You might see displays of crossed out, covered up, and overall challenged books inside CSN Libraries this month and wonder, “Why do we celebrate books that have been banned?” It’s actually a celebration of the freedom to read, where we recognize both current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools according to the American Library Association website. Banned Books Week draws attention to how censorship can be harmful and how many books that have been challenged are the kinds of books we should be reading in order to broaden our horizons. Take a look at some of the titles that have banned in the past and why.
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
- Banned or challenged for being anti-family, unsuited to age group, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and LGBTQIA+ content.
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
- Banned or challenged for containing inappropriate language.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- Banned or challenged for its themes of sexual promiscuity, drug use, and suicide.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- Banned or challenged for preaching bitterness and hatred toward white people and encouraging deviant behavior because of references to lesbianism, premarital sex, and profanity.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Banned or challenged for sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to sexual experimentation.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Banned or challenged for violence, racism, and sex.
1984 by George Orwell
- Banned or challenged for Pro-Communist and sexually explicit content.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Banned or challenged for sexual violence, Islamophobia, offensive language, and unsuited to age group.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Banned or challenged for unethical behavior in the form of people smoking and light messages of Satanism and witchcraft.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
- Banned or challenged for being sexually offensive.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Banned or challenged for insensitivity, offensive language, violence, and for being anti-family, anti-ethnic, and occult/satanic.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- Banned or challenged for vulgar or blasphemous language, sexual content, and references to alcohol and cigarettes.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
- Banned or challenged for being sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and promoting a religious viewpoint.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
- Banned or challenged for Communist propaganda and a seditious call to overthrow organized states.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Banned or challenged for its consideration of challenging issues such as rape, racial inequality, and language.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- Banned or challenged for racial slurs, profanity, vulgarity, and offensive language.
Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
- Banned or challenged for foul and vulgar language, and divisive topics.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Banned or challenged for language, sexual references, and violence.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
- Banned or challenged for promoting witchcraft, the occult, and anti-family themes.
For more information about banned and challenged books, visit the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom website.
