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The Day They Came to Arrest the Book
Who would have believed that The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn could cause the worst crisis in the history of George Mason High School? Certainly not Barney Roth, editor of the school paper. But when a small but vocal group of students and parents decide that the book is racist, sexist, and immoral—and should be removed from reading lists and the school library—Barney takes matters into his own hands.
When the Huck Finn issue comes up for a hearing, Barney decides to print his story about previous censorship efforts at school. He's sure that investigative reporting and publicity can help the cause. But is he too late to turn the tide of censorship?
When the Huck Finn issue comes up for a hearing, Barney decides to print his story about previous censorship efforts at school. He's sure that investigative reporting and publicity can help the cause. But is he too late to turn the tide of censorship?
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
13 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
About the author
Nat Hentoff
119 books41 followersNathan Irving "Nat" Hentoff was a historian, novelist, music critic, and syndicated columnist. As a civil libertarian and free-speech activist, he has been described by the Cato Institute—where he has been a senior fellow since 2009—as "one of the foremost authorities on the First Amendment" to the U.S. Constitution. He was a staff writer for The New Yorker for over 25 years, and was formerly a columnist for The Village Voice for over 50 years, in addition to Legal Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and The Progressive, among others. Since 2014, he has been a regular contributor to the conservative Christian website WorldNetDaily, often in collaboration with his son Nick Hentoff.
Hentoff was a Fulbright Fellow at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1950 and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in education in 1972. The American Bar Association bestowed the Silver Gavel Award in 1980 for his columns on law and criminal justice, and five years later his undergraduate alma mater, Northeastern University, awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Law degree. While working at the Village Voice in 1995, the National Press Foundation granted him the W.M. Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award. He was a 1999 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary, "for his passionate columns championing free expression and individual rights," which was won by Maureen Dowd. In 2004 he became the first non-musician to be named an NEA Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts.
Hentoff lectured at many colleges, universities, law schools, elementary, middle and high schools, and has taught courses in journalism and the U.S. Constitution at Princeton University and New York University. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (F.I.R.E.) and is on the steering committee of the Reporters' Committee for the Freedom of the Press.
Hentoff was a Fulbright Fellow at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1950 and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in education in 1972. The American Bar Association bestowed the Silver Gavel Award in 1980 for his columns on law and criminal justice, and five years later his undergraduate alma mater, Northeastern University, awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Law degree. While working at the Village Voice in 1995, the National Press Foundation granted him the W.M. Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award. He was a 1999 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary, "for his passionate columns championing free expression and individual rights," which was won by Maureen Dowd. In 2004 he became the first non-musician to be named an NEA Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts.
Hentoff lectured at many colleges, universities, law schools, elementary, middle and high schools, and has taught courses in journalism and the U.S. Constitution at Princeton University and New York University. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (F.I.R.E.) and is on the steering committee of the Reporters' Committee for the Freedom of the Press.
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November 29, 2025
تتسبب رواية "مغامرات هكلبري فن" لمارك توين في إشتعال معركة كبرى داخل مدرسة ثانوية، وذلك بسبب احتواءها بعض الكلمات المسيئة للأمريكيين من أصول إفريقية، والتي تُثير حفيظة أبناء ذلك العرق من طلاب المدرسة. تنقسم المدرسة لحزبين، حزب يُصر على الانتصار لحرية الفكر والرأي والابقاء على الكتاب، والآخر "الطلاب ذوي الأصول الأفريقية" يتمسك باستبعاد نسخ هذه الرواية والتي تمثل تهديداً-من وجهة نظرهم-لحقوق تم انتزاعها بصعوبة بعد قرون من الخضوع لذل العبودية.
فأي الحزبين يجب علينا أن ننحاز له؟
قصة طريفة تستفز العقل وتجعله في حالة تساؤل دائمة عن الخطأ والصواب. ورغم انها كُتبت في الثمانينات، إلا انها تستحق أن تظهر مجدداً في وقتنا الحالي كرواية ذات موضوع لا يتقادم، قضية حظر الكتب والرقابة عليها وفرض سيطرة ذوي السلطة (أياً كان اتجاه فكر تلك السلطة) على عقل الجماهير.
ربما ما زال يعاني كل جزء من العالم من شكل من أشكال الرقابة على الفكر. لا نستثني أكثر دول العالم تحضراً من تلك السيطرة. فأيضاً هناك قضايا لم يعد من حق المرء أن يكون له رأياً مُخالفاً فيها عن رأي الأغلبية، ولنا في موجة "الصوابية السياسية" أكبر مثل على ذلك، والتي خرجت من نطاق الدفاع عن حقوق الإنسان وتحولت لنوع جديد من أنواع الاستبداد بالرأي. فالبشرية تكرر نفس الأخطاء على مر التاريخ ولا تتعلم منها.
يمكن قراءة هذا الكتاب على موقع انترنت أركيف، وهذا الموقع به الكثير من الكتب المجهولة ذات مستوى أدبي شديد التميز. حقيقةً هو كنز يستحق الانتباه له من محبي القراءة.
