||| FROM REAL SIMPLE |||
Books are essential. Storytelling allows us to fill in the gaps of history, gain new perspectives, and orient ourselves and our place in the universe. Ironically, the power of books is affirmed by the recent efforts to suppress them. In 2023, the number of book titles targeted for censorship surged by 65% over 2022, reaching the highest numbers ever documented by the American Library Association (ALA). And in 2024 alone, at least 2,452 unique titles were targeted for censorship. Primarily targeting schools and public libraries, book challenges have been increasing exponentially since 2020 and they show no signs of slowing down.
Some recurring themes show up on the banned books list. For example, books about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up almost half of those targeted in censorship attempts, the ALA reports. In honor of those whose stories and lives have been deemed too sensitive, we’d like to give these books a fair chance. With the help of 10 published authors, we’ve put together a list of banned book recommendations that cover everything from enslavement and forced immigration to queer coming of age tales.
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
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Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
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Beloved by Toni Morrison
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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
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A Time to Kill by John Grisham
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Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
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The Rabbits’ Wedding by Garth Williams
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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
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His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
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SOURCE: Real Simple
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And in 2024 alone, at least 2,452 unique titles were targeted for censorship !!!
Thanks for the Winter reading list!
…and, by the way, Support our local library on Nov. 2
Other oddly challenged/banned books of note:
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Rather than shielding ourselves from difficult ideas, reading banned books invites open conversations. It’s a chance to engage with others, understand different values, and build empathy across divides.
In short, banned books are often banned because they’re powerful. Reading them is an act of curiosity, courage, and commitment to a more informed and inclusive world. My recommendations? Catcher in the Rye, A Time to Kill, and The Diary of Anne Frank.
Why is reading banned books such a powerful experience? I walked through the very space where Anne Frank lived, wrote, and hoped. Her diary isn’t just a historical document; it’s a profoundly human voice echoing through one of the darkest chapters in contemporary history.
Anne’s words—so full of insight, humor, and longing—remind us that even in hiding, even in fear, the human spirit can shine. One of her most famous lines still stuns with its clarity and hope:
“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
I have copied and printed ALL of the banned books. Some I have read, and I have read others not on this list. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why they are banned, unless it’s to get me to read them!