Over the years it seems like just about every great book was challenged at one time or another for reasons ranging from the well-intentioned to the indubitably dubious. At the Banned Book Week website you can check out a map of book banning and challenges, and the ALA has a list of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books in 2009 and the decade, as well as a list of banned/challenged classics, along with some of the reasons and places.
Which one is your favorite?
The great Tahereh Mafi (who by the way I had the pleasure of meeting yesterday she’s awesome) is compiling a master list of blog odes to banned books, so if you decide to blog about it don’t forget to add your name to her list and check out the others!
I’d like to give a shout out to #58 on the most-challenged-books list of the decade, Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going, one of those books that, when you see it on a banned books list, it makes you say, “Wait, what?!?!” I mean, what was this challenged for, EXCESSIVE AWESOMENESS?
FAT KID opens with an overweight teenager contemplating suicide on a subway platform, but instead Troy strikes up an unlikely friendship with Curt, who is cool and edgy and wants Troy to be in his band. It’s a realistic and heartfelt and engrossing book that has an incredible friendship at its core.
This one is extra special because K.L. used to be a colleague of mine at Curtis Brown, and when I read it I was just blown away that I knew someone that insanely talented.
Please check it out if you haven’t read it already!
And in the meantime, looking forward to hearing which is your favorite banned/challenged book in the comments section.
Surly Jason says
I want to answer in the contrary: I think the bible should be banned/challenged. (Not that I ever thing books should be banned.)
Here's a Mark Twain story: https://freethinker.co.uk/2010/08/02/mark-twain-versus-the-bible/
Andrea says
First, 'Twilight' is sexually explicit? There is zero sex in that book?! Weird.
My favorite? 'The Catcher in the Rye' of course.
mshatch says
I'll pick two: one LOTR, because I can't understand what on earth there is to ban. What could possibly be offensive about hobbits and elves trying to throw back a soul controlling ring into the fire that made it? And the Awakening because I can understand why it might have been banned in light of when it was written.
cheekychook says
I've read about 70% of the books on the 100 most commonly banned list. My favorites are Catcher in the Rye, The World According to Garp and Sophie's Choice—all of which I read as a kid—and (I might add) I turned out just fine.
Steph Sinkhorn says
Yay for Banned Books Week 😀 I'm excited to read about everyone's favorite banned books.
I hadn't heard of this one! I'll have to add it to my to-read list.
I posted a vlog about the His Dark Materials series, which are a few of my favorite banned books. An absolutely stunning fantasy series, but OH NO "religious viewpoint."
Cristina Fugaru says
"The Ages of Lulu" by Almudena Grandes (which I really liked) and I can understand why some people might find the explicit sexual language offensive. Actually I'm surprised it's not on the list.
arlenewritesromance says
There are so many great books on that banned list — and so many I read in school … A Brave New World, 1984, A Separate Peace, Gone with the Wind, Their Eyes Were Watching God, To Kill A Mockingbird …
I can't imagine what life would be like if I hadn't had the chance to read them.
Jennifer Hoffine says
Agreed on your choice of Fat Kid. Awesome book.
I posted on my favorite, Slaughterhouse Five
JaredNGarrett says
Favorite banned/challenged books:
1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Not enough can be said about this book and its influence on me as a young boy, young man and a writer. I learned about friendship, love, courage… And I loved the story.
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I doubt you need explanations. Is there any other set of books that has influenced more people to become writers than this set?
Not likely.
Emily says
Wow there are so many great books on that list, how could anyone choose? TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD was the first book I read as a kid that really made me THINK. What a great book, and how sad that there may be kids in this country who will never be exposed to it.
Matthew Rush says
For me it probably has to be Fahrenheit 451. I mean a banned/challenged book about burning books? Oh the irony.
Yes, the story is damn cool too, but that's not the point, or at least it's not my point.
Melanie says
To Kill and Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye.
daniellelapaglia says
The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird are two of my favorite books of all time. I was suprised by some that were on the list and find it incredibly sad that there is still book banning going on in 2010. As a parent, it's up to me to decide what my child reads, period.
Mike says
The Harry Potter series, without a doubt. I also enjoyed "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings". Depressing as hell, but a great work.
Amanda says
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. It absolutely changed my life, and there's no way it should be banned. I think more people need to realize how people are living on the reservations.
Delia says
I could maybe do a top ten, but picking only one is nigh on impossible. I think it would be one of the biggest honors on Earth to have one's work appear on any list with those authors.
Also, Winnie the Pooh? Really?