The thing i loved most about this book is that i couldn't decide which side should I take?
While the fierce fight was going on between the two parties, the school librarian was the only person who listened to the sound of reason. She was the only one who realized that it wasn't about who would win and who would not. But it was about listening to what the other wanted to tell you through all his shouting and yelling to prove his point.
I strongly recommend this book to every teacher who wants to teach his students about what debating is all about.
January 5, 2008
I work in a middle school library, and this book was recommended by the School Librarian Association. It was pretty interesting, mostly in that Hentoff never completely closed the issue of who wins or loses in a censorship fight. I'd definitely steer my students toward it.
May 21, 2011
What a fascinating fictional book about censorship in schools!
The book is written for a young adult audience, but I think anyone could benefit from reading it. It is about a father who tries to get Huckleberry Finn removed from a school because of racial words used in the book. When some teachers and the librarian refuse the principles request to appease this parent, more groups get involved saying that the book is also sexist, or immoral. As the battle grows, the students are pitted against each other, teachers are pitted against each other, and the entire town is divided until even the national news gets in on the story.
There were scenes in the book when the two sides are arguing their points that were so eloquently written and the word so carefully chosen, that even I found myself siding with sides that were opposed to my views on the matter of censorship.
A truly powerfully written book.
The book is written for a young adult audience, but I think anyone could benefit from reading it. It is about a father who tries to get Huckleberry Finn removed from a school because of racial words used in the book. When some teachers and the librarian refuse the principles request to appease this parent, more groups get involved saying that the book is also sexist, or immoral. As the battle grows, the students are pitted against each other, teachers are pitted against each other, and the entire town is divided until even the national news gets in on the story.
There were scenes in the book when the two sides are arguing their points that were so eloquently written and the word so carefully chosen, that even I found myself siding with sides that were opposed to my views on the matter of censorship.
A truly powerfully written book.
October 4, 2011
Do not read this book if you are a fan of good literature. It is repetative. bland, and doesn't catch your attention. For this reason, i say again, do not read this book.
December 6, 2021
I read the back of the book and thought it would be fun to read because it's a short book and I don't agree with the stance Barney takes (as far as I can tell from the back), so I started it.
One thing I noticed was how it makes Ms. Baines, the one fighting against the censorship, sound levelheaded, practical, smart, well-spoken, and passionate while it makes the principal, fighting for the censorship, sound manipulative, passive-aggressive, egotistical, and petty. While he's only doing this to appease some of the parents and wouldn't give a crap about the book if they weren't coming after it, it's interesting that the book subtly tells you which side to be rooting for, by making one side likable and the other barely tolerable. Even though I'm on the side of the principal and Gordon's dad, I still find myself wanting Ms. Baines to win because she's insulted and belittled by the principal who doesn't take her complaints seriously even when she brings good arguments and counter-arguments, unlike the principal who is more focused on how she argues instead of on what she's arguing for.
In chapter four, the librarian says she was at a private school for girls. When asked why she left, she says, "I wanted to work where there were all different kinds of students. A livelier place." A few problems I have with that. One, she never says what demographic the private school was, which makes it sound like her problem is that the girls were all the same (and since she's not talking about demographic we can assume that, despite how unique and different humans are, she thinks the girls were all the same somehow. Sounds to me like she didn't really get to know any of them well, or form any friendships). Two, sounds like the only problem with the school was that it was only girls, and she wanted more boys (this is not only insulting to girls but also gives off creepy pedo vibes that I'm pretty sure the book is not trying to give). Three, saying she wants a place "livelier" indicates that because it was all girls, it was boring and didn't stimulate her brain. Again, insulting to those girls and again tells me you really didn't take the time to get to know any of them if that's what you came away with. You don't need to be a feminist, you don't even need to be a female, to see the issue with this. It may sound like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, and that because there's nothing in this book to pick on, I pick on the small stuff. It is small, for sure, but it's usually the small stuff that we should look at, because the big stuff is usually a no-brainer: if she'd said "because girls are inferior to boys", everyone would understand the problem. But the small stuff is easy to miss or let slide; I'm sure many people skip by that passage, and I almost didn't comment on it because it's so small and "insignificant", but realize that when you let the small things slide, they can turn into bigger problems. Only when we call out the small stuff can we prevent the big stuff (to a certain extent, this does not go for everything, of course). Imagine if a serial killer or pedophile had been caught with the very first victim - the other victims wouldn't have died or gone through traumatic experiences, one rock causes a lot of ripples, one little thing can have a big effect or cause problems down the road.
Another complaint I have is that the writing is very stilted, and conversations are very weird. People may have talked like this in the 80's, but it was hard to read in the 2020's. For example, at the end of chapter four:
^ wrote all that before I was even halfway through the book. Now that I've finished it I can say it's even worse because there is no redemptive arc, it's simply two sides fighting each other and none of the characters challenge your ideas, none of the characters are relatable, and none of them are "good" or "bad", they're all pretty much the same, minus the principal. I thought this book would challenge my views and really make me think about whether we should be banning books or not banning books, make me reconsider what I thought about racist books like Huck Finn but in the end it just convinced me that we shouldn't have Huck Finn in our curriculums, that we should let the kids read it but not involve it in our school plan. And that's not even what the book was trying to say.
