The 1619 Project
Author: Nikole Hannah-Jones
Reason Banned: Racial themes, controversial political ideology,
Donald Trump accused educators who taught this book of teaching students to “hate their country”.
1984
Author: George Orwell
Reason Banned: (US and international) Controversial political ideology, sexual content, “pro-communist”
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Author: Sherman Alexie
Reason Banned: Racial themes, sexual content, references to drugs and alcohol, inappropriate for younger readers, profanity and “adult” language, violence, “acknowledging poverty”, references to gambling, anti-family themes, anti-Christian themes
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Author: Mark Twain
Reason Banned: (US and International) Racial themes, controversial political ideologies, violence, questionable morality
All American Boys
Author: Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Reason Banned: Racial themes, controversial political ideologies, references to drugs and alcohol, profanity and “adult” language, promoting “anti-police/law enforcement” views
In North and South Carolina, police officers spoke out against the book, accusing it of teaching children not to trust police officers or law enforcement in general.
All Boys Aren’t Blue
Author: George M. Johnson
Reason Banned: Sexual content, LGBTQ+ themes
All That’s Left in the World
Author: Erik J. Brown
Reason Banned: LGBTQ+ themes,
Animal Farm
Author: George Orwell
Reason Banned: (US and International) Controversial political ideologies, considered “unconstitutional,” references to the “masses revolting”
The CIA was so concerned about the book being a "threat to national security" that they bought the rights to the animated version of the film. They altered many plot points and changed the ending to "combat the culture of communism".
As I Lay Dying
Author: William Faulkner
Reason Banned: Sexual content, “obscenity”, uses “god’s name in vain”, references to abortion and reincarnation
The Bell Jar
Author: Sylvia Plath
Reason Banned: References to mental health issues and suicide, critique of societal expectations for women
Beloved
Author: Toni Morrison
Reason Banned: Racial themes, inappropriate for younger audiences, depictions of violence, graphic depictions of sexual violence
Between The World and Me
Author: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Reason Banned: Racial themes
Accused of promoting critical race theory.
Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out
Author: Susan Kuklin
Reason Banned: Sexual content, LGBTQ+ themes
The Bluest Eye
Author: Toni Morrison
Reason Banned: Racial themes, sexual content, depictions of child molestation, depictions of "incestuous relationships”.
Brave New World
Author: Aldous Huxley
Reason Banned: Sexual content, insensitivity, nudity, racism, references to drugs and alcohol, challenging traditional family and religious values
Catch 22
Author: Joseph Heller
Reason Banned: Sexual content, profanity and “adult” language, use of the word “whore” to refer to women
Senators called it a “filthy, filthy” book.
Catcher In The Rye
Author: JD Salinger
Reason Banned: Racial themes, sexual content, profanity and “adult” language, anti-family themes
Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Reason Banned: (US and International) Controversial political content, inappropriate for young audiences, profanity and “adult” language, depictions of violence, “perceived political similarities to real-life history”, concept was deemed “too cruel”, rebellion against authority, depictions of trauma, references to psychological warfare
A Child Called “It”
Author: Dave Pelzer
Reason Banned: Inappropriate for young audiences, profanity and “adult” language, depictions of violence, depictions of child abuse
A Clockwork Orange
Author: Anthony Burgess
Reason Banned: Profanity and “adult” language, depictions of violence, depictions of sexual violence, “immorality”
The Color Purple
Author: Alice Walker
Reason Banned: Racial themes, sexual content, references to drugs and alcohol, LGBTQ+ themes, profanity and “adult” language, depictions of violence, depictions of sexual violence, “anti-Christian” themes, depictions of incestuous relationship
Crank
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Reason Banned: Sexual content, references to drugs and alcohol, profanity and “adult” language, “obscenity”
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
Reason Banned: Profanity and “adult” language, references to mental health issues, concerns over the portrayal of autism
Diary of a Young Girl
Author: Anne Frank
Reason Banned: (US and International) Controversial political themes, depictions of burgeoning sexuality
Farenheit 451
Author: Ray Bradbury
Reason Banned: Controversial political themes, profanity and “adult” language, bible burning
The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Reason Banned: Sexual content, inappropriate for young audiences, profanity and “adult” language,
Listed by the American Library Association as one of the most commonly challenged books in the U.S. during the 2010s.