Laurie Boris says
My favorite banned book is also my favorite book: 'Lolita.' Nabokov does a brilliant job of developing empathy for Humbert. Second favorite goes to 'The World According to Garp.' What kind of world with this be without brilliant literature?
JaredNGarrett says
Must add a note. I just saw the freaking Bridge to Terabithia is high on the list for the decade.
What on EARTH would make a person want to challenge that book?
That's my #1. Hands down, every day of the week, twice on Saturday.
heather says
i posted today about the "captain underpants" series, which holds a special place in my heart because it got so many of my students loving books but got me so much crap from parents.
earthgirl says
Undoubtedly Catcher in the Rye. I have a copy I acquired from a private conservative university library that has the following note taped to the inside cover: "This book has been purchased for examination by students . . . its moral values do not necessarily meet the Christian standards of [xxx] University or the approval of the library staff."
Tracy Hahn-Burkett says
It's so hard to pick a favorite out of the universe of banned books, but certainly To Kill A Mockingbird and Beloved are very high on my list.
I blogged about Speak in honor of Banned Books Week this week: https://unchartedparent.com/?p=1784. I guess I should thank the book-banners, because I wouldn't have known about the book otherwise.
Maybe those of us who condemn book-banning are taking the wrong approach. It does seem to be the best way to get the word out about a book… (Kidding, everybody. Just kidding. I think.)
Sarah Nicolas says
My favorite is The Giver, but TH's blog was so perfect, I linked to hers and blogged about Fahrenheit 451 https://bit.ly/94dtpl 🙂
Lu Ann Brobst Staheli says
Harry Potter. #1 most challenged in 2008. My family loves this book. I've read the series twice and my husband loves listening to the audio book on his regular commutes from Utah to LA. He's probably listened to them all a dozen times. I also regularly recommend this series to my junior high students and a couple of classes will be reading it this year in our school.
Khanada says
My favorite is The Giver, too, followed by the Harry Potter and His Dark Materials series.
The map of banned and challenged books is very disturbing. When I read about books being challenged, I just can't imagine it happening where I am — and yet, there are loads of challenges along the East Coast.
Lucinda Gunnin says
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is one of my favorite books of all time and the people in 2008 who want to ban it because it used the n word are truly missing the point. I'm terrified by how many excellent works with much needed social commentary are included in the list.
People need to read more…and understand what they read.
Claire Dawn says
I wrote on the Color Purple because I read that this week. But To Kill a Mockingbird is also up there. Along with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Anonymous says
@Surly Jason–That's the whole problem with people who want to ban books. It's too easy to condemn those who've done it or are doing it until you come across a book you don't agree with.
Hypocritical, too.
m. christine weber says
The Great Gatsby and Lord of the Rings??? Good gracious. You know, it always surprises me what people are willing to ban in a book, but not on their television.
And on a side note, here are my thoughts about the writers' conference you spoke at in SLO ;-): https://mchristineweber.com/nine-only-slightly-creepy-reasons-to-attend-a-writers%e2%80%99-conference/
Steve Masover says
Favorite? That's too hard. I blogged today about Joyce's Ulysses, banned in the 20s & 30s and the subject of a critically important U.S. Supreme Court case about censorship. Rather than "favorite" I was riffing off a question Nathan posed this past spring: What Is the Most Influential Book of All Time? (My answer was Homer's Odyssey. More if you like at One Finger Typing).
Mira says
Haven't read that book, Nathan. Looks great, I'll check it out. 🙂
Well, I scanned the lists and I have to say there are two books on there that are dangerous and subversive.
I absolutely agree that these two banned books threaten the very core of our democracy:
The Wizard of Oz
Winnie-The-Pooh
I just hope to goodness they never make MOVIES out of these books. Can you imagine? These books are so terrifying I don't know if our civiliation could survive the threat.
I would have included Charlotte's Web, but I figured that one goes without saying.
Melissa says
Though the entire list of banned books is comprised of awesome literature, I think the Harry Potter books would be pretty high on my list of favorites for this reason.
I am one of those people who were profoundly affected by the Harry Potter books, simply because I live in a small town and they were being contested heavily. They were never removed from the library, but a lot of parents were up in arms about it, saying that she was a Wiccan and that her books were teaching kids to believe in magic as a real thing.
That was the first time I remember standing up for a book. It’s sad that almost all of the people banning her books hadn’t even read them and didn’t know what a great story it was. I think that’s the way it goes with a lot of banned or contested books, though. People just completely miss the point.
