Why Are Books Being Banned?

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. During September, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.

Books are still being banned and challenged today. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials.

While books continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is that the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read.

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Downloadable Version of Banned Books List

Downloadable Version of Social Justice List

 

Title IBSN Book Description Reason it was Banned
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe 978-1-5493-0400-2 Started as a way to explain to their family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere. LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be
sexually explicit, illustrations
The Giver by Lois Lowry 978-0-544-34068-8 It's the timeless tale of Jonas, a young boy in a
society hiding under the guise of a utopia, as he grapples with themes of challenging inherent beliefs and the power of individuality.		 Violent content related to
euthanasia, suicide, and infanticide, and the sexually suggestive content in the novel
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison 978-1-61620-923-0 In this funny, angry, touching, and ultimately
deeply inspiring novel, bestselling author Jonathan Evison takes the reader into the heart and mind of a young man on a journey to discover himself, a search to find the secret to achieving the American dream of happiness and prosperity.		 LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and sexually explicit scenes
This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson 978-1-72825-432-6 This candid, funny, and uncensored
exploration of sexuality and what it's like to grow up LGBTQ also includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums, not to mention hilarious illustrations.		 Sexual education, LGBTQIA+
content, and being sexually explicit
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 978-0-312-36755-8 The story of the adventures in space and time
of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem.		 Both for being too religious and for
being not religious enough, mixes science, religion, and the supernatural
1984 by George Orwell 0-451-52493-4 A scary look into a society where free thought
is punishable. Disturbing and thought-provoking, 1984 warns us of the dangerous possibilities of what would happen if everyone became completely submissive to the state.		 Obscenity, explicit sexual matter, pro-communist passages
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 978-0-316-76948-8 Perhaps the quintessential coming-of-age
story, Holden Caufield’s journey of self discovery is equal parts hilarious and touching. It’s a story of growing pains, of transitioning out of childhood, and, in true Peter Pan fashion, of a certain refusal to grow up.		 Excess vulgar language, sexual
scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult
The Satanic Verses: A Novel by Salmon Rushdie 978-0-8129-7671-7 This book contains multitudes—of emotions, sensations, descriptions, all of it. It’s a truly exceptional novel that is as highly praised as it is immensely controversial, which makes it all the more worthy of a read. Found the book's depictions of
Islam insulting
I Am Not Your Negro by James Baldwin 978-0-525-43469-6 In his final years, one of America’s greatest
writers envisioned a book about his three assassinated friends, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King. His deeply personal notes for the project had never been published before acclaimed filmmaker Raoul Peck mined them to compose his Academy Award-nominated documentary.		 One-sided teaching
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez 978-0-8234-4503-5 Race, romance, and family converge in this
riveting novel that transplants Romeo and Juliet to a bitterly segregated Texas town. Includes a fascinating author's note detailing the process of research and writing about voices that have largely been excluded from historical accounts.		 Depictions of abuse and because
it was considered to be sexually explicit
Not My Idea: A Book About
Whiteness (Ordinary Terrible Things) by Anastasia Higginbotham		 978-1-948340-00-7 An honest explanation about how power and
privilege factor into the lives of white children, at the expense of other groups, and how they can help seek justice.		 Parent argued that no books that promote the Black Lives Matter movement should be available to children.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson 978-0-312-67439-7 Speak is the story of an isolated high school
student whose recent rape has left her retreating into a silent shell. Through time, art, and her small but mighty group of friends, she learns to reclaim herself and fight back against those who would seek to silence her. Grappling with serious and relevant themes and subjects, this book encourages the reader to do as Melinda does—speak.		 Thought to contain a political viewpoint, and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 978-0-385-49081-8 Set in the religious patriarchy of Gilead, The
Handmaid's Tale is a haunting narrative of what America could be. As the threat of Gilead looms ever closer, this seems less like a dystopian novel and more like a prescient warning. Read it before you live it.		 The book contains both violence
and profanity. It depicts sexual activity, “vulgarity and sexual overtones.”
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman 978-0-7636-9042-7 When Heather goes to school for the first
time, someone asks her about her daddy, but Heather doesn’t have a daddy. Then something interesting happens. When Heather and her classmates all draw pictures of their families, not one drawing is the same.		 Portrays a same-sex couple in a
