Last week was Banned Books Week. To this day it amazes me how many books are challenged and the reasons why.
Some of the Challenged Books that I’ve Read:
I read the first seven books in high school. Analyzing these novels led to insightful, meaningful conversations and most of these books left lasting impressions on me. I admit that I only have the vaguest memories of a few
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Catch- 22 by Joseph Heller
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
The next two books I read as a young teenager. I have vivid memories of being in junior high and reading Forever aloud with my best friend while we waited for our ride after school. I’m sure my mother would have never allowed me to read the books if she had known the subject content. My poor kids weren’t as lucky as I was.
- Forever by Judy Blume
- Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
The last titles on my list all came out when my kids were growing up or grown up. While I wasn’t aware of the controversy surrounding the previous books and why they were challenged, as an adult I knew that there would be some who objected to list below. My own children read most of them and I wouldn’t have had a problem with them reading them.
- Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
- Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
- The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
- And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
I cannot imagine a world without books that challenge us to think, re-think, explore, grow and learn. Isn’t that part of the joy of reading? To be taken to a place you’ve never been?
What are your favorite banned books?
-Kat
