Do You Have Favorite Banned Books?

Chances are good that some of your favorite banned books are still being challenged!

Why is it that some of the most interesting and thought provoking books are the very ones that some folks think should not be read?

Should a few people decide for the rest of us what we can or can't read?

Do we take our freedom of speech and press for granted?

We will be discussing who bans and why on this website.

(Photo taken at Brentwood Branch Library, Springfield, Missouri.)

We will be talking about banned books and their authors.

Included are some of the old favorites, as well as more recently challenged ones, such as J K Rowling's Harry Potter Series and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga.

The Hunger Games trilogy is the latest.

You will also find stories of book burnings. Who burns books and why? Do such things still happen? (They do!) Are you surprised?

If you love books - including banned ones - and your freedom to read them, check back here often, we're just getting started!

Amazing Grace Baptist Church: Amazing Grace Baptist Church burns numerous books, including Bibles
And Tango Makes Three: And Tango Makes Three, written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, and illustrated by Henry Cole, is a children's picture book about two male penguins that hatch and raise a baby penguin.
Angels & Demons: Angels & Demons is Dan Brown's action-packed thriller published in 2000.
Animal Farm: George Orwell's Animal Farm is a story of animals revolting against their owner.
Annie on My Mind: Nancy Garden's 1982 novel, Annie on My Mind, is the story of two teenage girls, Liza Winthrop and Annie Kenyon, who meet and fall in love.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is Judy Blume's 1970 book that opens with Margaret Ann Simon talking to God.
A Stolen Life: Told in her own words, A Stolen Life is the true story of Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was kidnapped at age eleven, and held captive for eighteen years.
A Wrinkle in Time: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, published in 1962, is an Award Winning children's book.
Banned Authors: Many banned authors find their books challenged over and over again.
Banned Books: Banned books are are books that have been censored by a library, school system, or government and have been removed from a school or library.
Banned Books Blog: The Banned Books Blog keeps you up-to-date with all additions and changes to the favorite-banned-books.com website. Subscribe here.
Banned Books Week: Banned Books Week - or BBW - is an annual celebration of the freedom to read.
Banned Books Week 2011: Banned Books Week 2011 is September 24th through October 1st.
Banned Books Week 2012: It's that time of year again! Banned Books Week 2012 will be held September 30th through October 6th.
Banned Books Week 2013: Banned Books Week 2013 is being celebrated September 22nd through the 28th. Have you chosen a banned book to read?
Banned Books Week 2014: Banned Books Week Sept. 21-27, 2014. Here are some of the recent, (and some not-so-recent) book challenges.
Banned from the Bible: Hundreds, perhaps more, of books and writings have been hidden, lost, destroyed or banned from the Bible.
Books about Religion: Books about religion that differ from what we've been taught by churches for hundreds of years are sure to come under fire.
Book Banning: Book banning has gone on for as long as books have been written.
Book Burning: Book burning continues to be popular with some people in 2010.
Bastard Out of Carolina: As if being the illegitimate child of a teenager from a dirt poor family isn't bad enough, Bone's real troubles begin when her mother marries Daddy Glen. Bastard Out of Carolina is her story.
Beloved: Is there ever a good enough reason for a mother to kill her children? In Beloved, this slave mother thought so...
Black Like Me: Black Like Me is the non-fiction account of author John Howard Griffin, who darkened his skin and traveled to the deep south to find out what life was really like for a black person in 1959.
Bless Me, Ultima: Bless Me, Ultima, written by Rudolfo Anaya, published in 1972, is the story of Antonio Juan Marez. His life changes at the age of six, when a Curandera, or folk healer, comes to live with the family.
Blubber: Blubber is a 1974 young adult book by Judy Blume. It is about bullying and being bullied.
Book of Enoch: References to Enoch can be found in the Bible, yet the Book of Enoch is not included.
Bridge to Terabithia: Bridge to Terabithia, written by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Donna Diamond, and published in 1977, is the story of two lonely children, Jesse and Leslie, who become best friends.
Catching Fire: Catching Fire (2009), the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins, begins with Katniss dreading the Victory Tour.
Charlotte's Web: Charlotte's Web, E. B. White's 1952 children's novel, is the story of a little girl named Fern, her pig, Wilbur, and Wilbur's friend, a spider named Charlotte.
Children's Books: I've never understood why people who attempt to ban children's books think they should be the ones to decide what every child reads.
Daddy's Roommate: Daddy's Roommate is a 1990 children's picture book by Michael Willhoite. It is the story of a little boy whose parents are divorced, and his daddy now lives with another man.
Dove World Outreach Center: Terry Jones, pastor of Dove World Outreach Center, plans to burn Korans at his church on September 11.
Elmer Gantry: Elmer Gantry's nickname in college is "Hell-cat", and it suits him perfectly. Elmer throughly enjoys smoking, drinking, and hanging out with Jim Lefferts.
Fahrenheit 451: Fahrenheit 451. The temperature at which book paper bursts into flames.
Flowers for Algernon: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is a heartbreaking story of a mentally retarded man who is the first human subject for surgery to increase his intelligence.
Forever: Forever, written by Judy Blume in the mid-seventies, is a story of first love.
Harry Potter: Ah! What a stir Harry Potter caused when he came to town!
Heather Has Two Mommies: Heather Has Two Mommies, written by Leslea Newman, is the story of a little girl whose favorite number is two. She has two pets, a cat named Gingersnap, and a dog named Midnight.
Holy Blood, Holy Grail: Holy Blood, Holy Grail, written by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Licoln, presents us with some fascinating evidence of quite a different story of Jesus. Could it be true?
Homosexual Themes: Books with homosexual themes often end up on a "challenged" list.
Huckleberry Finn: Huckleberry Finn topped the list of my favorite banned books when I was a kid. Mostly because Huck befriends Jim, the runaway slave.
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings covers Maya Angelou's life from the time she was three years old to age seventeen.
In Cold Blood: In Cold Blood is the 1966 book by Truman Capote about the murders of four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas on November 15, 1959.
