Check out a banned book and celebrate your freedom to read! Libraries are all about championing your freedom to read – the good, the bad, the controversial. That’s why we celebrate Banned Books Week every year, spotlighting banned or challenged books and highlighting the importance of open access. Banned Books Week falls Oct. 1-7 this year and draws attention to current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. Below are some of the most challenged books in recent years, all available at SPL. Check one out!
Titles and info adapted from the American Library Association’s Top Challenged Books List available at www.ala.org
Lawn Boy (fiction)
by Jonathan Evison
A coming-of-age story dealing with themes of social class, cultural discrimination and self-discovery, Lawn Boy has frequently been banned and challenged in 2022 for LGBTQIA+ content and claims of being sexually explicit.
The Bluest Eye (fiction)
by Toni Morrison
The first novel written by Morrison in 1970, The Bluest Eye chronicles the story of a young African-American girl growing up following the Great Depression. It is one of the top 10 challenged books in 2022, 2021 and 2020 due to equity, diversity, and inclusion content, depiction of sexual abuse, and claims of being sexually explicit.
Speak (young adult fiction)
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Originally published in 1999, Speak is a novel that tells the story of a high school freshman dealing with the aftermath of rape and learning to regain herself. The novel was based on Anderson’s personal experience of sexual assault and subsequent trauma as a teenager. Speak was the fourth most challenged book in 2020, due to the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity and claims of the novel containing a political viewpoint and being biased against male students.
The Handmaid’s Tale (fiction)
by Margaret Atwood
This title was among the top 10 books banned and challenged during 2019 for its perceived profanity, vulgarity and sexual overtones. Originally published in 1985, the acclaimed futuristic, dystopian novel explores themes of female subjugation in a patriarchal society and has faced numerous censorship attempts through the decades.
The “Captain Underpants” series (juvenile fiction)
by Dav Pilkey
The third most challenged or banned book in 2018, the popular “Captain Underpants” series has faced challenges or bans more than once. The series features two fourth-grade friends and a superhero from one of their homemade comic books – Captain Underpants – come to life. The series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot was challenged specifically for including a same-sex couple.
The Kite Runner (fiction)
by Khaled Hosseini
This critically acclaimed, multigenerational novel which tells the story of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, has been challenged numerous times. In 2017 it was challenged because it includes sexual violence and was thought to lead to terrorism and promote Islam.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (young adult fiction)
by Sherman Alexie
Based on the author’s own experiences, this book tells the story of Junior, raised on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The book has been on the list of top 10 titles challenged or banned for 10 of the past 13 years for myriad claims including anti-family sentiments, cultural insensitivity, offensive language, violence, depictions of bullying, inclusion of drugs/alcohol/smoking/gambling and content thought to be sexually explicit, as well as claims of being unsuitable for a young adult audience.
Drama (juvenile graphic novel)
by Raina Telgemeier
Chronicling middle school friendship and drama, this book was in the top 10 books challenged from 2016-2019 because it includes LGBTQIA+ characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint.
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