Banned books are those that are prohibited by the government or law, restricting free access to everyone. They may contain content that can disturb the readers mentally. Several famous banned books in America are restricted to use for certain reasons. Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, and Vladimir Nabakov’s Lolita are among the most banned books of all time.
Shocking isn’t it? The world-famous and favorite story is a banned book. Disney lovers may see it as a legend, but a few scholars consider it nonsense. In 1990, the book was banned in American Schools for its explicit content and sexual fantasies. Even Hunan Province in China banned the book as it portrays anthropomorphic characters, and animals as equals to humans. The governor thought this concept would bring a pessimistic atmosphere in society. Though the books gained an infamous reputation in the old days, the animated version of the movie helped it regain popularity.
One of the best books written by Margaret Atwood, a Canadian novelist and poet, is set in a fictional New England ruled by new social classes and powerful leaders. Society is suffering from infertility, so the government keeps fertile women under their custody, referring to them as Handmaids. Due to its sexualized content, antichrist concept, and explicit scenes, the book has been banned multiple times. When Margaret opened up about this ban she said “To those who seek to stop young people from reading The Handmaid’s Tale: Good luck with that. It’ll only make them want to read it more.”
Among all English authors, Orwell was indeed a unique one. The novel is a satirical allegorical featuring anthropomorphic animals living on a farm. Disappointed with the human farmer’s rule, they all form a community to overthrow the leader and choose one among themselves to lead. However, the story becomes more interesting when the animals begin to feel that the former humans are better than their new animal dictator. The major reason for banning this book is that it deliberately deals with Russia’s Bolshevik revolution. This book is banned in Cuba and North Korea and even in the UAE due to its portrayal of pigs.
No wonder this book was also banned, just like the previous one Nineteen Eighty-Four also specifies Orwell’s opposition to Joseph Stalin. In the Soviet Union, this book was not released until 1990. It addresses multiple themes like totalitarianism, mass surveillance, repressive regimentation, and antistalinism. However, this contemporary world celebrates his works for their insight and satirical themes.
Written by American author Harper Lee, this novel was released in July 1960 in the United States. To Kill a Mockingbird faced many challenges due to its strong language, sexuality, rape, and usage of the n-word. In 1966, a Virginia school board prohibited the book as it portrays an immoral depiction of rape.
This novel was banned even before it reached the bookshelves. Committees in the United States including the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, banned the book. The case of United States vs Ulysses continued for a period until the court lifted the ban. The UK government also banned the book for its extreme sexuality and graphic depiction of bodily function.
American author Mark Twain’s famous adventurous book faced a lot of criticism since its release. Librarians have argued that the protagonist’s moral values are questionable. The Adventures of the Tom Sawyer series is considered by some to be communist, subversive, and racist.
Another one from Mark Twain’s collections, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was banned due to the objections of public commissioners in Concord and Massachusetts. According to them, the book is racist, coarse, trashy, inelegant, obsolete, irreligious, and mindless.
Lolita was banned in America due to its sexual and pedophilia references. The story revolves around a 37-year-old narrator who makes sexual advances toward his 13-year-old
step daughter, Lolita. The book was banned in many regions including France, England, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, and some American communities.
The story bubbled up a controversy among the Islamic communities as the theme insulted Islamic beliefs and culture. The Satanic Verses fueled many killings, riots, and debates worldwide. Besides the United States, the Rajiv Gandhi government also banned the book to avoid chaos. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the political leader of Iran issued a fatwa against the author, publisher, and editor. People associated with this work also got threatened and killed. For years, Salman Rushdie was under the protection of the British government.
The novel deals with drug usage, sexual promiscuity, sadomasochism, body horror, and grotesque imagery, which led to criticism from various sides. It was banned for its vulgarity and obscene content.
It is no wonder why this book made it onto this list. This book has a history of 100 U.S obscenity cases and a lot of bans in other countries. After its release in France, the U.S. prohibited its sale in the United States.
Maya Angelou’s book “I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing” has faced several challenges and bans since 1983. The story deals with the portrayal of the molestation of an 8-year-old girl and teen pregnancy. It is often removed from the school library because of its offensive language, violence, racism, and sexuality.
The Fifty Shades of Grey movie is an adaptation of this erotic book by E.L. James, a British author. Those who have watched this movie will certainly know the reason for its abandonment. Fifty Shades of Grey is filled with erotic scenarios, explicit nudity, offensive language, and BDSM (bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism).
