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 2025 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.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
Banned for...
offensive language and racist terminology
Featured at our Blue Ridge and Withers Branches
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain
Banned for...
racial slurs and an immoral main character
Featured at our East Independence Branch
Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
Banned for...
themes of promiscuity, drug use, and suicide
Featured at our Grain Valley and North Oak Branches
The Call of the Wild
by Jack London
Banned for...
dark tone and bloody violence
Featured at our Farview and Smithville Branches
Catch-22
by Joseph Heller
Banned for...
profane and inappropriate language
Featured at our Excelsior Springs Branch
The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
Banned for...
use of profanity and sexual violence
Featured at our Red Bridge Branch
Diary of a Young Girl
by Anne Frank
Banned for...
discussions of puberty and teenage sexuality
Featured at our Platte City and Raytown Branches
Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury
Banned for...
vulgarity and discussions of drugs
Featured at our Blue Springs North, Claycomo, and North Independence Branches
The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Banned for...
portrayals of suicide and euthanasia
Featured at our Lee's Summit Branch
The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood
Banned for...
sexually explicit content, profanity, anti-Christian themes
Featured at our Riverside Branch
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
Banned for...
inappropriately explicit sexual scenes and anti-white content
Featured at our Antioch and South Independence Branches
Lord of the Flies
by William Golding
Banned for...
demoralizing behavior and animal cruelty
Featured at our Lone Jack Branch
Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Banned for...
objectional language and undermining the values of respect
Featured at our Dearborn and Oak Grove Branches
The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton
Banned for...
violence, mature themes, and smoking and drinking
Featured at our Weston Branch
Slaughterhouse-Five
by Kurt Vonnegut
Banned for...
violence and obscene language and being contrary to the Bible
Featured at our Colbern Road Library Center
A Study in Scarlet
by Arthur Conan Doyle
Banned for...
casting Mormonism in a negative light
Featured at our Buckner Branch
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Banned for...
offensive language and mention of rape
Featured at our Edgerton Branch and Woodneath Library Center
Ulysses
by James Joyce
Banned for...
frank portrayals of sexuality
Featured at our Blue Springs South Branch
Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein
Banned for...
showing disrespect for any authority
Featured at our East Lee's Summit Branch
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Banned for...
sending the main character to bed without dinner
Featured at our Green Hills Library Center
A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle
Banned for...
entanglements with religion
Featured at our Grandview and Kearney Branches