Banned Books
The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, but it doesn’t stop books from being banned. Here are some of the most frequently banned and challenged books of all time. Have you read any of them.
‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’
This Mark Twain novel is often paid some serious compliments. But in 1885, a year after it was published, Concord Public Library banned the book and minced no words about it. Other libraries followed. The references to and treatment of African-Americans in the novel have long been the focus of critics who don’t want children reading it.
‘1984’
Banned in the former Soviet Union for 40 years, and from many libraries in the United States after its publication in 1949, the theme of the book seems a bit ironic. The book was almost banned by the U.S. completely during this military event.
The Harry Potter Series
Somebody’s got something against the boy wizard? Say it ain’t so! Actually, it’s true. The books are banned in some parts of the U.S. and the U.K. for fear that they promote witchcraft. Perhaps the muggles are organizing
‘The Color Purple’
Despite being one of the most challenged books in the United States because of its violence and sexual content, Alice Walker’s novel continues to be read in schools and libraries throughout the world. Walker won a prestigious prize for the book.
‘Lolita’
Banned in the United Kingdom and France in 1956, Vladimir Nabokov’s novel provoked criticism for its depiction of a sexual relationship between a grown man and a 12-year-old girl. It was later banned in South Africa, New Zealand, and Argentina. Today, the term “Lolita” is now part of pop culture.
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
Though it won a prestigious literary award, and has never been out of print since its first publication in 1960, Harper Lee’s novel has been banned by schools in Minnesota, Tennessee and New Jersey because of its treatment of some sensitive topics.
‘The Satanic Verses’
Salman Rushdie started a firestorm in the Muslim world with this novel, one of the most infamous banned books of modern times. It was banned in 15 countries, caused a riot, and prompted this cleric to order that the author be killed.
‘The Catcher in the Rye’
This J.D. Salinger classic has stoked controversy ever since it was published in 1951. One teacher lost a job over Holden Caufield. Between 1961 and 1982, it was reportedly the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States. Originally written for adults, its critics felt certain themes were not appropriate for younger readers.
The Twilight Series
One of the most popular series of young adult books, these vampire novels have been banned in some schools and libraries in the U.S. and Australia for sexual content and objections to the use of the supernatural. That hasn’t kept author Stephenie Meyer from appearing on this list.
‘Candide’
This classic French novel by Voltaire uses satire to poke fun at highly venerated forces in French society. It was banned in France in 1759 for being “obscene.” In 1930, copies of the books were seized by U.S. Customs, and in 1944 the U.S. Post Office demanded it be omitted from a major book catalog.
‘Brave New World’
Published in 1932 by Aldous Huxley, this book was banned in Ireland, as well as in classrooms in Missouri and California because of some of the strong themes it explored. The book is often compared to and contrasted with another famous banned book.
‘The Anarchist Cookbook’
Written in part to protest a war, this book fell into the hands of many would-be terrorists. It’s been banned from most state-run libraries in the United States, and it’s also banned in New Zealand.
‘And Tango Makes Three’
What could possibly be wrong with a kid’s picture book about two penguins raising a chick together? Well, both penguins are male, and even though it’s a true story, this book has been restricted or removed from library shelves in at least 10 U.S. states. The book has won many awards and was named an American Library Association Notable Book in 2006.
‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’
The woman who wrote this coming-of-age novel just won a Presidential Medal of Honor, but her work is one of the most banned books in the U.S. Some parents and schools have objected to the book's depictions of some grown-up themes.
‘Bridge to Terabithia’
A kid’s book about two lonely children who create a magical forest kingdom, it has been the frequent target of censors and appears at number eight on this American Library Association list.
‘A Clockwork Orange’
It’s called a “dystopian novella.” If you don’t know what that is, it’s not a happy place. Removed from high school classrooms in Colorado and Rhode Island, and from high school libraries in Alabama for “objectionable language,” the book led to a movie rated ‘X’ in its initial release.
