Reading is an essential part of succeeding in life. It’s everywhere–at the most obvious places, like school and English class, to ordering lunch at a restaurant and going to the grocery store. But the most important place is books. Books are what nourish your learning and imagination and for many, is a source of entertainment. With many genres such as Fiction, Non-Fiction, Mystery Novels, Romance Novels, Fantasy, Horror, etc. There is a wide selection for everyone. However, this freedom of reading is stopping secretly but rapidly. Many classics from school and from reading on your own are on a list known as the “banned books.” Some are just banned in schools and others are banned completely. Some schools haven’t taken it into effect yet, but it isn’t too late for them to do it.
Now you’re probably wondering, “Books? Why out of everything are books being banned?” Well according to the American Library Association, around 92% of books banned contain sexual content, which can make a reader uncomfortable or/and guilty for reading. Other reasons are rude language, mature content, religious viewpoints, LGBTQIA content, violence, racism, illegal substance use, “anti-family” content, political viewpoints, and many more (First Amendment Museum). Although all of this is seen and experienced in the real world, many people including the Supreme Court are determined to censor this content.
Although it’s difficult to obtain a full list of all banned books in the U.S, some sources have released the books that are most commonly banned here. Some of the most important classic school books are on this list, which according to Butler University include:
– “1984” by George Orwell
– “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain
– “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger
– “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker
– “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
– “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
– “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
– “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck
– “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey
– “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
These well-known books not only tell great stories, but help with literary concepts such as realism, character development, etc. They are a key resource in English class and understanding a character’s perspective is what you’re learning. But, they are being exchanged with “friendlier” and more restrictive books. Florida is a prime example of this. According to the District Administration, with the 2023 law arising from banning books involving sexual content, Florida started right away and challenged many more books than all states in the U.S (District Administration).
But it’s not only school books getting banned, but also any book you could have lying on your bookshelf. And these bans apply for the same reasons as the school books. According to Pen America, the most common titles banned in over 50 states were:
- “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult
- “Looking for Alaska” by John Green
- “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
- “Sold” by Patricia McCormick
- “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher
- “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins
- “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins
- “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini
- “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
- “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen
- “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins
- “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
- “Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas
- “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
- “A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas
- “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie
- “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
- “A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J. Maas
It is disheartening to see books, which are a safe place for some, being censored for content that might be harsh, but it is reality. In the end, it’s up to us to agree or disagree with the ban. What will you do?
Works Cited:
“Commonly Banned Books – Banned Books – Research Guides (LibGuides) at Butler University.” Butler LibGuides, 3 July 2024, https://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217684. Accessed 23 January 2025.
DasGupta, Sayantani. “Banned in the USA: Beyond the Shelves.” PEN America, 1 November 2024, https://pen.org/report/beyond-the-shelves/. Accessed 23 January 2025.
“How Do Books Get Banned?” First Amendment Museum, First Amendment Museum,
https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/how-do-books-get-banned/. Accessed 23 January 2025.
Zalaznick, Matt. “Banned books: A full list from the state that removed the most titles.” District Administration, 14 November 2024, https://districtadministration.com/briefing/this-state-has-banned-the-most-books-heres-a-complete-list/. Accessed 23 January 2025.