The author thinks he's being evenhanded and unbiased, while in reality you can tell which side he takes and which he's going to let win, and I found that annoying and hard to get through, because he's so obviously pushing his side. He doesn't write either side well, but the one that I found myself cheering for was the one that lost even though they had better points and more likable characters, whose political views I agreed with more.
One thing I noticed was how it makes Ms. Baines, the one fighting against the censorship, sound levelheaded, practical, smart, well-spoken, and passionate while it makes the principal, fighting for the censorship, sound manipulative, passive-aggressive, egotistical, and petty. While he's only doing this to appease some of the parents and wouldn't give a crap about the book if they weren't coming after it, it's interesting that the book subtly tells you which side to be rooting for, by making one side likable and the other barely tolerable. Even though I'm on the side of the principal and Gordon's dad, I still find myself wanting Ms. Baines to win because she's insulted and belittled by the principal who doesn't take her complaints seriously even when she brings good arguments and counter-arguments, unlike the principal who is more focused on how she argues instead of on what she's arguing for.
In chapter four, the librarian says she was at a private school for girls. When asked why she left, she says, "I wanted to work where there were all different kinds of students. A livelier place." A few problems I have with that. One, she never says what demographic the private school was, which makes it sound like her problem is that the girls were all the same (and since she's not talking about demographic we can assume that, despite how unique and different humans are, she thinks the girls were all the same somehow. Sounds to me like she didn't really get to know any of them well, or form any friendships). Two, sounds like the only problem with the school was that it was only girls, and she wanted more boys (this is not only insulting to girls but also gives off creepy pedo vibes that I'm pretty sure the book is not trying to give). Three, saying she wants a place "livelier" indicates that because it was all girls, it was boring and didn't stimulate her brain. Again, insulting to those girls and again tells me you really didn't take the time to get to know any of them if that's what you came away with. You don't need to be a feminist, you don't even need to be a female, to see the issue with this. It may sound like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, and that because there's nothing in this book to pick on, I pick on the small stuff. It is small, for sure, but it's usually the small stuff that we should look at, because the big stuff is usually a no-brainer: if she'd said "because girls are inferior to boys", everyone would understand the problem. But the small stuff is easy to miss or let slide; I'm sure many people skip by that passage, and I almost didn't comment on it because it's so small and "insignificant", but realize that when you let the small things slide, they can turn into bigger problems. Only when we call out the small stuff can we prevent the big stuff (to a certain extent, this does not go for everything, of course). Imagine if a serial killer or pedophile had been caught with the very first victim - the other victims wouldn't have died or gone through traumatic experiences, one rock causes a lot of ripples, one little thing can have a big effect or cause problems down the road.
Another complaint I have is that the writing is very stilted, and conversations are very weird. People may have talked like this in the 80's, but it was hard to read in the 2020's. For example, at the end of chapter four:
"I'm late. I got started talking to Barney - "Who says "okay" to that? Especially if you enjoyed it too, you would simply say "so did I" or "me too", but what's the "okay" for? If that's really how people in the 80's talked, I'm so glad we've changed. And this isn't just now popping up in chapter four, there are plenty of weird conversations in the previous chapters, the way people talk in this book is all very odd. So far the writing style has not been my kind of style.
"I'm sorry," Barney said.
"Oh, no." Deirdre smiled. "I enjoyed that talk a lot."
"Okay," he said, "so did I."
^ wrote all that before I was even halfway through the book. Now that I've finished it I can say it's even worse because there is no redemptive arc, it's simply two sides fighting each other and none of the characters challenge your ideas, none of the characters are relatable, and none of them are "good" or "bad", they're all pretty much the same, minus the principal. I thought this book would challenge my views and really make me think about whether we should be banning books or not banning books, make me reconsider what I thought about racist books like Huck Finn but in the end it just convinced me that we shouldn't have Huck Finn in our curriculums, that we should let the kids read it but not involve it in our school plan. And that's not even what the book was trying to say.
The author thinks he's being evenhanded and unbiased, while in reality you can tell which side he takes and which he's going to let win, and I found that annoying and hard to get through, because he's so obviously pushing his side. He doesn't write either side well, but the one that I found myself cheering for was the one that lost even though they had better points and more likable characters, whose political views I agreed with more.
July 23, 2025
کتاب « روزی که میخواستند کتاب را دستگیر کنند » یک کتاب نمادین درباره نکوهش سانسور کتاب ها یا به اصطلاح دستگیر کردنشونه و در طول کتاب این مفهوم رو میرسونه که حذف ادبیات به دلیل واژهها یا مفاهیم ناراحتکننده، میتونه زنجیرهای از کنترل و سانسور را آغاز کنه.
