor to Thailand and briefly a resident, when he taught English and wrote for Australian newspapers, had not been granted bail, police said.

Police identified the novel in question as "Verisimilitude", described in publicity dated June 2005 on the phuket-info.com website as a "trenchant commentary on the political and social life of contemporary Thailand".

Such things happen every day are are not carried into the 'banned books' lists. It is also dangerous to carry some written material into certain countries, even if it is not a well known title ... the book above was self-published and had few sales.

Unfortunately such information is not tracked or widely known. You may get into trouble for something you are not even aware of.

ALA just came out with their list of the most frequently challenged books for 2008. I thought others on this list might be interested.

"The ALA's Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2008 reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

1. "And Tango Makes Three," by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Anti-Family, Homosexuality, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2. "His Dark Materials Trilogy" (Series), Philip Pullman
Reasons: Political Viewpoint, Religious Viewpoint, Violence

3. "TTYL"; "TTFN"; "L8R, G8R" (Series), Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

4. "Scary Stories" (Series), Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, Religious Viewpoint, Violence

5. "Bless Me, Ultima," by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Sexually Explicit, Violence

6. "The Perks of Being A Wallflower," by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Drugs, Homosexuality, Nudity, Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Suicide, Unsuited to Age Group

7. "Gossip Girl" (Series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

8. "Uncle Bobby's Wedding," by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: Homosexuality, Unsuited to Age Group

9. "The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

10. "Flashcards of My Life," by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

Six titles were dropped from the list, including: "The Chocolate War," by Robert Cormier (challenged for sexually explicit content, offensive language and violence); "Olive's Ocean," by Kevin Henkes (for sexually explicit content and offensive language); "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain (for racism); "The Color Purple," by Alice Walker (for homosexuality, sexually explicit content and offensive language); "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," by Maya Angelou (for sexually explicit content); and "It's Perfectly Normal," by Robie Harris (for sexually explicit content).

For more information on book challenges and censorship, please visit the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom's Banned Books Week Web site at www.ala.org/bbooks."

http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/n...