Banned Books Week

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Banned Books Week

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Book banning has been a recurring phenomenon throughout history, with governments and individuals attempting to suppress the spread of ideas they deem dangerous or subversive. However, what one person finds offensive may be cherished by another. Because ideas of what may or may not be acceptable are constantly changing, so too are the titles that some seek to ban, resulting in an exercise in futility. 

Banned books don’t disappear. In fact, book banning often has the opposite effect of what is intended, generating curiosity and interest in the titles. Over time, many titles become so widely accepted that modern readers are shocked to find them on the list of censored books. 

For the 2024 Banned Books Week, Mid-Continent Public Library highlighted banned books of years past, with each branch home to one book you may be surprised to see on a list of censored books.  

Mid-Continent Public Library stands firmly in support of the freedom to read. As always, we encourage individuals and families to determine what materials best fit their needs. The Library’s collection is home to books, movies, music, and resources filled with a nearly infinite spectrum of ideas for yesterday, today, and always.  

What is a banned book?

1984

by George Orwell

Banned for...

objectionable language and mature themes

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

by Mark Twain

Banned for...

offensive language and racist terminology

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

by Mark Twain

Banned for...

coarse language and racial stereotypes

Animal Farm

by George Orwell

Banned for...

references to the masses revolting

Beloved

by Toni Morrison

Banned for...

themes of slavery and violence

Brave New World

by Aldous Huxley

Banned for...

themes of promiscuity, drug use, and suicide

The Call of the Wild

by Jack London

Banned for...

dark tone and bloody violence

Catch-22

by Joseph Heller

Banned for...

profane and inappropriate language

Catcher in the Rye

by J.D. Salinger

Banned for...

blasphemy and bad influence on children

Charlotte's Web

by E.B. White

Banned for...

talking animals

A Clockwork Orange

by Anthony Burgess

Banned for...

obscene language

The Color Purple

by Alice Walker

Banned for...

use of profanity and sexual violence

Diary of a Young Girl

by Anne Frank

Banned for...

discussions of puberty and teenage sexuality

Fahrenheit 451

by Ray Bradbury

Banned for...

vulgarity and discussions of drugs

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scot Fitzgerald

Banned for...

violence, adultery, and language

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

by Maya Angelou

Banned for...

inappropriately explicit sexual scenes and anti-white content

Lord of the Flies

by William Golding

Banned for...

demoralizing behavior and animal cruelty

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl

by Jesse Andrews

Banned for...

sexual content and obscene language

My Brother Sam Is Dead

by James Lincoln Collier

Banned for...

objectionable language and violence

Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck

Banned for...

objectional language and undermining the values of respect

The Outsiders

by S.E. Hinton

Banned for...

violence, mature themes, and smoking and drinking

Slaughterhouse-Five

by Kurt Vonnegut

Banned for...

violence and obscene language and being contrary to the Bible

A Study in Scarlet

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Banned for...

casting Mormonism in a negative light

Their Eyes Were Watching God

by Zora Neale Hurston

Banned for...

offensive language and sexual content

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

Banned for...

offensive language and mention of rape

Where the Sidewalk Ends

by Shel Silverstein

Banned for...

showing disrespect for any authority

A Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L'Engle

Banned for...

entanglements with religion

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