One fellow is a chubby superhero that flies around in his red cape and white underwear and the other is a rebellious lad from the 19th century who embarks on a great American adventure. They are both controversial characters, even banned.
I must admit that I was a bit surprised when I read TexMex’s comment on my previous post, Teachable Moment or Missed Opportunity: The Return of Huck Finn and found that Captain Underpants also has a history as a banned piece of literature. Looking at it from a different perspective, I can recognize the subversive elements found in Capt. Underpants. I see that some of the exploits of the characters in Captain Underpants might encourage some of our mischievous-minded little friends to engage in similar deeds. One example, George and Harold changed the bathroom sign in their school, which read: PLEASE WASH YOU HANDS AFTER USING THE TOILET. After the two unripe protagonists altered the sign it read: PLEASE WASH YOUR HANDS IN THE TOILET. I’m revealing both my position on the matter and my inner 8 year old when I state, that’s funny!
Judy Blume (frequently challenged for her kid's books) addresses the subject of censorship more effectively than I can on her personal website.
You can read more about the controversy from the CNN archives.
Also, pay a visit Dav Pilkey's fabulously fun website