Regan Leigh says
To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby. For sure. 🙂
Emily White says
I definitely love LOTR! And the whole reason for why the book was challenged seems ludicrous to me. Satanism? Really? Wow. It's too bad the people against it never actually read the books or tried to find anything out about Tolkien.
Mira says
On the other hand, can we ADD books to the list?
I'd like to ban the Dictionary. My life would be so much nicer if spelling became more of an 'in the ballpark' sort of thing.
I'd also like to ban all recipes that use califlower. I don't like califlower.
Finally, I want to ban anything written by either the IRS or the DMV. And I'll throw in anything written by an HMO for good measure.
Oh, and as a grad student, I want to ban all textbooks.
Thank you.
Rebecca White says
So many of the books on the list are ones that really got me interested in reading and striving to try harder in my own writing. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the top three would be To Kill a Mockingbird, LOTR and Bridge to Terabithia.
It is really sad to see how close minded some people can be.
Down the well says
The Grapes Of Wrath and To Kill A Mockingbird are two of my all-time favorites.
Stephanie Garber says
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. When I read that book in high school it was hard for me to believe it was required reading because I loved that book so much! It was such a tragically beautiful story.
Deb says
I am from the great state of Utah where, according to the map, there are no banned books. Hurrah!
While many of the books would classify as my favorites, I would have to site "Their Eyes Were Watching God." That book changed me. It was the first book I ever cried in, the first time I realized how powerful words can be.
clp3333 says
Lord of the Flies.
Sommer says
Right now I'm loving all things Laurie Halse Anderson. For Banned Book Week I read Speak and Twisted and they were pretty wonderful.
Bugger says
I don't know if I would call it my all time favorite but I discovered a copy of "Forever" by Judy Blume under my best friend's sister's bed as a young girl and it made me look at books in a whole new way! Banning makes the heart grow fonder.
M.A.Leslie says
I will always love and respect the Harry Potter series but Bridge To Terabithia was the first book that I read as a kid that evoked emotion. I can admit and remember sitting in my room on the bed and reading the book for school, something that I hated to do, and actually tearing up at the end of the story. It was the turning point in my literary future that turned me into a reader and now hopefully someday a published writer.
Aside from not wanting your kid to feel human emotion, I can't think of a reason to not let a kid read it.
Thank you for this post Nathan it gave me a chance to remember a moment in my life that I had forgotten and it was a fairly important moment too.
Maureen says
I have read so many books on the list that it's hard to pick a favorite but I definitely have a soft spot for all the Children's and YA titles. From early on — 4th/5th grade, I talked to my kids about banned books and why books should never be banned. They read many of those "edgy" and not so "edgy" banned books throughout middle school and high school. I tended to worry way more about the real-life issues they faced and not the fictional ones.
abc says
Hey! I ran a teen book group (quasi bibliotherapy group) this past summer and we read Fat Kid Rules the World. I'm always happy to challenge the scary book banning types of the world. And the teens sure liked it!
My fave: The Catcher in the Rye. I can't help it. I just can't.
Carol Riggs says
Lord of the Flies and Harry Potter, 2 of my faves.
Sheila Cull says
Catcher in the Rye by Salinger, challenged? Laugh out loud.
J. T. Shea says
Though mainly finishing a Steampunk series, I am also writing a standalone novel, whose main villain is both young, (21) and very very fat. I put it aside for years out of concerns about political correctness, but resumed writing it recently. The story simply does not work without the character's fatness.
The tone is comic at times (like everything I write!) but it's not actually a comedy. I anticipate controversy, but I think there is something patronizing about treating any minority as so fragile and 'precious' that they cannot be portrayed at all, much less portrayed in all the variations of good and evil human beings display.
Mira, I agree WINNIE THE POOH and THE WIZARD OF OZ should be banned. Look at the way the world has gone since they were published. Is there any other explanation for World War One and World War Two, for example? The young Adolf Hitler read both as a child and often referenced them for military strategies. The 1939 WIZARD OF OZ movie was banned in southern states because it had TWO DIFFERENT COLORS IN THE SAME MOVIE!
ed miracle says
If being burned right here in the U.S. of A counts, my vote goes to John Lennon's book of poems, In His Own Write. The book and many Beatles albums were publicly burned by Amreican Christians upset over Lennon's offhand remark that the Beatles had become as popular as Jesus. (I still have my copy.)
Thaddeus Glapp says
The Fiddler's Gun, naturally.
TKAstle says
Charlotte's Web and Winnie the Pooh?! Seriously? I'm just speechless.