The book is considered inappropriate for children due to its sexual content. It was banned in many middle and high schools in America for racial slurs and alcohol abuse. After its release, it appeared on the American Library Association’s list of challenged books.
Hitler himself was a controversial person, so it’s no surprise that this book faced challenges and bans. His book reflects his anti-Seminite views, which led to the Jewish Holocaust, racism, and nazism, making it a controversial book. Mein Kampf is banned in America and other places as well.
This work received positive comments from The New York Times and the National Public Radio for its portrayal of transgender characters. The story revolves around a 10-year-old girl, Melissa, a transgender who feels like a fish out of the pond, facing issues with her family and society. Due to its sexual references and conflicts, this book became the fifth-most banned book between 2010 and 2020.
It is Toni’s debut novel, which deals with an adolescent Black girl who is referred to as ugly because of her dark skin and mannerisms. As a result, she yearns for blue eyes, which equates with whiteness. Controversial themes like racism, incest, and molestation led to the book being banned from schools and libraries in the United States.
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men has faced challenges for its vulgar language, offensive content, and themes of racism. It is listed in the top hundred banned books by the American Library Association.
Stine likes scaring his readers. His book Goosebumps features frightening themes, demonic depictions, and creatures that are not suitable for children. Goosebumps has faced nearly 46 challenges, with 75% of these objections coming from school libraries.
It is a young adult novel written by American author Robert Cormier which was later adapted into a film. The novel’s language, the concept of a secret society, and anticipation of sexual pleasures pushed it to the top 100 banned books list.
It’s heart-wrenching news for Potterheads as the book Harry Potter was banned for its themes such as magic, witchcraft, and dark elements. Parents and religious people say that Harry Potter is not suitable for children’s fantasy literature. The series has even been banned in some Catholic schools in the United Kingdom.
The novel was originally written in serial form but was later compiled into a single book. It is regarded as one of the most controversial books of the 20th century. Most schools banned the book due to its profanity, sex, and prostitution. The Catcher in the Rye has been criticized for allegedly inspiring antisocial behavior in teenagers and provoking violent thoughts among them.
The book was a graphic memoir written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe. Because it contains explicit sexual illustrations, it is considered inappropriate for minors.
Maus had a swastika symbol on its cover, which led to its ban in Russia. It is a graphic novel released in three volumes between 1980 to 1991. Importantly, Maus is the first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize.
Published in 1998, this young adult book deals with the Vietnam War. The American Library Association added Fallen Angels to the list of 100 most challenged books due to its inappropriate language and horrible depiction of combat.
American author Stephen Chbosky took five years to write and publish this young adult novel. The book explores various themes such as sexuality, rape, drug use, and mental health, and it includes references to literary works, films, and pop culture.
The Diary of a young girl aka The Diary of Anne Frank, is a diary written by Anne Frank during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Anne Frank’s diary has been translated into more than 75 languages. The book was once banned in Virginia for its sexual content, homosexual themes, and sexual desires.
Margaret Simon, an eleven-year-old girl growing up in an interreligious family, faces early adolescence challenges such as menstruation, bras, and boys. The book was banned many times for its explicit discussion of sexuality and religion.
Blubber is a children’s novel published in 1974. The book has been banned in schools and colleges due to its depiction of bullying a fat girl. According to the American Library Association, it made the list of the top 100 most challenged and banned books between 1990 and 1999.
Blood and Chocolate is a paranormal romance written by Annette Curtis Klause. It was banned due to its sexually explicit and irrelevant content.
Captain Underpants is a children’s graphic novel series that was later adapted into a movie. While the protagonists are fourth graders, the series contains violent imagery, offensive language, partial nudity, violence, misbehavior, and anti-family content.
The book Bad Kitty is specifically written for kids; however, some parents believe that certain words are inappropriate for their age. It is the 37th most banned and challenged book in the United States.
The Awakening is a work of feminist literature that addresses feminism and the oppression of women. The deliberate depictions of sexual desire and sexual assault are major reasons for the banning of Kate Chopin’s novel.
For this epistolary novel, Alice Walker received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. Religious objections, homosexuality, violence, African history, rape, incest, drug abuse, explicit language, and sexual scenes are reasons for facing challenges numerous times.
Leslie and Jesse are two friends who created a magical land in their imagination, which they named Terabithia. Some communities have banned this book for the usage of offensive language and promotion of new-age religion, occultism, and Satanism.