Flamer
Author: Mike Curato
Reason Banned: Sexual content, LGBTQ+ themes,
Flowers for Algernon
Author: Daniel Keyes
Reason Banned: Sexual content, references to drugs and alcohol, inappropriate for young audiences, profanity and “adult” language,
Fun Home
Author: Alison Bechdel
Reason Banned: Sexual content, LGBTQ+ themes, “graphic” (unspecified)
Gender Queer
Author: Maia Kobabe
Reason Banned: Sexual content, LGBTQ+ themes
The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Reason Banned: Sexual content, depictions of violence, references to mental heath issues
The Giving Tree
Author: Shel Silverstein
Reason Banned: Inappropriate for young audiences, potentially sexist interpretations, depictions of unhealthy relationships and exploitation
Go Ask Alice
Author: Anonymous
Reason Banned: Sexual content, references to drugs and alcohol, profanity and “adult” language,
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Author: James Baldwin
Reason Banned: Racial themes, sexual content, profanity and “adult” language, depictions of violence, religious critiques
The God of Small Things
Author: Arundhati Roy
Reason Banned: (US and International) Racial themes, controversial political content, sexual content, depictions of violence, depictions of sexual violence, references to the caste system, depictions of social injustice and colonization, challenges to religious and political beliefs
The Grapes of Wrath
Author: John Steinbeck
Reason Banned: Profanity and “adult” language, depictions of “inhumane vigilantes”
The Handmaid’s Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Reason Banned: Racial themes, controversial political content, sexual content, inappropriate for young audiences, depictions of violence, depictions of sexual violence, anti-religious themes
Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Reason Banned: Racial themes, sexual content, inappropriate for young audiences, depictions of violence, references to mental health issues and suicide, themes of “despair”, animal cruelty
The Hate You Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Reason Banned: Racial themes, inappropriate for young audiences, profanity and “adult” language, references to teen pregnancy, “percieved lack of police perspective or omission of the police’s viewpoint”, references to sex work
The Hobbit
Author: J.R.R. Tolkein
Reason Banned: Profanity and “adult” language, “anti-Christian” themes (accused of being satanic), themes of good versus evil,
The House on Mango Street
Author: Sandra Cisneros
Reason Banned: Racial themes, profanity and “adult” language, depictions of violence, depictions of sexual violence, “mature” themes, depictions of domestic violence, “cultural” content
The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Reason Banned: (US and International) Controversial political content, inappropriate for young audiences, profanity and “adult” language, depictions of violence, “perceived political similarities to real-life history”, concept was deemed “too cruel”, rebellion against authority, depictions of trauma, references to psychological warfare
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Author: Maya Angelou
Reason Banned: Racial themes, controversial political themes, sexual content
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Author: Rebecca Skloot
Reason Banned: Inappropriate for young audiences
Jaws
Author: Peter Benchley
Reason Banned: Sexual content, “obscenity”
Kindred
Author: Octavia E. Butler
Reason Banned: Racial themes, depictions of sexual violence, depictions of slavery
The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Reason Banned: Racial themes, controversial political themes, LGBTQ+ themes, inappropriate for young audiences, profanity and “adult” language, depictions of sexual violence, “racially divisive” rhetoric,
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Author: Malinda Lo
Reason Banned: Controversial political themes, sexual content, LGBTQ+ themes, profanity and “adult” language, use of slurs (deemed “obscene”)
Lolita
Author: Vladimir Nabakov
Reason Banned: Misinterpretation as a romance, infatuation and sexual obsession of the protagonist for his young step daughter, fears that the unreliable narrator led people to sympathize with him
Maus I & II
Author: Art Speigelman
Reason Banned: Inappropriate for young audiences, profanity and “adult” language, depictions of nudity
Milk and Honey
Author: Rupi Kaur
Reason Banned: Depictions of sexual violence
Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Reason Banned: (US and International) Controversial political content, inappropriate for young audiences, profanity and “adult” language, depictions of violence, “perceived political similarities to real-life history”, concept was deemed “too cruel”, rebellion against authority, depictions of trauma, references to psychological warfare
My Sister’s Keeper
Author: Jodi Picoult
Reason Banned: Sexual content, LGBTQ+ themes, inappropriate for young audiences, depictions of violence, references to mental health issues, depictions of sexism, references to sexual education
Nineteen Minutes
Author: Jodi Picoult
Reason Banned: Sexual content, depictions of violence, references to mental health issues, depictions of bullying and social issues
Of Mice and Men
Author: John Steinbeck
Reason Banned: Racial themes, controversial political themes, profanity and “adult” themes, references to mental health and suicide, use of racial slurs, “anti-business” sentiment, offensive depictions of mental disability
The Origin of Species
Author: Charles Darwin
Reason Banned: (Historical; US and International) Controversial political themes, challenges to religious beliefs, violation of US anti-evolution laws
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Reason Banned: Sexual content, references to drugs and alcohol, LGBTQ+ themes, depictions of sexual violence, “obscene” content,
Persepolis
Author: Marjane Satrape
Reason Banned: (US and International) Sexual content, depictions of violence, criticism of the Iranian Revolution and its political and religious impact (Iran), depictions of torture
Slaughterhouse Five
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Reason Banned: Sexual content, profanity and “adult” violent, depictions of violence, anti-American and unpatriotic themes, “obscenity”, “ungodly”, depictions of cruelty
Sold
Author: Patricia McCormick
Reason Banned: Sexual content, inappropriate for young audiences
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
Author: Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
Reason Banned: Controversial political themes, inappropriate for young audiences, “selective storytelling”, “anti-American” sentiments
To Kill A Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Reason Banned: Racial themes, controversial political themes, profanity and “adult” language, sexual violence, use of racial slurs
The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy
Author: Douglas Adams
Reason Banned: Anti-family themes, profanity and “adult” violence, questions religion
Ulysses
Author: James Joyce
Reason Banned: (US and international) Sexual content, discussions of human sexuality and bodily functions
Where The Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
Reason Banned: Inappropriate for young audiences, deemed “psychologically damaging” and “too dark”
A Wrinkle in Time
Author: Madeleine L’engle
Reason Banned: Religious themes, depiction of “occult practices”, “blasphemy”, portrayal of a strong, independent, intellegent female protagonist