25 Banned Books That You Should Read
#1 A Day No Pigs Would Die
This coming of age story by Robert Newton Peck is one of the all-time most challenged books. People just can't seem to get past the graphic description of animal butchery.
#2 American Psycho
After writing a novel about a self-proclaimed serial killer, Bret Easton Ellis received a massive amount of hate mail and numerous death threats. In some countries, American Psycho cannot be purchased by anyone who is under 18.
#3 And Tango Makes Three
Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson's picture book about two penguins enraged homophobes enough to be named the most challenged book of 2006.
#4 Annie on My Mind
A Kansas School Board was so eager to get this novel, which depicts a lesbian relationship between two teenagers, off the school shelves that they deliberately violated the First Amendment and went head-to-head with a judge.
#5 Bridge to Terabithia
Author Katherine Patterson is the daughter of missionaries and the wife of a minister, but that hasn't stopped people from saying that her book, Bridge to Terabithia promotes Satanism through references to magic.
#6 Candide
U.S. Customs officials used to seize Voltaire's critically hailed satire. Apparently, they were not fans of his merciless take on religion, philosophy and government.
#7 Fallen Angels
Walter Dean Myers' novel about a group of young American soldiers in the Vietnam War has incensed so many people that it earned a place on the American Library's Association's list of the most frequently challenged books.
#8 Fanny Hill
The U.S Supreme Court did not clear 1749's Fanny Hill (also known as Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) from obscenity charges until 1966. People complained about the book's blunt sexual descriptions and the way it parodied contemporary literature.
#9 Forever
Judy Blume was one of the first authors to write candidly about a teenage girl who is sexually active, and she's been the subject of criticism ever since. Her book, Forever, is a constant target of religious and sexual abstinence groups who don't think teenagers should read about a girl who goes on 'the pill.'
#10 Frankenstein [Read: 2006, Australia]
Mary Shelley's classic book about a man obsessed with creating new life was banned in several countries for being indecent, objectionable and obscene.
#11 Harry Potter (The Entire Series)
Anti-witchcraft proponents everywhere hate the Harry Potter series with a passion. Their main complaints involve Harry's use of magic, but his nasty habit of standing up to authority figures does not go over well, either.
#12 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou's autobiography is one of the most challenged books ever. Controversial issues include drug abuse, profanity and a brutal rape scene.
#13 Lady Chatterley's Lover
D. H. Lawrence's 1928 novel was the subject of numerous obscenity trials in the UK, the U.S. and other countries up into the 1960s. Objections were raised about the book's explicit sex scenes and use of taboo four-letter words.
#14 Lord of the Flies [Must re-read; Own]
William Golding's bestselling novel, Lord of Flies, is considered to be one of the best English-language novels of the 1900s. Nevertheless, the book's stance on subjects of human nature has made it a frequent target of censors.
#15 Of Mice and Men [Must re-read; Own]
John Steinbeck's 1937 novella, Of Mice and Men, is another of the all-time most challenged books. People criticizing the book often cite offensive and vulgar language.
#16 Silas Marner
George Eliot's novel about a reclusive old man redeemed by an orphan girl he raises was controversial when it was first released and is still banned as far as some school districts are concerned.
#17 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn [Own]
Mark Twain's classic tale about the journey of Huck and his friend Jim is yet another of the most challenged books ever.
#18 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Although this book isn't nearly as controversial as Twain's other novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer has been barred frequently from schools and libraries alike.
#19 The Arabian Nights
There are various versions of The Arabian Nights stories and most have been banned at one point or another. To this day there is still a law on the books to prevent the mailing of this book in the U.S.; however, the law is no longer enforced.
#20 The Catcher in the Rye [Read 2009; Own]
People have been banning J.D. Salinger's novel since its publication in 1951. The censorship stems from the book's profanity and anti-Christian sentiments.
#21 The Chocolate War
People have been objecting and banning this book since its publication in 1974. Chief complaints involve the 200+ swear words that appear in the story and the scenes that depict violence and masturbation.
#22 The Color Purple
Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been challenged and banned around the world for its graphic violence and sexuality.
#23 The Giver
Also known by its nickname, 'the suicide book,' Lois Lowry's 1993 novel is the most commonly banned book in middle school libraries.
#24 The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders
Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel of an irrepressible woman leading a desperate life was banned for lewdness and indecency. What's ironic about this is that Defoe left out the dirtiest of details to make sure he would stay out of jail once Moll Flanders was published.
#25 Ulysses [Must re-read]
Ulysses has been called the 20th century's best novel. It has also been called the most vulgar, obscene and blasphemous book ever to be banned in the U.S.
From here.
This coming of age story by Robert Newton Peck is one of the all-time most challenged books. People just can't seem to get past the graphic description of animal butchery.
#2 American Psycho
After writing a novel about a self-proclaimed serial killer, Bret Easton Ellis received a massive amount of hate mail and numerous death threats. In some countries, American Psycho cannot be purchased by anyone who is under 18.
#3 And Tango Makes Three
Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson's picture book about two penguins enraged homophobes enough to be named the most challenged book of 2006.
#4 Annie on My Mind
A Kansas School Board was so eager to get this novel, which depicts a lesbian relationship between two teenagers, off the school shelves that they deliberately violated the First Amendment and went head-to-head with a judge.
#5 Bridge to Terabithia
Author Katherine Patterson is the daughter of missionaries and the wife of a minister, but that hasn't stopped people from saying that her book, Bridge to Terabithia promotes Satanism through references to magic.
#6 Candide
U.S. Customs officials used to seize Voltaire's critically hailed satire. Apparently, they were not fans of his merciless take on religion, philosophy and government.
#7 Fallen Angels
Walter Dean Myers' novel about a group of young American soldiers in the Vietnam War has incensed so many people that it earned a place on the American Library's Association's list of the most frequently challenged books.
#8 Fanny Hill
The U.S Supreme Court did not clear 1749's Fanny Hill (also known as Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) from obscenity charges until 1966. People complained about the book's blunt sexual descriptions and the way it parodied contemporary literature.
#9 Forever
Judy Blume was one of the first authors to write candidly about a teenage girl who is sexually active, and she's been the subject of criticism ever since. Her book, Forever, is a constant target of religious and sexual abstinence groups who don't think teenagers should read about a girl who goes on 'the pill.'
#10 Frankenstein [Read: 2006, Australia]
Mary Shelley's classic book about a man obsessed with creating new life was banned in several countries for being indecent, objectionable and obscene.
#11 Harry Potter (The Entire Series)
Anti-witchcraft proponents everywhere hate the Harry Potter series with a passion. Their main complaints involve Harry's use of magic, but his nasty habit of standing up to authority figures does not go over well, either.
#12 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou's autobiography is one of the most challenged books ever. Controversial issues include drug abuse, profanity and a brutal rape scene.
#13 Lady Chatterley's Lover
D. H. Lawrence's 1928 novel was the subject of numerous obscenity trials in the UK, the U.S. and other countries up into the 1960s. Objections were raised about the book's explicit sex scenes and use of taboo four-letter words.
#14 Lord of the Flies [Must re-read; Own]
William Golding's bestselling novel, Lord of Flies, is considered to be one of the best English-language novels of the 1900s. Nevertheless, the book's stance on subjects of human nature has made it a frequent target of censors.
#15 Of Mice and Men [Must re-read; Own]
John Steinbeck's 1937 novella, Of Mice and Men, is another of the all-time most challenged books. People criticizing the book often cite offensive and vulgar language.
#16 Silas Marner
George Eliot's novel about a reclusive old man redeemed by an orphan girl he raises was controversial when it was first released and is still banned as far as some school districts are concerned.
#17 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn [Own]
Mark Twain's classic tale about the journey of Huck and his friend Jim is yet another of the most challenged books ever.
#18 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Although this book isn't nearly as controversial as Twain's other novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer has been barred frequently from schools and libraries alike.
#19 The Arabian Nights
There are various versions of The Arabian Nights stories and most have been banned at one point or another. To this day there is still a law on the books to prevent the mailing of this book in the U.S.; however, the law is no longer enforced.
#20 The Catcher in the Rye [Read 2009; Own]
People have been banning J.D. Salinger's novel since its publication in 1951. The censorship stems from the book's profanity and anti-Christian sentiments.
#21 The Chocolate War
People have been objecting and banning this book since its publication in 1974. Chief complaints involve the 200+ swear words that appear in the story and the scenes that depict violence and masturbation.
#22 The Color Purple
Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been challenged and banned around the world for its graphic violence and sexuality.
#23 The Giver
Also known by its nickname, 'the suicide book,' Lois Lowry's 1993 novel is the most commonly banned book in middle school libraries.
#24 The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders
Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel of an irrepressible woman leading a desperate life was banned for lewdness and indecency. What's ironic about this is that Defoe left out the dirtiest of details to make sure he would stay out of jail once Moll Flanders was published.
#25 Ulysses [Must re-read]
Ulysses has been called the 20th century's best novel. It has also been called the most vulgar, obscene and blasphemous book ever to be banned in the U.S.
From here.