Children and teen
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Pocket Books
Charlie, our narrator, describes scenes from his life in a series of letters to an anonymous person. This book was banned in the USA for reasons of: homosexuality, sexually explicit, anti-family, offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, drugs and suicide. Gosh.
Fiction, Teen fiction
Death Note 1 - Tsugumi Ohba
Viz Media
This Japanese manga series created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata was banned in several Chinese cities including Beijing. The official reason given for the ban was to protect the "physical and mental health" of students from horror material that "misleads innocent children and distorts their mind and spirit."
Fiction, Fantasy
And Tango Makes Three - Justin Richardson
Simon & Schuster’s Children’s UK
The book was banned by schools and libraries in the US in 2009 yet based on a true story of two gay penguins hatching an egg in New York’s Central Park Zoo. School authorities in Charlotte, North Carolina, Shiloh, Illinois, Loudoun, Virginia and Chico, California all banned the book. The American Library Association reports that And Tango Makes Three was the most challenged book of 2006, 2007 and 2008 and the single most banned book of 2009 in the US.
Fiction, Children's fiction
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
Vintage classics
Alongside Huckleberry Finn, this book has attracted controversy for its use of racially charged language. In fact, this novel of a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River not only raised important questions of racial inequality that are still with us today, but revolutionised modern American story telling into the bargain.
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging - Louise Rennison
Point
"Her dad's got the mentality of a Teletubby (only not so developed). Her cat, Angus, is trying to eat the poodle next door. And her best friend thinks she looks like an alien -- just because she accidentally shaved off her eyebrows. Ergghhhlack. Still, add a little boy-stalking, teacher-baiting, and full-frontal snogging with a Sex God, and Georgia's year just might turn out to be the most fabbitty fab fab ever!" The first in the hugely popular Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, its frank discussion of boys, and references to lesbianism, pornography and erections have made Angus... a target for censorship in US schools.
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
Blubber - Judy Blume
Macmillan Children's Books
Linda is overweight so is called “Blubber” by her classmates. Alliances shift accompanied by abuse and bullying. The author based the book on her own experience but some felt the behaviour shown towards Linda is excessive and likely to back-fire. There were also complaints about the use of terms such as “bitch”, “chink” and “ass”.
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille
The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier
Puffin
Considered to be one of the best ever young adult novels, it comes fourth in America’s list of banned books 1990-2000. Dealing with high school gang culture, the main challenges were on the grounds of sexual content, violence and bad language. One school board noted the instances of causes for concern: “For Christ’s sake, bastard (24), Jesus (numerous), Christ (numerous), goddamn (10), hell (numerous), son of a bitch (4), shit/bullshit (5), queer, homo, fairy, etc.”. While arguing the book should not be in the library, the school accepted it could be easily bought in any local book shop, which might have suggested that banning the book was pointless.
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print
Daddy's Roommate - Michael Willhoite
Alyson Publications
Ranked number 2 in the 1990-1999 most challenged books in the USA for its portrayal of a gay couple one of whom is the father of the boy they look after, the book featured in the 2008 US Presidential Election when it was revealed Vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin had tried to get the book removed from a local library.
Fiction
Harriet the Spy - Louise Fitzhugh
HarperCollins
Harriet keeps a notebook containing scathing assessments of those around her. Her nanny tells her that “Sometimes you have to lie. But to yourself you must always tell the truth" and objections were made to US schools on the grounds that the book encouraged children to lie, disobey authority, talk back and use foul language. The fact that Harriet later repents her behaviour went unnoticed.
Fiction
Heather Has Two Mommies - Leslea Newman
Alyson Publications
The book not only attempts to normalize gay parenting but also describes how the biological mother gets impregnated from donated sperm. It was this and the use of words such as vagina, sperm and womb that some found unacceptable and the book has been challenged repeatedly in the US.
Fiction
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Scholastic
This much lauded trilogy, full of references to and inspired by a range of literary classics, has been criticised mostly in the USA for its apparent attack on the church and religion in general, and Pullman does admit the books are about “the killing of God”. To add to the books’ controversial nature, passages alluding to the sexual awakening of its main female character, Lyra, have been removed in some editions.
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
In The Night Kitchen - Maurice Sendak
Red Fox
Sendak upset many adults with his tale of how a small child loses his pyjamas and spends much of the story naked. Apart from revealing his penis and testicles, some have read references to sex into other images such as free-flowing milky fluids, and a giant (phallic) milk bottle. The book constantly features in lists of most banned books, with some American parents drawing clothing on the child. Sendak was bemused by the controversy, stating that the child, Mickey, was nude to avoid getting his clothes dirty.
Fiction
King & King - Linda da Haan
Tricycle Press
A modern fairy tale with a difference. Having turned down every princess paraded before him, the prince falls in love with another prince and the story ends with them kissing. In the USA, the book was taken to court but the judge dismissed the case, saying "Diversity is a hallmark of our nation”. A sequel, in which the happy couple adopts an orphaned girl, also not surprisingly, caused controversy.