positive light
This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges 978-0-593-37852-6 Written as a letter from civil rights activist and icon Ruby Bridges to the reader, This Is Your Time is both a recounting of Ruby’s experience as a child who had to be escorted to class by federal marshals when she was chosen to be one of the first black students to integrate into New Orleans’ all-white public school system and an appeal to generations to come to effect change. Made young white kids feel bad
about themselves.
Pride: The Story of Harvey
Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders		 978-0-399-55531-2 In this deeply moving and empowering true
story, young readers will trace the life of the Gay Pride Flag, from its beginnings in 1978 with social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker to its spanning of the globe and its role in today's world.		 Parents complained there were
references to sex and violence, labeling it sensitive/controversial
Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland by Lewis Caroll		 978-0-14-751098-3 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland transports
you down the rabbit-hole into a wondrous realm that is home to a White Rabbit, a March Hare, a Mad Hatter, a tea-drinking Dormouse, a grinning Cheshire-Cat, the Queen of Hearts and her playing-card retainers, and all manner of marvelous creatures.		 Expressed expletives and alluded
to masturbation and other sexual fantasies as well as diminished, in the eyes of children, the statures of certain authority figures.
Being Jazz: My Life as a
(Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jenings		 978-0-399-55467-4 Jazz Jennings is one of the youngest and most
prominent voices in the national discussion about gender identity. This remarkable memoir is a testament to the power of accepting yourself, learning to live an authentic life, and helping everyone to embrace their own truths.		 LGBTQIA+ content, for having a
transgender character, for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged.”
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney 978-0-385-74238-2 In the vein of psychological thrillers like We
Were Liars and One of Us Is Lying, bestselling and Edgar Award nominated author Caroline Cooney’s JANIE series seamlessly blends mystery and suspense with issues of family, friendship and love to offer an emotionally evocative thrill ride of a read.		 Sexual content, challenge to
authority, self-harm comments, psychological theories of crime, and drug references.
So You Want to Talk About
Race by Ijeoma Oluo		 978-1-58005-882-7 In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma
Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from police brutality and cultural appropriation to the model minority myth in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race, and about how racism infects every aspect of American life.		 Includes themes about race, “too
divisive.”
March: Book One by John Lewis 978-1-60309-300-2 A stunning work of illustrated nonfiction, this
is the first in a triology detailing the remarkable and inspiring life of John Lewis, a United States Congressman who was instrumental in the Civil Rights movement. This is a sweeping narrative, rippling with modern-day impact, and it is masterfully told.		 Promotes critical race theory
March: Book Two by John Lewis 978-1-60309-400-9 Congressman John Lewis, an American icon
and one of the key figures of the civil rights movement, continues his award-winning graphic novel trilogy with co-writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell, inspired by a 1950s comic book that helped prepare his own generation to join the struggle. Now, March brings the lessons of history to vivid life for a new generation, urgently relevant for today's world.		 Promotes critical race theory
March: Book Three by John Lewis 978-1-60309-402-3 Welcome to the stunning conclusion of the
award-winning and best-selling MARCH trilogy. By the fall of 1963, the Civil Rights Movement has penetrated deep into the American consciousness, and as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, John Lewis is guiding the tip of the spear.		 Promotes critical race theory

Title Author ISBN Book Description
Me and White Supremacy:
Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor		 Saad, Layla 978-1-72820-980-7 Leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on black, indigenous and people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too. The book goes beyond the original workbook by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and includes expanded definitions, examples, and further resources.
My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies Menakem, Resmaa 978-1-942094-47-0 In this groundbreaking book, therapist
Resmaa Menakem examines the damage caused by racism in America from the perspective of trauma and body-centered psychology.
So You Want to Talk About Race Oluo, Ijeoma 978-1-58005-882-7 Guides readers of all races through subjects
ranging from police brutality and cultural appropriation to the model minority myth in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race, and about how racism infects every aspect of American life.
The ABCs of Black History Cortez, Rio 978-1-5235-0749-8 Letter by letter, this book honors and
commemorates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity and joy.
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our
Racial Divide		 Anderson, Carol 978-1-63286-413-0 From the end of the Civil War to our
combustible present, an acclaimed historian reframes the conversation about race, chronicling the powerful forces opposed to black progress in America.