Banning books has a long and fraught history in the U.S., extending from the early 1600s to today. Many banned books are now considered some of our greatest works of literature, including Beloved by Toni Morrison, Ulysses by James Joyce, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
Over the past year, attempts to ban books in American schools have increased substantially, garnering attention and outrage. One controversial recent example is a Tennessee school board’s banning of Maus, a graphic novel that recounts the chilling experiences of the author’s father during the Holocaust. The stated reason for the ban of this Pulitzer Prize winner was “its unnecessary use of profanity and nudity and its depiction of violence and suicide.” Yet many see this as an attempt to censor the teaching of a horrific but important time in history.
Other books targeted for recent bans have tackled – or simply touched on – topics including sex, sexual orientation, race, politics, and religion. At Bookclubs, our mission is to inspire meaningful connections through reading and discussion. We see books – and the discussion of books – as important tools for learning and community building. As a result, we believe it’s incredibly important to share all voices, and we stand against bans driven by fear and intolerance.
Consider reading one of these banned books with your book club. Many cover uncomfortable but important periods of America’s history, or share the lived experiences of underrepresented communities. As a result, they offer fertile material for a rich and nuanced discussion with your club. Below is a set of discussion questions to get your club talking about banned books:
- Why do you think this book was banned? Do you think those reasons are valid? Why or why not?
- Who might benefit from reading this book? Why might it be important for them to read it?
- Did any parts of this book offend you or make you feel uncomfortable? If so, how did you react to those feelings?
- What did you personally learn from reading this book? In general, what can be learned by reading a book that some people may find offensive?
- Some challenged books are contemporary. Others are older books that may not have been controversial at the time they were published but have become objectionable under contemporary standards. Which category does this book fall under? Does this make a difference in how you think about ban attempts?
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In Morrison’s acclaimed first novel, Pecola Breedlove—an 11-year-old Black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others—prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different. The Bluest Eye is one of the most famously banned books, having earned that title for claims of sexually explicit content and an underlying polical agenda. Peepmybookshelf’s Classic Book Club recently read this book! |
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The New York Times Magazine’s award-winning 1619 Project issue reframed our understanding of American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. This book substantially expands on that work, weaving together eighteen essays that explore the legacy of slavery in present-day America with thirty-six poems and works of fiction that illuminate key moments of oppression, struggle, and resistance. The essays show how the inheritance of 1619 reaches into every part of contemporary American society, from politics, music, diet, traffic, and citizenship to capitalism, religion, and our democracy itself. This comprehensive telling of America’s history brought about banning efforts from lawmakers who call it "racially divisive." |
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In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores their childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting their teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with their loving grandmother, to their first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys. This memoir was removed from multiple libraries across the county due to parent complaints stating the book's topics are too “heavy” for children. Access our book discussion guide focusing on these very topics.
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In Margaret Atwood’s dystopian future, environmental disasters and declining birthrates have led to a Second American Civil War. The result is the rise of the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian regime that enforces rigid social roles and enslaves the few remaining fertile women. Atwood’s dystopian novel has been banned due to claims of sexually explicit material and the political nature of its contents. Check out our discussion guide to help spark your club’s conversation.
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Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives. This reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning, has faced bans because of parent complaints that accuse the book of “selective storytelling incidents” and say it “does not encompass racism against all people.”
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Angelou’s book captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. We’re ending this list with another one of the most famously banned and challenged books in the United States. Reasons for its banning have been cited as racism and controversial sexual content, among other things.
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The Bluest Eye
The 1619 Project
All Boys Aren’t Blue
The Handmaid’s Tale
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
I Know Why the Caged Bird SingsWhat’s your favorite banned book? Let us know in the comments below, and tell us why you believe it’s a story that needs to be told.
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