Fiction
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Bloomsbury
This tale of young people growing up through turbulent times in Afghanistan, with its coverage of paedophilia, rape, Nazism and sadism and strong language thrown in for good measure – all taking place in a Muslim country - was bound to create controversy. Its portrayal of characters from particular Afghan ethnic groups caused the film adaptation to be banned on the grounds that racial violence might ensue.
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
A Light in The Attic - Shel Silverstein
Particular Books
This collection of poetry was challenged mainly due to two of its poems. "How Not To Have to Dry the Dishes" was said to encourage messiness and disobedience while "Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony" was objected to because it describes the death of a girl after her parents refuse to buy her a pony. The ever-popular reasons for challenges - supernatural, demons, devils and ghosts – were also voiced.
Poetry
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Faber
Despite widespread acclaim and popularity, Lord of the Flies has been banned for a plethora of reasons. Many critics complain about violence, language, sexuality and racism. Others accuse the novel of attacks on religion, the disabled and women.
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
HarperCollins
Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy follows good and evil forces in pursuit of a magical ring. The book has been banned as 'satanic' in some areas and was even burned by members of a church in New Mexico in 2001. The controversy is ironic, though, as Tolkien was a devout Christian and many scholars note Christian themes in his work.
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
Rich and Mad - William Nicholson
Egmont Books Ltd
This tale “about first love, first sex, and everything in between” saw the author have his invite to talk to the students at Manchester High School for Girls withdrawn. The Head Teacher considered the book’s themes to be “inappropriate”, although the author believed it was the prospect of dealing with irate parents that had influenced the Head more.
Fiction
Revolting Rhymes - Roald Dahl
Puffin
Roald Dahl's parody of classic children's fairy tales replaces the traditional 'happy ever afters' with something else altogether... most of the characters meet gruesome endings (although the seven jockeys befriended by Snow White become millionaires through gambling). Unsurprisingly it regularly features on the American Library Association's list of banned and challenged books.
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
Tintin in the Congo - Herge
Egmont Books Ltd
Herge rejected accusations of racism by claiming he was simply portraying the naïve, colonialist views of the time. But the African characters seemed to have exaggerated physiognomies and to be ignorant. The book has been redrawn over the years but challenges to bookshops and libraries still occur. Borders moved its copies to the adult section prompting sales to grow to the point where it was their fifth highest selling title. Depictions of a hunted rhinoceros being blown up were also removed.
Fiction
Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe
Wordsworth Classics
Banned in the southern United States during the Civil War due to its anti-slavery content, and also in 1852, in Russia under the reign of Nicholas I due to the idea of equality it presented. It was also felt that it "undermined religious ideals."
Fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Talking book
Where Willy Went - Nicholas Allen
Hutchinson
A picture book that shows, albeit in a humorous way (the sperms wear swimming goggles), how human conception takes place. It is ironic that the author is a strong Christian but still found his book challenged. Not everyone objected. One online review read “I learned a lot from this book” – this came from a 22 year-old. Perhaps he should have read a book like this when he was younger.
Non-fiction
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Vintage Classics
Alice was banned in the province of Hunan, China (1931) for the portraying animals acting on the same level as humans. "This is a well know and well loved classic. I chose it because it makes people think about the ideas of freedom of speech and censorship if such an innocent children's book could be banned." Ruth, North Yorkshire.
Fiction, Children's fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J K Rowling
Bloomsbury
The first of the hugely successful Harry Potter series, in which Harry discovers he's a wizard, and enrols in Hogwarts School of Withcraft and Wizardry. It was banned and burned in many US states for promoting witchcraft, and also banned in some Christian schools in the UK. Maybe they didn't realise it is just a story.
Fiction, Children's fiction, Fantasy
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
Forever - Judy Blume
Macmillan Children's Books
Blume's 1975 novel tackles themes of teenage sexuality head on. One of the most frequently challenged books in the US because of the use of suggestive language, the detailed depiction of sex, and because her teenage character, Katherine, goes on the pill. "This is the first book I read simply because it had been 'banned'!" - Maarya, Newham Libraries.
Fiction, Teen fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print
Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
Puffin
With more than fifty million copies sold worldwide, Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books of all time. It extols the virtues of kindness and respect. It was banned by the South African government during the Apartheid era because of the word 'Black' in the title.
Fiction, Children's fiction
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
Blankets - Craig Thompson
Top Shelf Productions
Temporarily banned from a library in Missouri along with "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel after they were both accused of being pornographic. The original letter of complaint asked the question: "Does this community want our public library to continue to use tax dollars to purchase pornography?" the ban was quickly overturned after The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the National Coalition Against Censorship wrote a rousing statement of support for the two authors and their critically acclaimed books.
Fiction, Modern classic
Also available in the following formats: Braille, Giant print, Talking book
Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic - Alison Bechdel
Mariner Books
Temporarily banned from a library in Missouri along with "Blankets" by Craig Thompson after they were both accused of being pornographic. The original letter of complaint asked the question: "Does this community want our public library to continue to use tax dollars to purchase pornography?" The ban was quickly overturned after The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the National Coalition Against Censorship wrote a rousing statement of support for the two authors and their critically acclaimed books.
Non-fiction, Biography