Book banning has been a recurring phenomenon throughout history, with governments and individuals attempting to suppress the spread of ideas they deem dangerous or subversive. However, what one person finds offensive may be cherished by another. Because ideas of what may or may not be acceptable are constantly changing, so too are the titles that some seek to ban, resulting in an exercise in futility.
Banned books don’t disappear. In fact, book banning often has the opposite effect of what is intended, generating curiosity and interest in the titles. Over time, many titles become so widely accepted that modern readers are shocked to find them on the list of censored books.
For the 2024 Banned Books Week, Mid-Continent Public Library highlighted banned books of years past, with each branch home to one book you may be surprised to see on a list of censored books.
Mid-Continent Public Library stands firmly in support of the freedom to read. As always, we encourage individuals and families to determine what materials best fit their needs. The Library’s collection is home to books, movies, music, and resources filled with a nearly infinite spectrum of ideas for yesterday, today, and always.
1984
by George Orwell
Banned for...
objectionable language and mature themes
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
Banned for...
offensive language and racist terminology
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain
Banned for...
coarse language and racial stereotypes
Animal Farm
by George Orwell
Banned for...
references to the masses revolting
Beloved
by Toni Morrison
Banned for...
themes of slavery and violence
Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
Banned for...
themes of promiscuity, drug use, and suicide
The Call of the Wild
by Jack London
Banned for...
dark tone and bloody violence
Catch-22
by Joseph Heller
Banned for...
profane and inappropriate language
Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
Banned for...
blasphemy and bad influence on children
Charlotte's Web
by E.B. White
Banned for...
talking animals
A Clockwork Orange
by Anthony Burgess
Banned for...
obscene language
The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
Banned for...
use of profanity and sexual violence
Diary of a Young Girl
by Anne Frank
Banned for...
discussions of puberty and teenage sexuality
Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury
Banned for...
vulgarity and discussions of drugs
The Great Gatsby
by F. Scot Fitzgerald
Banned for...
violence, adultery, and language
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
Banned for...
inappropriately explicit sexual scenes and anti-white content
Lord of the Flies
by William Golding
Banned for...
demoralizing behavior and animal cruelty
Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl
by Jesse Andrews
Banned for...
sexual content and obscene language
My Brother Sam Is Dead
by James Lincoln Collier
Banned for...
objectionable language and violence
Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Banned for...
objectional language and undermining the values of respect
The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton
Banned for...
violence, mature themes, and smoking and drinking
Slaughterhouse-Five
by Kurt Vonnegut
Banned for...
violence and obscene language and being contrary to the Bible
A Study in Scarlet
by Arthur Conan Doyle
Banned for...
casting Mormonism in a negative light
Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
Banned for...
offensive language and sexual content
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Banned for...
offensive language and mention of rape
Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein
Banned for...
showing disrespect for any authority
A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle
Banned for...
entanglements with religion