16 Banned Books to Read Before 12th Grade
All of the titles on our banned book list have been challenged by families and educators, but we believe they deserve to be read, analyzed, and enjoyed just as much as they are supposed to be.
When is Banned Books Week 2021?
The books listed below are ideal for celebrating! (Please note that WeAreTeachers may receive a commission from sales made through the links on this page; however, we only recommend items that our team enjoys!).
1. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (Pre-K–2)
A picture book by the creator of Where the Wild Things Are has been challenged because one illustration depicts a child’s bare bottom.
Why kids should read it
The award is given in honor of his work that demonstrates respect for children’s deeply emotional and imaginative worlds, which deserve serious attention and recognition while they explore their imaginations.
Why kids should read it
This book is written for children who want to see their families represented in the books they read at school, and it sensitively addresses the questions of what constitutes a family. It also serves as a mirror for the nearly six million Americans who have an LGBT parent.
3. The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (1–4)
This best-selling graphic novel series, which has been challenged for offensive language and violence, uses bathroom humor to get laughs.
Why kids should read it
A well-known kid’s favorite, especially for those with learning and attention issues, this series will keep reluctant readers engaged and eager for the next installment.
4. Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter (2–4)
The story follows a grandmother who enrolls her granddaughter in a secret girls’ school in Afghanistan; it has been criticized for its religious viewpoint and violence, but it has been praised for its message of hope and empowerment for young girls.
5. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein (2–5)
One school disproved the book because it “encourages children to break dishes so they don’t have to dry them,” a teacher told Newsround. Another school disproved the book because it “encourages children to break dishes so they don’t have to dry them.”
Why kids should read it
According to Oxford University Press researchers, reading and re-reading each poem helps build fluency, which is important for early literacy development.
6. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (4–7)
The Newbery Medal-winning novel is about a boy whose best friend dies suddenly, and it has been challenged for offensive language and promoting the occult. Fifth-grader Jess creates an imaginary world with his best friend, Leslie, and then deals with her sudden death.
Why kids should read it
This is a book that children will remember long after they have finished reading it; the characters and story will stay with them long after they have finished reading it. This perceptive and moving novel teaches children about unconditional friendship and how to cope with loss.
What children’s books were banned 2021?
Theme for Banned Books Week 2021: Books Unite Us
- Alex Gino’s George. Ibram X’s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely’s All American Boys. Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak. Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
What books are now banned?
A surprising list of books that have recently been banned
- Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why (2007)
- Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2009)
- Ma Jian’s China Dream (2018)
- Fredrik Backman’s Beartown (2016)
- Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore (2002)
What types of books are banned from schools?
Here are ten popular books that have been banned in schools, along with the reasons for their ban.
- J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series.
- Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
- Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”
- John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”
- Jay Asher’s “Thirteen Reasons Why.”
What books are still banned in the US?
Books that have been “banned” as examples
- The Catcher in the Rye.
- The Harry Potter series.
- Fun Home.
- Brave New World.
- Of Mice and Men.
- To Kill a Mockingbird.
- The Catcher in the Ry
Why is Green Eggs and Ham a banned book?
I, like many other parents, spent years reading Dr. Seuss books to my children, to the point where I can still recite pages from Green Eggs and Ham by heart; however, the Dr. Seuss company has decided to stop publishing a small number of their books due to outdated racial stereotypes.
Why are books being banned 2020?
In 2020, more than 273 books were challenged or banned, with increasing calls to remove books that addressed racism and racial justice, as well as those that told the stories of Black, Indigenous, or people of color. As in previous years, LGBTQ content dominated the list.
Why is Harry Potter a banned book?
The books were banned from the school library by Dan Reehil, a pastor at the Roman Catholic parish school of St Edward in Nashville, Tennessee, on the grounds that “the curses and spells used in the books are actual curses and spells; which when read by a human being risk conjuring evil spirits into the person’s presence.”
What is Banned book Week in America?
Banned Books Week (September 26 – October 2, 2021) is an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read and highlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.
Why is book banning bad?
The most common reasons for book bans, according to the American Library Association, are racial issues, harmful lifestyles, blasphemous dialog, sex, violence/negativity, witchcraft, religion, politics, or simply being age inappropriate.
Is Fahrenheit 451 banned?
Ray Bradbury’s classic novel Fahrenheit 451 has been censored and banned in several schools in the United States since its publication in 1953, despite the fact that censorship and book banning is a prominent theme throughout Bradbury’s celebrated novel.
Why was Animal Farm banned in the US?
Because of its illegality, many in Soviet-controlled territory first read it in pirated,’samizdat’ form. The book was misunderstood and was seen as being critical of all forms of socialism, rather than specifically Stalinist communism. The American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) funded a cartoon version in 1955.
Is Harry Potter banned in the US?
“The curses and spells used in the books are real curses and spells that, when read by a human being, have the potential to summon evil spirits into the reader’s presence,” Reehil added.
What was the first banned book in America?
His New English Canaan, first published in 1637, mounted a harsh and heretical critique of Puritan customs and power structures that went far beyond what most New English settlers could accept, prompting it to be bannedu2014making it the first book explicitly banned in what is now the United States.
Is the Bible the most banned book in the world?
Nothing is sacred when it comes to book banning, and the Bible is one of the most challenged books of the year.
Is Uncle Tom’s Cabin banned today?
Stowe’s book was intended to convey the evils of slavery to a national and general audience, and she received numerous threatening letters from Southern critics, one of which included a severed slave’s ear. Today, Uncle Tom’s Cabin is banned for a variety of reasons.