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Why We Should Read Banned Books

Books are banned for a myriad of reasons, including racial issues, sexual situations, violence, political bias, and even for the presence of witchcraft. However, these stories—whether true or fictional—often allow readers to gain insight into experiences that may differ from their own. They bring a voice to underrepresented communities, so that these members can not only feel seen, but readers outside of them can learn and understand perspectives different from their own. 

This list of banned books offers a blend of stories that share the experiences of being in the LGBTQIA+ community, what it’s truly like to be Black in America, and more. Whether you’re looking to diversify your reading list, gain insight into a new-to-you community, or just want a little something different, consider adding one of these banned books to your TBR pile.

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Gender Queer: A Memoir

Maia Kobabe

The most challenged book of 2021, Gender Queer is an autobiography in comic form that tracks the identity of author Mai Kobabe’s journey of self-identity. What began as a comic to explain what it means to be nonbinary and asexual to eir family, this memoir has grown into a helpful resource to understand gender identity and how to think about it. 

Why It’s Banned: Considered to have sexually explicit content, and due to its LGBTQIA+ representation, this book has been challenged and banned in over 100 school districts across 32 states.

The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison 

The debut novel by Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye tells the heart-wrenching story of Pecola Breedlove, an 11-year-old Black girl living in Ohio. Constantly exposed to white superiority and beauty, Breedlove is convinced that her life would be different if she only had light skin and blue eyes. Between the societal abuse and sexual abuse from her father, Breedlove slowly falls into self-hatred—a common phenomenon for Black youth that experience feeling unwanted.

Why It’s Banned: First banned at an Oregon high school in 1999, The Bluest Eye continues to be one of America’s most commonly banned books due to its portrayal of racism and abuse. Despite the concerns that have led to numerous bans and challenges, this novel explores the concept of beauty and its ties to whiteness that offers an eye-opening account of being Black in America —even today. 

Monday's Not Coming

Tiffany D. Jackson

After Monday Charles goes missing, her best friend Claudia is the only person that has noticed her disappearance. As Claudia begins her quest to find her best friend, she experiences just how traumatic the effects of discovering the truth can be. This page-turning thriller also explores themes of racism and anti-Blackness, and how these often contribute to mental illness.

Why It’s Banned: After several concerns were raised by parents about sexual content, this book was banned from several school libraries. 

How To Be An Antiracist

Ibram X. Kendi

How To Be An Antiracist is an essential work about understanding racism and inequality. This book is a resource that explores antiracist ideas that help readers identify all forms of racism, understand the consequences, and work towards a just and equitable society.

Why It’s Banned: With themes exploring how to be antiracist through the lens of gender, whiteness, and class, this bestseller was one of the most restricted works in libraries during the 2021/2022 school year due to the increase of Critical Race Theory being banned throughout American classrooms. 

The Glass Castle: A Memoir

Jeannette Walls

This memoir details the journey and the brutal challenges Jeannette Walls had to face on her journey to success, from the age of four into her adult years. The Glass Castle was the seventeenth most banned and challenged book in 2010 and continues to be targeted due to its explicit language and depictions of abuse. 

Why It’s Banned: While heart-wrenching, this memoir is a story of hope that reminds us that you can still make your dreams come true, even if the odds are stacked against you.

Read more: The Glass Castle book review

The Outsiders

S.E. Hinton

Inspired by two rival gangs from S.E. Hinton’s high school, The Outsiders is a classic, coming-of-age novel that follows the rift between the Greasers, a working-class gang from the other side of the tracks, and the upper-class gang, the Socs, told through the lens of fellow 14-year-old greaser, Ponyboy Curtis. 

Why It’s Banned: This book was initially banned in 1986 due to its portrayal of underage drinking, smoking, and gang violence. Many critics have even challenged the book due to its depictions of family dysfunction—despite the characters building a chosen family among their friends. 

A Wrinkle In Time

Madeleine L’Engle

This young adult novel follows the adventures of Meg Murry, her little brother Charles Wallace, and her friend Calvin O’Keefe as they travel through space and time to find Meg’s father, a scientist who disappeared while working on a secret government project. 