Controversial themes are not new for Stephen King. Carrie is the debut horror novel of King, which later paved the way for a successful journey. It faced opposition from a parent for its language, violence, sexual depictions, and satanic killings.
Cat’s Cradle juxtaposes the concept of religion and science in a satirical tone. It is a postmodern satirical novel addressing issues related to science, technology, and religion.
A Day No Pigs Would Die was challenged due to its graphic illustrations of mating, birth, and the killing of farm animals. Parents sought to ban the book because of its shocking content, offensive language, and profanity.
It is a science fiction thriller written by Stephen King and published in 1979. The Dead Zone is the 82 most banned and challenged books in the United States.
Gossip Girl is the ninth most-banned and challenged book. The story revolves around the lives and romances of a group of socialite teenagers at Constance Billard School. Parents and community leaders have banned the book due to its sexual innuendo, drug references, and adult themes.
Friday Night Lights is a non-fiction book that was later adapted into a movie and TV series. Bissinger’s book was banned in Beaumont, Texas, in 2009. It is ranked 89th on the list of the top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books from 2000 to 2009.
It began as a short story and later developed into a novel. Flowers of Algernon is one of the 43 books targeted by censorship and added to the Most Frequently Challenged Books in 1990-1999. The reason for the ban is not clear, but it was banned in some schools for its explicit language and sexual content.
The American author Scott Fitzerald published this novel in 1925. The protagonists interact with Gatsby and learn about his desire to reunite with his former lover, Daisy. Like many other banned books, the Gatsby faced challenges related to sex, violence, adultery, and language.
King and King is a children’s book written and illustrated by Stern Nijland and Linda De Haan. The illustrations have received both positive and negative comments, while the book’s plot has raised controversy among the parents.
This work is a memoir written by Richard Wright which narrates the author’s upbringing. It was banned in American schools for obscenity, sexual content, communism, and racism.
David, the protagonist, joins a cool gang and helps steal a cane from an old woman, who later finds him and curses him in return. The story deals with occult themes, youthful sexuality, bullying, and profanity, which led to it being ranked 49th on the list of the top 100 most frequently challenged books.
It is a historical fiction series. So far, the author has released six books, with the final one yet to be published. The series focuses on personal discovery, invention, and cultural complexities, and was banned for its explicit sexual references.
It’s hard to believe that Roald Dahl’s book faced so many challenges. Due to inappropriate references such as tobacco, drugs, whiskey, and unacceptable language, the book was criticized by numerous celebrities, including Salman Rushdie, Queen Camilla, Rishi Sunak, and others.
Lord of the Flies -William Golding’s debut work. A group of boys find themselves isolated on an island and decide to govern themselves. In 1992, it was banned in a school for its profanity, sexual references, leadership, and inappropriate mentions of god, women, and the disabled.
Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan American writer who wrote and published this novel in 2003. According to the American Library Association, The Kite Runner was one of the most challenged books in 2008 and was suggested to be removed from the libraries due to its offensive language and sexually explicit content.
It’s an interesting young adult novel about a fifteen-year-old girl who doubts whether she was kidnapped from her biological parents and kept hidden. This story was later adapted into a film series. The novel was ranked 79th on the list of challenged books and 29th for containing mature content such as kidnapping, cult, and sexual activity.
This novel is set in a fictional Islamic landscape and explores the relationship between two slaves Dodola and Zam. Despite its great story setting, the book is often criticized for its misrepresentations of sexuality and Arabic culture.
I am Jazz is based on the author Jazz Jenning’s life experiences as a transgender. She is a YouTuber, youth ambassador in the Human Rights Campaign, and a leading star in the TLC series I am Jazz. This book received both positive and negative reviews for its LGBTQIA+ content.
Kevin Henkes Olive’s Ocean answers the question “What was it like for authors growing up?” This work has been challenged for its sexual content and offensive language.
Netflix released a series based on the young adult novel Thirteen Reasons Why, which narrates the story of Hannah Baker and her suspicious death. In 2014, it was a bestseller in multiple countries. However, it was later added to the banned book list for multiple reasons, including its depiction of teen suicide, sexual content, drugs, alcohol, smoking, and unsuitable for certain age groups.
A series of movies were created based on this story and gained a huge reputation. Since it deals with war/ battle royale, the depiction is quite violent and resulted in its banning.
