Tabook!
Children's books are in the news lately -- and not always for good reasons. Books for people under 18 are disproportionately the targets of bans and censorship. This is obviously a major issue for free speech, for the rights of often underrepresented groups to tell their stories and for the rights of others to be able to hear those stories. But it’s also a sign that children’s books are actually right in the middle of important political conversations, and attempts to ban them can be ignored at our peril.
This podcast is a deep dive into the children's books that have been censored over the years – and the reasons why. Because it turns out that for as long as children’s books have existed, controversy has never been far behind.
We hope you’ll come along, whether you love children’s books like us, or just enjoy a good story about sex, drugs, war criminals, government crackdowns, accusations of Satanism -- and rabbits drinking tea.
For business inquiries: hello.tabook@gmail.com
Tabook!
Was Alice in Wonderland Banned in China?
The story's been repeated for almost a hundred years: in 1931, Alice in Wonderland was banned in China because it depicts talking animals. But is the story even TRUE?? Adrianna and María put on our detective hats and examine the evidence. We also take a look at some AMAZING Chinese "Alice" sequels. Alice in China is willing to die to defend a music conference and apologies to Lewis Carroll but that's an improvement 💅
> Medium: "On Literary Censorship: Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland"
> Guardian: "Ten things you didn't know about Alice in Wonderland"
> Ripley's Believe it or Not: "Alice in Wonderland Was a Banned Book, But For a Weird Reason"
> The original 1931 New York Times article
> Anne Lyon Haight's "Banned Books"
> Sen Wong's article in the Lewis Carroll Newsletter
> Response detailing timing of Alice publications
> Paper on Chinese "Sequels" to Alice
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For business inquiries: hello.tabook@gmail.com
