Some of My Favorite Reads Are on the 2023 Banned Books List. Are Yours Too?

Banned Books Week

I was in shock when I read the 2023 list of banned books. I have to be honest in  saying I have not been paying close attention with the news and conversation around band books. I guess, since I am an older person it didn’t really apply to me. But then I thought about  my  young nieces and nephews along with other children who might have challenges reading some of the classics  and best sellers I’ve enjoyed reading.

So, if you are like me, and not familiar take some time to learn more. This week, Oct 1-7 is Banned Books Week. This observation was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores and schools. This annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community , which includes librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers and readers  in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.

Some of the books  are banned while others are challenged. A challenged book means  there is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banned book is  the actual removal of those materials.

LeVar Burton  as Honorary Chair

One of my favorite readers,  LeVar Burton  is the Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week. I listen faithfully to his podcast   where he reads a short story. Some years ago, I had the privilege of hearing him live doing a wonderful reading from a local author. He is a reading advocate, writer, and television and film star

Now, for the main event-the list of banned books. Some of the books I have read and enjoyed. As I said before, I was in shock  and even  saddened because I don’t think these books should be banned. I will list mine here but to get the whole list visit the American Library Association’s website.

For my blind and low vision  readers the Perkins School for the Blind listed them too along with their availability in braille, large print and audio.

My Books on the List

1. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Challenged for depiction of sexual abuse, EDI content, claimed to be sexually explicit

2. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Banned due to themes of death and the fact that the main characters are talking animals.

3. Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank

Banned mostly in regard to passages that were considered “sexually offensive,” as well as for the tragic nature of the book, which some felt might be “depressing” for young readers. The passages in question regarded Anne describing her anatomy, sexual feelings, and homosexual descriptions of her friend.

4. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

Banned due to strong sexual situations, alcoholism, and abuse—both physical and sexual.

5. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Banned for its portrayal of slavery, racism, and the glorification of the antebellum South. The book has been criticized for romanticizing the Civil War and depicting Black characters as subservient to white characters.

6. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Banned as viewed as communist propaganda, and many farmers and agricultural groups were irate that it fomented anger about their labor practices.

7. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Amongst the most banned and challenged books of the last few decades. Banned for “profanity,” “morbid and depressing themes,” and the author’s alleged “anti-business attitude.” Others have called it “derogatory towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled.”

8. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Banned for profanity and violence and was accused of promoting an anti-police agenda.

9. How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Challenged and banned for vulgar language and discussions of race.

10. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Banned for language and being too explicit in the book’s portrayal of rape and other sexual abuse.

11. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Banned for its sexually explicit content, offensive language, and age inappropriateness.

12. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Banned due to sexual content and language.

13. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

Banned and challenged for drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint.

14. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Banned because of its themes of sexuality and struggling in a religious household.

15. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Banned for language and racial depictions.

16. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Banned for its sexual content, violence, extensive use of swear words.

Next Steps

After you read the list, make a plan. Find a way to get involved. You can sound the alarm. You can read these books to know why they are banned in the first place. You can participate in events like Library Card Sign Up Month. You can start a banned book club. For more suggestions chek out the ALA website or talk to your local librarian for help.