حدودا دو سوم اول کتاب به نظرم چندان جالب نبود و بیشتر کسل کننده بود ولی یک سوم آخر کتاب که بحث و جدل و نظرات متفاوت موافقان و مخالفان سانسور کتاب بود به نظرم جالب بود و همین موضوع باعث شد نمره نسبتا بالایی به این کتاب بدم
حدودا دو سوم اول کتاب به نظرم چندان جالب نبود و بیشتر کسل کننده بود ولی یک سوم آخر کتاب که بحث و جدل و نظرات متفاوت موافقان و مخالفان سانسور کتاب بود به نظرم جالب بود و همین موضوع باعث شد نمره نسبتا بالایی به این کتاب بدم
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2015
This had been on my wishlist at BookCrossing.com for quite a long time, and with appropriate timing, I received this as a RABCK from a BC member just prior to Banned Books Week.
As far as I know, this book has never been hit with a censorship fight, and it would be rather ironic if it did. Not impossible, though. Look at Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury. One of the classics about the banning of books has been on the lists of many who've tried to get it banned from schools and libraries.
This novel is more idea-driven, than character-driven. The characters are a bit flat, though each are clearly delineated, so there is no issue with following who is saying what.
The main concept/theme of this book, censorship, is very easy to follow. One student complained about a book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and soon there is a fury of followers that want to see the book banned from the reading curriculum and from the school library shelves. The lines are drawn early on, and the issue reaches, not only a review board and the school board, but the whole nation.
The author does a fair job of including the arguments pro and con for banning a book from a school, allowing the reader to form their own conclusion on the issue.
---
An addendum: I've just learned this book has made it to a Challenged Book list.
http://www.enotes.com/topics/day-they
Show me a book that offends no one, and I will show you a book that no one, in the whole history of the world, has ever willingly read.
As far as I know, this book has never been hit with a censorship fight, and it would be rather ironic if it did. Not impossible, though. Look at Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury. One of the classics about the banning of books has been on the lists of many who've tried to get it banned from schools and libraries.
This novel is more idea-driven, than character-driven. The characters are a bit flat, though each are clearly delineated, so there is no issue with following who is saying what.
The main concept/theme of this book, censorship, is very easy to follow. One student complained about a book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and soon there is a fury of followers that want to see the book banned from the reading curriculum and from the school library shelves. The lines are drawn early on, and the issue reaches, not only a review board and the school board, but the whole nation.
The author does a fair job of including the arguments pro and con for banning a book from a school, allowing the reader to form their own conclusion on the issue.
---
An addendum: I've just learned this book has made it to a Challenged Book list.
In 1990 the novel was challenged in the Albermarle Middle School in Charlottesville, Virginia, for being inflammatory and encouraging students to defy legitimate authority.
http://www.enotes.com/topics/day-they
Show me a book that offends no one, and I will show you a book that no one, in the whole history of the world, has ever willingly read.
February 26, 2017
"روزی که می خواستند کتاب را دستگیر کنند"
��ا کمال بهروزکیا از زبان آلمانی به فارسی ترجمه کرده ، و آن را در ایران نشر درسا منتشر کرده است
Der Tag, an dem sie das Buch verhaften wolten : نام کتاب به زبان آلمانی
Kamal Behroozkia hat dieses Buch aus dem Deuschen ins Persische übersetzt. Dorsa Verlag hat dieses Buch veröffentlicht.
Kamal Behroozkia ist ein iranischer Übersetzer und Schriftsteller. Er hat viele Bücher aus Deutschland ins Persische, vor allem für Kinder und Jugendliche übersetzt. Er ist auch Autor von Kurzgeschichten für Erwachsene und Fabel für Kinder. Er studierte Germanistik und Literatur an der Universität Teheran. Seine Artikel über Literaturkritik , Fabel, Fantasie wurden veröffentlicht in der Fachpresse und der damit verbundenen Zeitschriften in Iran.
Kamal Behroozkia has translated this book from Germany into Persian. Dorsa publication has published this book .
Kamal Behroozkia is an Iranian Translator and Writer . He has translated many books from Germany into Persian, Especially for Children and Teenagers. He is also َAuthor of short stories for adults and Fable for Children. He studied German language and literature at Teheran University. His Articles on literary Criticism, Fable, Fantasy have been published in the specialized Press and related Magazines in Iran.
��ا کمال بهروزکیا از زبان آلمانی به فارسی ترجمه کرده ، و آن را در ایران نشر درسا منتشر کرده است
Der Tag, an dem sie das Buch verhaften wolten : نام کتاب به زبان آلمانی
Kamal Behroozkia hat dieses Buch aus dem Deuschen ins Persische übersetzt. Dorsa Verlag hat dieses Buch veröffentlicht.
