Titles You Might Not See on American Library Shelves

Censorship in the US is nothing new, and you've likely encountered many books you've read or heard about being taken off the shelves at libraries and schools. The thing with banning books, though, is that it often discourages diversity and takes away minority voices, such as those written by women, people of color, and queer individuals. But why should anyone dictate what you read and have a say in which stories are heard? From To Kill a Mockingbird to The Hate U Give, here are 20 books that are—or have been—banned in the US. How many have you read?

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1. To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells the tale of racial injustice in an Alabama town. Challenges against it typically cite that racially charged language was the main culprit for the ban, and that it affected students negatively.

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2. The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood where, under a totalitarian regime, women are forced into servitude to repopulate the world. It had been pulled from schools and libraries across the US in 2022. It was especially negatively received in Texas, where many were outraged by the book's themes and depictions, which included feminism, LGBTQ+ representation, and graphic content, among others. 

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3. Nineteen Minutes

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult follows the events that happen before, during, and after a school shooting. It was the most banned book in the 2023-2024 school year—but not for what you might think. Bans against it often reason that it's due to language and a sexually explicit scene.

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4. Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher tells the story of a teenage girl who commits suicide and the reasons that led her to it. It was one of the most banned books in 2017, with objections against it being that the novel was too explicit, glamorized suicide, and mentioned the use of drugs and alcohol.

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5. Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska by John Green follows the life of a boy enrolled in boarding school, based on the author's own experience. Bans against it often criticize its LGBTQ+ content, explicit themes, and language. It's one of the most banned books in the 2023-2024 school year.

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6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky follows an introvert who befriends two extroverted seniors. Challenges against it cite abuse, LGBTQ+ representation, explicit content, use of recreational substances, and language as the reasons. 

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7. The Diary of a Young Girl

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, more commonly known as simply The Diary of Anne Frank, documents her and her family's life in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. It has been challenged multiple times due to suggestive passages. 

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8. Twelfth Night

One of William Shakespeare's most famous plays, Twelfth Night might have been part of the list of required reading in your curriculum, but some schools in Kentucky and in other Republican states—like Florida and Texas—didn't take kindly to the play's exploration of gender and sexuality. Though it doesn't feature transgender characters, a woman does disguise herself as a man and falls in love with her master, which apparently is all it takes to be banned.

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9. The Kite Runner

In the 2021-2022 school year, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini was one of the most banned books on the list. They were shelved away in school libraries, labelled "unable to be checked out." Why? Authorities didn't like the sensitive, controversial themes the book touched on, like US foreign policy, and how it contained explicit content, violence, and foul language.

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10. Sold

Sold by Patricia McCormick is based on true stories that the author had gathered from interviewing trafficking victims. In its fictional narrative, it tells the tale of a Nepalese girl who is sold into slavery, with realistic takes on how she struggles to survive. Despite it all, it was the seventh most-banned book in the US at the start of the 2022-2023 school year due to its explicit content and themes.

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11. Where the Wild Things Are

Children's books aren't immune to book bans, either. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak had already initially faced doubts from editors given its dark content, and even when it was finally published, the criticism didn't stop. In particular, many states in the South have banned it due to the book's frightening themes, and the fact that it seemed to promote mistreatment against children.

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12. All Boys Aren't Blue

A memoir by George M. Johnson, what led to All Boys Aren't Blue being written was the fact that Johnson couldn't recall reading books that featured people like them—a Black queer person—growing up. In their memoir, a series of essays describes their childhood, adolescence, and college years, which cover topics such as family, toxic masculinity, gender identity, and more. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's been challenged numerous times and banned for its explicit and LGBTQ+ content.

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13. Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White is likely a book you're more than familiar with. Banned in a few select schools, some didn't take kindly to the book's premise that animals were able to talk. In fact, they viewed this as an insult to God and their religious beliefs, stating that lower life forms shouldn't be given human capabilities.

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14. The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas began as a short essay the author wrote in college following the police shooting of Oscar Grant and was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. It was later adapted into a film by the same name. Challenges and bans against it cite language as a reason, while others claim the book highlights violence and an anti-police message.

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15. Harriet the Spy

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, published in 1964, features a kid who's... well, a spy. It was blocked from shelves in the '60s and faced challenges as early as 1983, when parents and teachers alike were concerned that the main character sets a bad example and could negatively influence children who read it.

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16. The Lorax

Another children's book that wasn't off the hook was The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Challenges and bans against it cited that it gave off a negative environmental message. In particular, the book's portrayal of logging worried some groups, who thought it would turn children against the industry, which was a major part of California's economy.

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17. Melissa

Melissa by Alex Gino follows the story of a transgender fourth-grader, Melissa, who everyone sees as a boy named George. Challenges against it cite the book's themes of gender identity and LGBTQ+ content, and it was, for three years in a row, at the top of the American Library Association’s (ALA) banned books list. Schools in Kansas refused to buy the novel in 2017, and in 2020, some even tried to shut down a town library because Melissa was on the shelf.

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18. Gender Queer: A Memoir

Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer: A Memoir recounts the author's journey growing up and touches on themes like gender identity, sexuality, and what it means to be non-binary. It has faced countless challenges and bans since being published, and, according to ALA, was the most banned book in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In fact, it's still considered one of the most challenged and banned books in the US.

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19. Lawn Boy

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison follows the story of a young, gay, biracial man who has faced hardship time and time again, though is trying to rediscover himself. In 2022, it was reported by ALA to be the seventh-most-banned book in the US, with reasons being that it contained explicit content and LGBTQ+ themes.

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20. Identical

Identical by Ellen Hopkins isn't even the first book by the author that has faced challenges and bans. Tricks, People Kill People, and Cranks are just some of the other ones. In Identical, two twin sisters struggle with abuse, assault, eating disorders, family conflict, and more. Challenges and bans against it cite these themes as being inappropriate for young readers.

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