They say that reading is fundamental and yet there are some books that have gotten a bad rap because they’re not politically correct or have content in them that has made them a target for parents and lawmakers. And yet, most book enthusiasts would still own a copy of these books no matter what some people say.
Even though some of these works of literature have won awards for their thought provoking ideas and incredible turns of phrase, some schools and other groups have thought them too dangerous to put on their shelves. Think you can identify these famously banned books? Then take this quiz and find out.
They say that reading is fundamental and yet there are some books that have gotten a bad rap because they’re not politically correct or have content in them that has made them a target for parents and lawmakers. And yet, most book enthusiasts would still own a copy of these books no matter what some people say.
Even though some of these works of literature have won awards for their thought provoking ideas and incredible turns of phrase, some schools and other groups have thought them too dangerous to put on their shelves. Think you can identify these famously banned books? Then take this quiz and find out.
Although the book was never officially banned, it has been challenged by parents and schools for the level of violence, bullying, and of course, the obscene language used in the book.
"The Catcher in the Rye" was banned in high schools in Washington state in 1978 because the School Board felt it contained a communist undertone. But most libraries and high schools in the United States banned it because they felt that books about sex and depression had no place on their shelves.
"The Handmaid’s Tale" has appeared on the American Library Association’s list of top 100 banned books for several years now thanks to the “vulgarity and sexual overtones” of this classic novel.
"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain was banned by the Concord Public Library in 1885 because they claimed the writer used coarse language that was hurtful. Although In recently years, the book has been banned because of the use of racial slurs.
"The Color Purple" by Alice Walker won a couple of literary awards and was even turned into a movie. But the book was banned because of its uses of the touchy subjects of race relations and sexuality. In fact, the book was challenged by a high school class in Oakland, California in 1984, forcing the school board of the city to give an official approval of the book.
"And Tango Makes Three" is a children’s book about two male penguins who make a family. Due to the LGBT undertones of the story, some folks felt that the book would be inappropriate for kids, even though the author wrote it specifically to teach children that same-gender parents are just as normal as everyone else.
Although Harry Potter and his friends are the embodiment of good, there are some shady elements in the series, like Voldemort, who uses dark magic to harm others. And many folks don’t see a difference between good magic and bad magic.
"The Grapes of Wrath" is about a family from Oklahoma who migrate towards the West in Kern County, California. Unfortunately, it was banned in Kern County because they felt the book didn’t portray the way that they had helped so many of the migrants when they arrived.
One of the main reasons that the Goosebumps book series was banned by some parents was because they felt that author R.L. Stine had created books that were both too graphic and terrifying for young children.
Adult subjects like abortion, murder, suicide and using God’s name in vain were common issues with this Ray Bradbury book. So, naturally, the book was either challenged or banned by many groups.
Judy Blume mentions women’s monthly cycle in this book but it was described as anti-Christian by some readers because many of the Christian characters in the story are written in a negative way.
Hemingway’s novel contained adult content which led to censorship, but it was also a war story and like most war stories, it discussed the experience of soldiers. The novel reflected the author’s contempt for fascism and represented Italian soldiers in WWI as retreating in the midst of a battle.
As if racial slurs and profane language weren’t enough of a reason for some groups to want to ban this book, the novel was challenged in the United States because it dealt with the subject of assault, too.
In the picture book, the protagonist identifies herself as having “a girl brain but a boy body.” The book also explores her family’s difficulty in accepting her transgender identity.
Maya Angelou’s work has been challenged or banned altogether by some groups and schools because of its use of adult language as well as its depiction of topics such as racism, childhood assault and underage pregnancy.
The book was challenged by the Illinois school district in 1984 and banned by the California school district in 1978 for the simple fact that the adult content in the book was extreme and the portrayal of the assault of an underaged teen was considered to be pushing the limits of good taste.
Despite being classified as a young adult novel, this book has been challenged by some who felt that the content challenged authority, revolved around a kidnapping of a twelve-year-old, and contained too much adult content.
The novel contains elements of racism, a great deal of foul language, and it showcases the mistreatment of women. When parents began to complain, the book ended up on the American Library Association’s list of banned books.
In 2004, a family was so stunned by the amount of racial slurs in this book and the extreme way that racism was depicted in the novel that they tried to have the book banned. But it’s not the first time the book was challenged. In 1993, the book was banned from a Los Angeles high school.
Eric Carle wrote a children’s book that isn’t necessarily inappropriate. However, he did add one illustration of a man and a woman without any clothes on which parents felt was too explicit for young children.
Before it became a series on the CW network, "Gossip Girl" was a book series that was just as raunchy as the show, which is why many parents felt that it had no place in the hands of their teenagers.
Parents weren’t happy with this novel because of its adult content, like violence which included euthanasia and infanticide. But in 1995, Montana parents challenged it so much that schools had to request parental permission before giving the book to students.