The novel narrates the forbidden love story of a Mexican-American and Black boy. Out of Darkness is a historical young adult novel set in 1930’s New England. The depiction of abuse and sexual content are some challenges faced by this book.
Lauren Myracle’s Internet Girls is a series of four books that chronicles the lives of three high school best friends: Maddie, Angela, and Zoe. Internet Girls became popular immediately after its release. Despite the positive feedback, the series was ranked ninth on the list of banned books in 2000 and 2019.
It is Mariko Tamaki’s graphic novel, published by First Second Books in 2014. The teenage friends Rose and Windy are the protagonists who explore their sexuality while dealing with other issues. Due to the mature themes and sexual content, this book was banned and added to the list of the “Top Ten Most Challenged Books.”
It is a picture book written by Gayle and illustrated by Kristyna Litten. LGBTQ content is discussed controversially, which is why it is considered the 10th most banned and challenged book in the United States.
To put it simply, this book serves as a guide for LGBTQ individuals, addressing how to navigate life after discovering their true identity. The sexual illustrations and dating app references have posed many challenges for the book.
Lovely Bones is a story of a teenage girl who is brutally raped and murdered. From heaven, she watches and regrets seeing her family and friends struggle. Sebold’s book was challenged because the depiction of heaven was created from her perspective.
Charles Micheal Palahunik is an American author known for transgressional fiction. His work Make Something Up is a compilation of stories published in 2015. Following the release of the book it was challenged for its profanity, sexual explicitness, and offensive language.
For this particular book, Susan met with and interviewed six transgender individuals and young adults to gather their thoughts and personal experiences about their identity during, before, and after their transition. Despite the positive reviews, the book was challenged for its offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, and LGBTQIA+ content.
Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close narrates the story of a nine-year-old boy, Oscar Schell, who finds a key that leads him to discover new information. The American Library Association states that this book was among the top challenged and banned books between 2010 and 2019.
Sold is set in Nepal and India, where a thirteen-year-old girl named Lakshmi is sold into sexual slavery. The book was banned for its violent and sexual content during 2021-2022.
Dear Martin is a 2018 novel written by Nic Stone and published by Crown Publishing Group. Stone wrote this book as a response to the murder of Jordan Davis. It has been banned and challenged in schools in Georgia and Missouri.
Kendi established the Anti-Racist Research & Policy Center at American University in Washington, D.C. In this book, he discusses racism while promoting the concept of anti-racism and advocating for systemic changes. The book has been banned in schools five times.
A Court of Mist and Fury is the second part of the fantasy series A Court of Thorns and Roses. Due to its sexual content, this book became the tenth most banned and challenged book in 2022.
Five young teenagers are the protagonists of the novel who fall for sex and drugs. It is banned for its sexual references and drug usage.
Mike Curato’s Flamer is an autobiographical novel that discusses his experiences as a gay boy. As a scout, he faced challenges and was pressured to act more masculine in front of his peers. Flamer was banned due to its LGBTQIA+ and sexually explicit content.
It is Jodi Picoult’s fourteenth novel, which narrates the events before and after a school shooting. Nineteen Minutes was banned for its sensitive content.
The Hate U Give is Angie Thomas’ debut novel, published in 2017. Starr Carter is a 16-year-old African American girl who witnesses her Black friend get killed by a police officer and tries to speak out against the injustice. Racially charged themes, profanity, and sexual content are the major challenges associated with this book.
This children’s book, written by Daniel Haack and illustrated by Stevie Lewis, tells the story of a young prince who falls in love with a knight after they slay a dragon together. Prince & Knight was challenged for its LGBTQIA+ content.
Do you love reading books? If so, you should check out the top 18 best novels of Haruki Murakami. Go ahead and read.
1. What is the #1 most banned book of all time?
1984 by George Orwell is often cited as the most banned book of all time.
2. Why is 1984 banned in the US?
“1984” isn’t banned nationwide in the US. However, it has been challenged and removed from school curricula in some districts due to its mature themes and language.
3. Is Harry Potter a banned book?
Yes, the Harry Potter series has been challenged and banned in some schools and libraries. Critics often express concerns about its witchcraft and occult themes.
4. Are there any books banned in the US?
Yes, there are books banned in the US. While there’s no nationwide ban on any specific book, individual schools and libraries have removed certain titles due to challenges from parents or community groups.
5. What country has the most banned books?
India has historically accounted for the most book bans worldwide, according to available records.
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