by Dav Pilkey

The banned book I chose for my censorship paper is the Captain Underpants Series by Dav Pilkey. This series is a long-lived debate amongst educators and parents for its toilet humor and disdainful attitude.  Captain Underpants has been my favorite book since the second grade. I was not aware of the severity that educators and parents had on regarding to the content of the book. I too can relate that one reason why it is my favorite because of the underlying message of potty training “toilet humor”.  This quote from Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People states “It’s been said that adults spend the first two years of their children’s lives trying to make them walk and talk, and the next sixteen years trying to get them to sit down and shut up.” This quote represents the difference in the humor of  adults and young children that is found within the series.

The book relies on two main characters: George and Harold. George likes to write and Harold likes to draw. With their capabilities of being creative, this is when Captain Underpants the superhero is born. One main reason for banning the series is for the insensitivity and chiefly being unsuited for specific age groups to read. This series also advocate anti-bully themes for young readers to acknowledge. As a future educator and experiencing both sides of the spectrum, reading is fundamental. If a book or comic book encourages children to read, why not support the positivity it possesses.