In The Night Kitchen: In The Night Kitchen is the story of a little boy named Mickey, who falls through the dark to a kitchen where bakers are making "morning cake".
James And The Giant Peach: Roald Dahl's 1961 book, James and the Giant Peach, is the story of James Henry Trotter's journey inside a huge peach with his giant insect friends.
King & King: King & King is a young children's picture book by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland that was originally written in Dutch.
Lilith: Did Adam have a wife named Lilith before God created Eve?
Mark Twain: I wonder what growing up in a slave state was like for Mark Twain?
Maya Angelou: Maya Angelou is said to be one of the most often banned authors.
Mockingjay: Mockingjay (2010) is Suzanne Collins' final book of The Hunger Games. It begins with Katniss making a visit to what's left of District 12. And it's not much.
Molly's Family: Molly's Family, by Nancy Garden, illustrations by Sharon Wooding, was published in 2004. It is a children's book about diversity in families.
My Brother Sam is Dead: My Brother Sam is Dead is a work of historical fiction written by brothers James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier. It was published in 1974.
My Princess Boy: My Princess Boy, written by Cheryl Kilodavis, illustrated by Suzanne DeSimone, and published in 2011, is a non-fiction children's picture book, and is a great anti-bullying tool.
Nickel and Dimed: Nickel and Dimed, a 2001 non-fiction book by Barbara Ehrenreich shows us what it's really like to live and work in the world of poverty wages. It's depressing, because it's true.
Of Mice and Men: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was published in 1937. It's a story of migrant workers in California during the Great Depression.
Ordinary People: Judith Guest's 1996 novel, Ordinary People, has been one of the most frequently challenged books nationwide.
Pat Conroy: Pat Conroy's stories reflect his own life experiences. Family members have been greatly upset by the material in his books.
Reasons for Banning: Reasons for banning are as varied as the beliefs of the people who find the material offensive.
Slaughterhouse-Five: In Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy Pilgrim, along with other POWs were housed in building number five, which had previously been used for the slaughter of animals.
Song of Solomon: Song of Solomon is another award-winning book by Toni Morrison. This 1977 novel won the National Books Credits Award, and was an Oprah's Book Club choice.
Speak: Speak is a book every teenager should read. Written by Laurie Halse Anderson, and published in 1999, Speak won eight state book awards and was a finalist for eleven.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: Sherman Alexie's 2007 novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian tells of fourteen-year-old Arnold's transition to a new high school off the reservation in his freshman year.
The Awakening: The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, was published in 1899. It is the story of Edna Pontellier, a woman who disagrees with the social attitudes of her time.
The Bluest Eye: The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, is the story of eleven year old Pecola Breedlove.
The Catcher in the Rye: The Catcher in the Rye describes three days in the life of sixteen year old Holden Caulfield.
The Chocolate War: From the time The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, was published in 1974, it has been fiercely criticized.
The Color Purple: The Color Purple by Alice Walker, published in 1982, is told in a series of letters. It won the 1983 Pulitizer Prize for Fiction and The National Book Award for Fiction.
The Da Vinci Code: Dan Brown's 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code, is a fast-paced, smart, page-turning murder mystery.
The Golden Compass: The Golden Compass begins with Lyra Balacqua sneaking into a room she is never allowed to enter. What she soon discovers is that her uncle is about to be posioned.
The Grapes of Wrath: The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck and published in April 1939, is the story of sharecroppers in Oklahoma driven from the land during the Great Depression.
The Great Gatsby: The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and published in 1925, is a story that takes place in the summer of 1922.
The Handmaid's Tale: Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, The Handmaid's Tale, is a chilling story of what a possible future America could be like if religious fundamentalists took over the government.
The Hunger Games: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a young adult novel, origionally published in hardcover on September 14, 2008.
The Last Temptation of Christ: Nikos Kazantzakis' 1960 work of fiction, The Last Temptation of Christ, has been condemmed by religious leaders throughout the United States.
The Lorax: Some people think The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, attempts to influence children to think of the logging industry in a negative way.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth, is Cameron's story immediately following the death of her parents when she is twelve years old.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a series of letters written by a fifteen-year-old boy describing experiences during his first year of high school.
The Prince of Tides: The Prince of Tides, written by Pat Conroy, published in 1986, spans three generations of Wingos.
The Scarlet Letter: The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, is considered to be Nathaniel Hawthorne's most famous work. It is the story of young Hester Prynne, who must wear her "badge of shame" for all to see.
Tiger Eyes: Judy Blume's 1981 young adult novel, Tiger Eyes, opens with Davey Wexler going to her father's funeral.
To Kill a Mockingbird: I love Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. I love it because it's a story of courage and commitment to doing what is right.
Toni Morrison: Toni Morrison is an award winning author of several novels, as well as various other works.
Twenty Boy Summer: Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler, is about two teenage girls on summer vacation. It's also about dealing with grief.
Twilight: Stephenie Meyer tells a fascinating story in her Twilight books. Also fascinating is the story of how they came to be.
Uncle Bobby's Wedding: Sarah Brannen's 2008 children's book, Uncle Bobby's Wedding, is about a little guinea pig named Chloe, whose favorite uncle is getting married.
Uncle Tom's Cabin: Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a story of slavery in America in the 1800s.
Where The Wild Things Are: Where The Wild Things Are is a 1963 fantasy picture book by Maurice Sendak.
About Me: About Me - I've always loved to read. I love learning new things. I find it fascinating to look at a subject from a viewpoint I may have never before considered.
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