While some people might agree that being an affront to authority, suicidal thoughts, death and the use of controlled substances are common in many teenagers lives, a lot of parents were still concerned about this book. So in 1986, the book got banned from West Allis Milwaukee school libraries.
Some parents and teachers feel that the book’s uses of language, poor grammar and questionable choices sends a really bad message to young minds. Therefore, the book has been questioned on more than one occasion.
According to some people, this book is the total opposite of morality as it includes touchy subjects like violence, controlled substance use and drug abuse. In fact, in 1978, a teacher got the boot for assigning this book to their students.
A lovable witch in a children’s book might not sound like such a bad thing, but the book was challenged in the United States because it depicted witches and witchcraft as a positive thing, which went against Christian beliefs.
Schools in Missouri were not happy with the young adult novel that focused on the physical assault of a teenager and the mental health of the victim afterwards. And yet, authors and readers got together to defend the novel from the ban schools imposed on it.
This book takes place during the Civil War in Ohio. It’s based on the real life story of an enslaved Black woman named Margaret Garner who murdered her child to prevent him from living as a slave. Naturally, this plot left some parents and librarians quite concerned.
Profanity, vanity and talks about the birds and the bees are common among teenagers. But the book was banned or challenged in the United States because schools felt that all the references to growing up and the changing of young people’s bodies was inappropriate.
A number of librarians have banned this book which was first published in 1970 because Mickey, the main protagonist of the story who is a toddler, was not wearing clothes in an image in the book.
Profanity, obscene references to adult content, physical assaults and substance abuse led to the novel being challenged in schools across the country. In Wall Township, New Jersey, the Superintendent of Schools had the book removed in 1993.
Some felt that this novel was too complicated for the targeted age group. But others felt that the use of magic would come off as anti-religious. Still others felt that the female protagonist was just too plucky for kids.
In 1986, a town in Wisconsin was targeted by religious groups who felt that a spider licking her lips was considered to be nothing more than adult content. Then of course, there was another issue about depicting animals using controlled substances.
Heartbreaking or not, a lot of people felt that the book contained assault and offensive language that was inappropriate for students. It also contained ideas that some felt would inspire terrorism.
Behind the seemingly normal academy known as the Trinity lurked a secret society called The Vigils, which used systematic victimization and mind games in the form of manipulation and pranks on their victims.
The book which inspired the popular Netflix series of the same name was considered quite controversial because many parents worried that it would inspire teens dealing with emotional issues to try to take their own lives.
While "Harriet the Spy" might not seem like a harmful book, some folks felt that Harriet spied on her friends, lied and used foul language all the time, which wasn’t the good example they wanted to set for their kids.
The American Library Association claims that the book series was once considered one of the most challenged or banned books in America. Much of the reason behind why the books were so controversial was because the terrifying contents and drawings in the book were deemed R-rated by some.
Despite the book being entertaining because it opened a doorway into a world of fantasy, people challenged the book because it had a lot of foul language and made references to atheism and magic.
It’s not the first time a Judy Blume novel was banned. In this case, the book followed the story of a classmate that bullies another girl over being plus size, which made many parents scared that it would give kids the wrong impression that bullying someone over their appearance was okay.
"Native Son" focuses on the extreme poverty and lack of hope felt by folks living in the inner city and what it’s like to be Black in America. Unfortunately, profanity, violence and adult content are the reasons why this book was banned.
The book was called "The Dark" and it was banned by the Irish state censor because it dealt with the aftermath of clerical and parental child abuse. Consequently, McGahern also lost his job as a teacher because of the book.
This satire of the former Soviet Union dealt with a group of farm animals revolting against humans. One of the lines that was considered objectionable included the phrase “masses will revolt” because it insinuated that new tyranny often took over the old in extreme ways.
The book’s centralized theme was LGBTQ content. For this very reason, "Two Boys Kissing" was challenged, and in some cases burned, by those who felt the content was not suitable for young reading audiences.
The book got banned because it contained violence, underage drinking, gambling and opposing religious viewpoints among other things.
In 2011, the American Library Associations added "The Hunger Games" book series to its list of banned books because of its anti-ethnic and anti-family points of view as well as its portrayals of violence and insensitivity.
The book was challenged and, in some cases, banned because it talked about male anatomy, mentioned adult magazines, and told kids how to clear their browser history. It also encouraged transgender people to use hormones to change their bodies.
The book left one parent stunned after her 10th grade son was told to read explicit passages at Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Arizona. This ultimately led the Arizona School District to ban the book.
"The Hate U Give" dealt with the shooting of an unarmed Black man by a white cop. The book also contained language that was deemed inappropriate, which ultimately led to the book being pulled from the shelves by the school’s District Superintendent.
Despite the fact that twelve “Captain Underpants” books have been published since 1997 and a spin-off series has also produced ten books, parents aren’t impressed by its use of potty-humor and jokes at the expense of teachers and other adults.