Why It’s Banned: This book was first banned and challenged in 1985 due to its depictions of science and supernatural ideas—concepts that some religious groups feel oppose their beliefs and promote the teaching of paranormal practices. 

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley

A dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley, Brave New World is a story about a technologically-advanced future where the state uses medical and technological innovations to control its citizens. In this society, everyone is happy all of the time due to the government’s destruction of its citizens’ free will, caused by genetic engineering, psychological conditioning, and a wonder drug called Soma. 

Why It’s Banned: Ireland was the first to ban this book shortly after it was published in 1932 for claims of anti-religion and anti-family content. Since then, several countries, including the United States, have pulled this book off the shelves from many libraries. Despite its numerous bans, this thought-provoking novel warns readers of the dangers of technology and passivity. 

The Hate U Give

Angie Thomas

Now a major motion picture, The Hate U Give is a coming-of-age story that follows 16-year-old Starr Carter. After being the sole witness to the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer, Starr not only has to deal with the emotional aftermath of this traumatic event, but she also gets thrown into the middle of the investigation. 

Why It’s Banned: The novel tackles current issues that we see today, including police brutality, gun violence, racism, and how harmful racial stereotypes can be. Although these are all valuable and relevant lessons, they are also some of the depictions that led to its banning in 2017 by a Texas school district. 

Beloved

Toni Morrison

Books by Toni Morrison have been frequently banned, and Beloved is no different. This banned book is told from the perspective of Sethe, a former slave now freed. While she’s escaped slavery, she is still haunted by the memories of everything that she had to endure, including the ghost of her unnamed baby. This book explores the devastation and dehumanizing effects of slavery, which are so often overlooked for the comfort of others.

Why It’s Banned: This book was banned in 2007—twenty years after its publication—for its portrayal of violence, infanticide, and crass language. 

The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem For The Country

Amanda Gorman

Written after the 2021 insurrection on the Capitol, Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb,” shares a positive vision of how the nation can come together and attempt to bridge its divides.

Why It’s Banned: Despite its powerful call to action to move forward and heal as a country, this poem was restricted in 2023 after a parent argued that the work referenced Critical Race Theory and would indoctrinate students.

And Tango Makes Three

Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell

You’re never too old to read (and enjoy) children’s books. And Tango Makes Three is based on a true story about Roy and Silo, two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo who raise a baby chick together.

Why It’s Banned: Initially challenged in 2006, this story was banned for same-sex representation between two penguins. And Tango Makes Three has also been accused of being anti-family and unsuitable for children. 

Beyond Magenta: Transgender And Nonbinary Teens Speak Out

Susan Kuklin

A Stonewall Honor Book, Beyond Magenta features honest interviews with six transgender or gender-neutral young adults that detail the emotional and physical journey each individual has taken to recognize their true selves.

Why It’s Banned: This book was one of the fourth-most commonly banned books in 2015 and 2019 due to its LGBTQIA+ representation, language, and sex education.

The 57 Bus: A True Story Of Two Teenagers And The Crime That Changed Their Lives

Dashka Slater

Exploring themes of race, gender, and the criminal justice system, The 57 Bus is a true story about two teens—Sasha, a white student attending private school, and Richard—a Black student attending a large public one. These two students from opposite worlds find themselves in the spotlight after one of them is set on fire, leaving Sasha badly burned and Richard charged with two hate crimes and life imprisonment.

Why It’s Banned: Because it represents LGBTQIA+ themes, race-based content, and realistic depictions of crime in punishment in America, this book was a part of seven bans during the 2021/2022 academic year alone.

The Lawn Boy

Jonathan Evison

Semi-autobiographical, this book tells the story of a young man on a journey to find himself and achieve the “American Dream.” This novel explores relevant themes, including social class distinctions, cultural discrimination, and standing up for oneself to face and overcome hardships.

Why It’s Banned: Another modern banned book, The Lawn Boy was a target of multiple bans during 2022 due to its LGBTQIA+ content and sexually explicit scenes.