Kamal Behroozkia ist ein iranischer Übersetzer und Schriftsteller. Er hat viele Bücher aus Deutschland ins Persische, vor allem für Kinder und Jugendliche übersetzt. Er ist auch Autor von Kurzgeschichten für Erwachsene und Fabel für Kinder. Er studierte Germanistik und Literatur an der Universität Teheran. Seine Artikel über Literaturkritik , Fabel, Fantasie wurden veröffentlicht in der Fachpresse und der damit verbundenen Zeitschriften in Iran.
Kamal Behroozkia has translated this book from Germany into Persian. Dorsa publication has published this book .
Kamal Behroozkia is an Iranian Translator and Writer . He has translated many books from Germany into Persian, Especially for Children and Teenagers. He is also َAuthor of short stories for adults and Fable for Children. He studied German language and literature at Teheran University. His Articles on literary Criticism, Fable, Fantasy have been published in the specialized Press and related Magazines in Iran.
December 25, 2014
This is a fantastic book. I say that a lot about books, but this time I truely mean it. It talks about a school that is in debate as to weather or not to ban "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" from both a history classes required reading list as well as the library. They debate censorship and the limits of the first amendment. This is a wonderful book for anyone and everyone who actually has their own opinion. As well as for those who need to learn to have their OWN opinion. This book teaches us so much about democracy, freedom of speech, and how our lives are run in America, not to mention it's interesting (a rarity). I wish this book were taught in social studies during civics (it really isn't that long). Over all, this book is amazing.
May 6, 2008
This was way better than expected, which might be why I gave it a four rather than a three. The story followed several different characters as it tells about the story of a community trying to ban Huck Finn. I think this would be very interesting for some of my student who have a hard time seeing both sides of the issue or who have interest about censorship and banning in general.
Read
December 7, 2007This book is just plain awful. I'm not going to finish it. People--especially teens--do not speak like this. There aren't enough bad things I could say about it.
July 8, 2008
Maybe I expect too much of books-on-books, but I found this one disappointing. Had a promising premise about wanting to ban a good book, Huck Finn, for all the wrong reasons.
July 29, 2008
I guess that I just found this book to be missing some substance.....
March 21, 2013
If we're trying to encourage more independent reading among today's youth, please let's not force them to read this in eighth grade. Boring. Dated. Employed more than one offensive stereotype. Ugh.
Read
February 16, 2016First Amendment silliness; try Nothing but the Truth by Avi instead.
August 29, 2018
First sentence: "He's going to be right inside the door," Luke said to Barney as they neared the entrance to George Mason High School. "He's going to be standing there with that big phony smile and that chocolate voice."
Premise/plot: When a history teacher assigns The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to her class to read, the book is challenged by angry parents. Will the book "be arrested" and removed from the reading list AND the school library? Or will the book remain available to students freely and without restrictions? Whose side is the principal on?
My thoughts: The Day They Came To Arrest The Book is a thousand and one times better than The Property of the Rebel Librarian. Primarily because it is more believable--both characters and situations. It is also more thought-provoking.
I appreciated the diverse opinions expressed in The Day They Came to Arrest The Book. The opinions cover a wide spectrum of thought. Perhaps with the exception of the unprincipled principal there are no villains, no bad guys. There are differences of opinion, yes, but no "good" guys and no "bad" guys. Not all opinions are informed opinions. But many are. That is, many people with strong opinions who are speaking up--on both sides--have actually read the book in question in its entirety. A few people have strong opinions and loud voices but haven't actually read the book--just bits and pieces. I think it's important to see that two good people can have differences of opinion.
What makes the principal so unprincipled? He's a sneaky guy. He does not want to fill out forms and paperwork. He doesn't want to go through the proper channels when it comes to book challenges. He'd rather pressure the teacher or the librarian into voluntarily removing the book with no fuss and no publicity. Because of his powerful position, because they fear losing their job, many go along with his "suggestions" that aren't really suggestions. But not this history teacher and not this librarian. The guidelines are in place and they will be followed...this time at least.
The book offers much food for thought--not only about banned books and censorship but also intellectual freedom in general. One of the arguments in the book is that it should be up to educators to choose wisely what to make available to their students. What to teach in their classrooms. What to have available in their libraries. Just because a book is published doesn't mean that it belongs in a school. The opposition claims that this 'choosing wisely' is a form of censorship. That to 'choose wisely' is limiting the student body's freedom to choose.
Personally, I think it makes the most sense. So long as school budgets are limited, it just makes the most sense to spend wisely and thoughtfully. I'll clarify that a tiny bit. Audience is key. Knowing your specific audience. A school librarian should have some idea on what students need, what students want, what teachers need, what teachers want. They should know which authors are popular and stay in circulation. They should know which genres circulate best. They should also read widely themselves. Quality should matter. That is what I mean by spending wisely. Making the most of each dollar. I don't mean that librarians should only buy books that they personally love, love, love and are custom-fit to their tastes and preferences.
One of the examples in the book is the hypothetical question: should a school library buy books written from the perspective that the holocaust never happened? Or should a library keep such 'trash' out of the library. Yes, such books exist--and others like them. But should a school library spend money on books like that because students should have the freedom to decide for themselves what is true and what is a lie?
