The Banned Bookshelf

The Banned Bookshelf

To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird has been the subject of a large debate since its publication in 1960. In 1966, it got its first restriction in Virginia. The book is critiqued for its use of profanity, racial injustice and slurs, and discussion of rape. Critics claim the material is too raw for young readers, while others say that removing the book from schools is an attempt to erase the ugly history of racism in the Southern United States. The book was most recently removed from school curriculums in Minnesota, Mississippi, and California in the 2010s and 2020s. Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger

Published in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye is a popular example of the classic coming-of-age novel. In 1960, a teacher from Tulsa, Oklahoma was fired for assigning the book to their students. Critics claim the narrator's use of profane language, glorification of rebellion, and "lewd references" are innapropriate for young readers. In the 1980's, schools in Wyoming, North Dakota, and California had taken the book off library shelves. The Catcher in the Rye continues to be one of America's most challenged books.Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

1984

George Orwell

Considered among many to be the staple dystopian novel, 1984 was banned and destroyed by many communist nations in the 1950s because it was deemed "anti-communist propoganda". The novel tackles themes of surveillance, censorship, tyranny, and mechanical control. In 1981 the book was challenged for being "pro-communist" and including "explicit sexual matter". In 2017, a parent in Idaho claimed that the book used "violent, sexually charged language" that was inappropriate for students. Consequently, 1984 was taken off of reading lists in several school districts.Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

Gender Queer: A Memoir

Maia Kobabe

Labeled "pornographic" for a few illustrated panels that depict LGBTQIA+ themes of sexual experiences, Gender Queer has been targeted for challenging norms on gender and sexual identity. The graphic memoir recounts the author's experience and journey towards self-acceptance and understanding of their queer identity. The ALA labels Gender Queer the #2 most challenged book of 2024 in America. Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury

A book about the consequences of banning books, Fahrenheit 451 being banned in both colleges and high schools has a sour sense of irony to it. Nonetheless, the book has been challenged for profane language, violence, and treatment of Christians (?). In 1967, an edition printed for high schools illegally altered the text without Bradbury's consent. In 1987, the book was deemed problematic in Florida. It was challenged again in California in 1992, and Texas in 2006. Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison

Morrison's tale is an unflinching look at beauty standards and their implications on race, colorism, and Black identity. It deals with sexual abuse, incest, and psychological trauma, all themes that make the novel one of the most contested books in America. It was contested in Maryland in 1998 for being "lewd". In 1999, The Bluest Eye was banned in Oregon for its depiction of rape. It was banned again in 2005 in Colorado, 2013 in Colorado, 2014 in North Carolina, 2016 in Michigan, 2017 in North Carolina, 2022 in Missouri, 2023 in Alaska, and 2024 in Texas.Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

Beloved

Toni Morrison

Beloved is a brutally honest look at the suffering dealt to Black bodies and minds during slavery. Critics complain about the violent content, language, and sexuality in the book. It was challenged in 1997 in Maine and was banned from an AP English class in Kentucky in 2007. In 2022 and 2024 the book was banned from high schools in Missouri and Tennessee. Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

Looking for Alaska

John Green

Looking for Alaska is a coming-of-age novel that discusses difficult themes surrounding the nature of growing up. Regardlesss, parents have complained about its profane language, sexually explicit content, and references to drugs, alcohol, and smoking. It was banned in New York in 2008 and Tennessee in 2012 and 2013. In 2015 it was the Most Challenged Book on the American Library Association's Most Challenged Books list. Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood

Atwood's vivid description of a world in which fertile women become sexual slaves for the reproduction of the elite is another example of classic dystopia. Between 2022 and 2024 alone, it was banned in seven Florida counties, 19 school districts in Iowa, and one in Kansas due to its sexually explicit content, sexual violence, and "religious concerns about its theocratic state". Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

All Boys Aren't Blue

George M. Johnson

Johnson's memoir explores his life as a Black queer boy and their journey towards becoming their authentic self. Gender identity, family bonds, consent, abuse, and the unique combination of Blackness and queerness are all complex ideas that come up in All Boys Aren't Blue. The book has been banned across America for LGBTQIA+ themes and sexually explicit content. It was banned in Texas in 2022 and Florida in 2023. According to the American Library Association, All Boys Aren't Blue is THE most challenged book of 2024. Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

J.K. Rowling

Since its release in 1997, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has been criticized by parents claiming Rowling advocates for witchcraft, disobedience, and magic. Schools have banned the book from school libraries and curriculum in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania. The hysteria has swept to the UK and other countries, as well. Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

Animal Farm

George Orwell

Animal Farm follows a group of barn animals who rebel against the farmer in a fight for equaliity. By the end of the novel, a new tyranny has taken over. Orwell's novel has been banned worldwide for its political themes and criticism of totalitarianism. Much like his other novel, Animal Farm was banned and destroyed in communist countries for its criticism of Stalinism. In 2002, the United Arab Emirates banned the novel for its depiction of talking pigs and alcohol, which conflicts with Islamic values. In 1991, a play adaptation of the novel was banned for criticizing government corruption in Kenya. Click here for a summary from Boswell Books:

This video provides a very brief overview of the growing popularity of book bans, why books are being challenged, and what that means for young readers, especially those that do not relate to the traditional American story.If you would like more information on book bans or would like to support the effort of intellectual freedom, please visit the American Library Association's website, linked here: