Banned Books Week is “celebrated” by the American Library Association this week of Sept 21-27. However, it’s sad that we even have to draw attention to the fact that books are still being banned today — in the 21st century! Unfortunately, it’s true — even in 2014, books are still being challenged and banned by parents, educators and even government officials.
Books open our hearts to another human being’s experience of the world. I find it inconceivable that some hearts would not be open to that growth. So to celebrate that enrichment, let me draw your attention to a few books I have loved that continue to be challenged. Here’s my top 30 list of banned and challenged books — and when I read them!
- Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling (READ: in my 20s, insatiably!)
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain (READ: 14 years old)
- Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger (READ: finally, at 24 years old)
- To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (READ: 12 years old)
- The Giver, by Lois Lowry (READ: 10 years old)
- The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (READ: 36 years old, when it first appeared)
- Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury (READ: 13 years old)
- A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle (READ: 11 years old)
- Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell (READ: still haven’t read it!)
- Moby-Dick; or The Whale, Herman Melville (READ: 22 years old)
- Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak (READ: 4, 5, 6, 7, 34, 41, and ongoing…)
- Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford (READ: really? this was challenged? seriously?)
- Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (READ: 4, 5, 6, 7, 34, 41, and ongoing…)
- James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (READ: 9 years old)
- Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (READ: 16 years old)
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (READ: 11 years old)
- Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (READ: 10 years old)
- Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (READ: 7, 15, 34, 41, and ongoing…)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (READ: 11 years old)
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (READ: 13 years old)
- The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (READ: seriously people? A dictionary?)
- A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein (READ: 7 years old)
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding (READ: knocked my socks off at 12 years old)
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (READ: 16 years old)
- Little Red Riding Hood, Trina Schart Hyman (READ: 15 years old)
- Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare (READ: I’ve seen this on stage 5 times, but never read it)
- Animal Farm, by George Orwell (READ: 14 years old, and hated it, frankly, but it shouldn’t be banned)
- The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)Suzanne Collins (READ: when they came out, like last year)
- The Outsiders S. E. Hinton (READ: 13 years old)
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (READ: 32 years old)
When did you read these excellent (banned!) books?