I would classify this one as a YA book. Readers should know that it does use the n-word a lot in the context of discussing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. There are many times when Twain's novel is quoted. The novel also contains blasphemy--taking the Lord's name in vain. In terms of profanity it reminds me of Fahrenheit 451. The book is well worth reading in my opinion.
Premise/plot: When a history teacher assigns The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to her class to read, the book is challenged by angry parents. Will the book "be arrested" and removed from the reading list AND the school library? Or will the book remain available to students freely and without restrictions? Whose side is the principal on?
My thoughts: The Day They Came To Arrest The Book is a thousand and one times better than The Property of the Rebel Librarian. Primarily because it is more believable--both characters and situations. It is also more thought-provoking.
I appreciated the diverse opinions expressed in The Day They Came to Arrest The Book. The opinions cover a wide spectrum of thought. Perhaps with the exception of the unprincipled principal there are no villains, no bad guys. There are differences of opinion, yes, but no "good" guys and no "bad" guys. Not all opinions are informed opinions. But many are. That is, many people with strong opinions who are speaking up--on both sides--have actually read the book in question in its entirety. A few people have strong opinions and loud voices but haven't actually read the book--just bits and pieces. I think it's important to see that two good people can have differences of opinion.
What makes the principal so unprincipled? He's a sneaky guy. He does not want to fill out forms and paperwork. He doesn't want to go through the proper channels when it comes to book challenges. He'd rather pressure the teacher or the librarian into voluntarily removing the book with no fuss and no publicity. Because of his powerful position, because they fear losing their job, many go along with his "suggestions" that aren't really suggestions. But not this history teacher and not this librarian. The guidelines are in place and they will be followed...this time at least.
The book offers much food for thought--not only about banned books and censorship but also intellectual freedom in general. One of the arguments in the book is that it should be up to educators to choose wisely what to make available to their students. What to teach in their classrooms. What to have available in their libraries. Just because a book is published doesn't mean that it belongs in a school. The opposition claims that this 'choosing wisely' is a form of censorship. That to 'choose wisely' is limiting the student body's freedom to choose.
Personally, I think it makes the most sense. So long as school budgets are limited, it just makes the most sense to spend wisely and thoughtfully. I'll clarify that a tiny bit. Audience is key. Knowing your specific audience. A school librarian should have some idea on what students need, what students want, what teachers need, what teachers want. They should know which authors are popular and stay in circulation. They should know which genres circulate best. They should also read widely themselves. Quality should matter. That is what I mean by spending wisely. Making the most of each dollar. I don't mean that librarians should only buy books that they personally love, love, love and are custom-fit to their tastes and preferences.
One of the examples in the book is the hypothetical question: should a school library buy books written from the perspective that the holocaust never happened? Or should a library keep such 'trash' out of the library. Yes, such books exist--and others like them. But should a school library spend money on books like that because students should have the freedom to decide for themselves what is true and what is a lie?
I would classify this one as a YA book. Readers should know that it does use the n-word a lot in the context of discussing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. There are many times when Twain's novel is quoted. The novel also contains blasphemy--taking the Lord's name in vain. In terms of profanity it reminds me of Fahrenheit 451. The book is well worth reading in my opinion.
Show me a book that offends no one, and I will show you a book that no one, in the whole history of the world, has ever willingly read. (34)
You know, it's never the book that's really on trial. It's the author, even if he's dead. Remember that, Barney. Every time this sort of thing happens, it's a person who's being tried. For his ideas, his feelings, his memories, his fantasies, his yearnings, his language, which is his very self. To tell you the truth, I don't care what the book is. I hate to see words on trial. (83)
Once you give people, any group of people, the power to censor books, you're opening up quite a can of worms. And sooner or later, they can turn on you. (107)
October 26, 2017
The Day They Came to Arrest the Book was originally written in 1980 and it is every bit as relevant today. It is a book for young adults , but holds up incredibly well as an adult read. Nat Hentoff has done a marvelous job of presenting both sides of an argument on book banning in schools. His arguments are exactly the same arguments used today. I could not put it down and you will not either. Well worth the time.
December 31, 2023
Another great book about banning books... amazingly this book was written in 1992... and we are still not understanding the importance of letting everyone including children and young adults read any book they are interested in. This book spells it out very clearly.
February 6, 2024
I gave it three stars for the topic ....it does address censorship and how complicated an issue it is..but the author lets too much of his personal bias into the book and relies on profanity rather than fully developed characters. It's sad really that a book about such an important topic was not a well written story.
November 21, 2017
Very great, yet hard to understand.
October 24, 2011
The Day They Came to Arrest the Book is a great reference to censorship. Starting out in the seemingly normal George Mason Highschool, that setting quickly changes to a rather dark and trustless atmosphere. The relationship between the staff and students with principal is highly over exaggerated, one of the social studies teachers muttering grievances to a new employee about the principal's deceiving way of removing books from the school library. It is not until one of the social studies teacher's favorite and most important class books is challenged that things start to fire up. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has brought up injured feelings in an African-American student, so much that he and his father came to school to discuss it with the principal. At first, I myself was disagreeing with the family’s side of the argument. Yes, the book had often said ‘nigger’ as a way of addressing people of the black minority, but that was the word that was used to identify that race of people. I felt it was no different than saying a slightly more offensive way of addressing a white person, until one of the characters, Kate, brought it down on a more personal level when discussing with another character about the controversy surrounding this book. For instance, instead of calling a white person more offensive, really going back to their personal history -- say, perhaps, calling someone an ‘incompetent Irishman’ or a ‘dumb Swede’. That is when I really realised what the whole argument was all about.
Other than that one relation to myself and the text, the rest of the book I found to be extremely uninteresting. It was one of those books you kept telling yourself you were going to either fall asleep reading it or your hands by some unknown force would make you put it down unconciously.
Again, I found the book to be highly unrealistic other than the fact that a book was being challenged against the members of the school. The plotting and whispering between the librarian and the other staff members was just too corny to believe, and while their cause was in good mind, if a woman came up to me first day of the job telling me I should watch my back and not get too comfortable around the other people in school in a serious manner, I would become extremely worried about that woman. There is just no way possible I would find myself able to sit down and have a coffee with a sniveling and mentally strange person, such as the characters had done in the book.
Later in the text, knowledge of the book being challenged leaks out among the town in a form of a written article by a member of the school newspaper. Soon, it becomes known among larger and larger communities, and eventually becomes a national debate: Shall they or shall they not remove the book from its shelf? The never-resting and determined school staff along with a group of parents and students won’t relax until the book is liberated from its long and tiring battle against the hand of censors.
Other than that one relation to myself and the text, the rest of the book I found to be extremely uninteresting. It was one of those books you kept telling yourself you were going to either fall asleep reading it or your hands by some unknown force would make you put it down unconciously.
Again, I found the book to be highly unrealistic other than the fact that a book was being challenged against the members of the school. The plotting and whispering between the librarian and the other staff members was just too corny to believe, and while their cause was in good mind, if a woman came up to me first day of the job telling me I should watch my back and not get too comfortable around the other people in school in a serious manner, I would become extremely worried about that woman. There is just no way possible I would find myself able to sit down and have a coffee with a sniveling and mentally strange person, such as the characters had done in the book.
Later in the text, knowledge of the book being challenged leaks out among the town in a form of a written article by a member of the school newspaper. Soon, it becomes known among larger and larger communities, and eventually becomes a national debate: Shall they or shall they not remove the book from its shelf? The never-resting and determined school staff along with a group of parents and students won’t relax until the book is liberated from its long and tiring battle against the hand of censors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2010
Censorship is dangerous because once you take one book from the shelves it could lead to another and another, and where does it end? Even the bible has passages that someone might look at in isolation and call into question as offensive and inappropriate. The pupose of education is to expose students to ideas of all kinds and to teach them how to discern the good from the bad, the valuable from the rubish. Books are filled with ideas of all kinds and by limiting those ideas which we allow our children to be exposed to we are doing them a terrible disservice, and we are failing to teach them how to think for themselves.
This book addresses these issues when a few parents call into question the teaching of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" to their high school students because of the "questionable and offensive" passages taken out of context in the book. A battle ensues between those who believe that censorship should not be a part of our public schools and those who fail to see the true messages and themes in the novel.
"I think...this book("Huck Finn") has a lot to teach everybody, even though it was written so many years ago. What it teaches is that a boy can be better, a whole lot better, than what he's been taught to be."
This book is a young adult novel, but it is a great quick read for anyone of any age because it reminds us of the dangers of limiting people's freedom and censuring the books they read.
This book addresses these issues when a few parents call into question the teaching of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" to their high school students because of the "questionable and offensive" passages taken out of context in the book. A battle ensues between those who believe that censorship should not be a part of our public schools and those who fail to see the true messages and themes in the novel.
"I think...this book("Huck Finn") has a lot to teach everybody, even though it was written so many years ago. What it teaches is that a boy can be better, a whole lot better, than what he's been taught to be."
This book is a young adult novel, but it is a great quick read for anyone of any age because it reminds us of the dangers of limiting people's freedom and censuring the books they read.
October 4, 2011
The Day They Came To Arrest The Book, by Nat Hentoff, is about a class in a high school in a regular town. In a social studies class which stretched the minds of kds with supplementary reading lists, a required reading book (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) was attempted at being banned. This book was challenged because it said the n word in it many times, and a parent of a child taking that class wanted it out of the school. So the parent took it to the principal, who attempted to get rid of it in an underhanded way. But the new librarian stood up to him, along with the teacher of the social studies class and some students that were sick of the principal getting rid of books (and without the agreed-on process). One of the students decided to print an article in the school newspaper, which was an interview with the old librarian and how books disappeared and became banned. This article got to the media, and became so public that Mr. Moore (the principal) was forced to take the matter to the review committee of books. With many arguments and speeches, they voted to keep it on a restricted shelf in the library, and out of required reading lists. But the teacher, students, and librarian persisted until the school board voted to let the book free.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2012
When I first came across this book the title instantly had me hooked. "Why would any book be arrested?" I thought, but I soon learned that "arresting" a book meant that the book was to be censored. I think this book does a good job showing how censorship is very controversial no matter how small people think it should be. In this particular story the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was put on trial because Gordon McLean was furious when he saw the word choice in Huck Finn by saying, "what the h*** kind of racist book is that to have in a school?"(14). When Gordon's Father heard about this awful book he immediately wanted it to be removed from the curriculum, so Mr. Moore, the principal, tried to remove it quietly so everyone could remain in the dark about the whole situation. Luckily a few teachers and the librarian stood up for the book's rights and that is what the major theme is about. All things have rights and they must have a chance to be defended. Throughout the rest of the book there is evidence that when any right is to be taken away people want to get involved even though they may not be directly influenced.
June 12, 2013
I like this novel's theme of that public high school library should exclude certain books because those book offend minority groups or other reason. This book illustrate opinions concerning this topic, but does not develop it very deeply. Protesters are criticised by censors. It would be true, but arguments are not fully developed and thus does not convince me very much. The author describes protestors as if they are just over-emotional people. Probably, it is not really fair description of them. The last part disappointed me a little. Suddenly, the review committee concludes that Huckleberry Finn should be protected. Perhaps because free speech is one of the fundamental right of American people. Or just because Huckleberry Finn is a good book, which is true. But if it is that reason, I do not know why characters spend a lot of time to discuss censorship. I suspect that the author switches the point at issue from censorship to the quality of Huckleberry Finn at some point of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2010
I've never before thought 'this writing is horrible' and 'this writing is great' while reading the same book. The dialogue between characters is stilted and cheesy. This book was definitely written in the early 80s, it had that cadence. However, the parts where various characters are offering reasons and debates for and against Huck Finn were intelligent and thoughtful. I felt that the teachers and students could well be one and that same, there was no difference between them, highlighted by the fact that the author chose to address the teachers throughout the book by their full names, unless they were being spoken to by a student. I don't know that I'd recommend this book, but being that it's a short, quick read about an important subject, I wouldn't recommend that someone *not* read it, either.
October 4, 2011
The Day They Came to Arrest the Book is a wonderful example of censorship. This book begins with one of the main characters Nora Baines's assigning her social studies class to read the novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. After an offended black student complains to his father that he is bothered by the continuous use of the word 'nigger', his father takes it upon himself to challenge and attempt to ban Mark Twain's famous piece of literature "Huckleberry Finn." Several students from George Mason High School and a few faculty members feel no need to suppress this issue, but rather raise awareness of it and attempt to put an end to censorship. But are they too late to end the battle of censorship once and for all? I highly recommend this book because it includes a fantastic realistic explanation of what dealing with censorship is like and what it can lead to!
July 6, 2015
The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff – 1982 – Realistic Fiction – 5th Grade and up – This book is fascinating to read. It is a well written exploring the torturesome experience of a book being challenged at a school to see if it should be removed from both a classroom and library. What is the book in question? Huckleberry Finn. What I appreciated was reading both perspectives and the dialogue that was included during the challenge proceedings. What I was concerned about was whether my students would read this and if it was appropriate for 5th grade or if it needed to be in a secondary school. I found there were some worrisome points that didn’t deter me in the end from having the book in the collection but I thought it also was a good book for some who want to read about conflict resolution. Really interesting exploration of the whole situation of book banning.
May 6, 2010
Who would have believed that The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn could cause the worst crisis in the history of George Mason High School? Certainly not Barney Roth, editor of the school paper. But when a small but vocal group of students and parents decide that the book is racist, sexist, and immoral--and should be removed from reading lists and the school library--Barney takes matters into his own hands.
When the Huck Finn issue comes up for a hearing, Barney decides to print his story about previous censorship efforts at school. He's sure that investigative reporting and publicity can help the cause. But is he too late to turn the tide of censorship?
- Taken from Back Cover
December 27, 2020
Published in 1982, this may not have been written as historical fiction. Were people still worried about the Communists back then? The parts of the book that refer to communists polluting the minds of our young people are the only parts that read like historical fiction.
Given the furor earlier this year over the publication of a sanitized version of Huckleberry Finn, I am surprised no one I know has read this book. In fact, there is only one school library in my district that owns it. Quite surprising, given its relevance. And fairly well-written as well. I'm surprised more teachers aren’t using this book instead of Fahrenheit 451. Certainly high school students would find it relates directly to their lives.
Given the furor earlier this year over the publication of a sanitized version of Huckleberry Finn, I am surprised no one I know has read this book. In fact, there is only one school library in my district that owns it. Quite surprising, given its relevance. And fairly well-written as well. I'm surprised more teachers aren’t using this book instead of Fahrenheit 451. Certainly high school students would find it relates directly to their lives.
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