Ok, as you might already know, this is Banned Books Week, which is sponsored by the American Librarian Association and is a celebration of books that have been challenged or banned. I have been seeing posts all week about Banned Books, so I decided to investigate a little. When I saw the list of books that have been challenged or outright banned, I was pretty surprised to see some of my very favorite books right there on the list. So, I decided to put a little list of my own together of my favorite Banned Books!
1. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
This book has been called sexually explicit, violently graphic, and morally corrupt.
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Banned due to offensive language and racism.
3. Brave New World by Aldophus Huxley
This is thought to have offensive language and insensitivity-insensitive-, hmmmm.
4. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Our beloved wizard is supposedly anti-family (with a family like the Dursleys-no duh!), and promoting the Occult and Satanism!!
5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Objectionable due to offensive language and sexual content.
6. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Banned due to racism- very strange since it IS a book about the Civil War!
7. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
This book is banned for quite a few reasons- one is that it is “irreligious” which is quite ironic considering the author’s known devoutness to Catholicism. It is also banned in New Mexico for promoting witchcraft and Satanism. I thought the purpose OF the book was to defeat the evil in the world-silly me.
I guess at any point in time almost any book can be seen as objectionable to one person or another. But maybe that is why the universe saw it fit to provide us humans with free will.
What is your favorite banned book?
Great posts about Banned Book Week- go see them!!
http://booksspeakvolumes.com/2013/09/24/bannedbooksweek/
Other websites to visit to read more about banned books-
Banned Books Week Banner (Photo credit: DML East Branch)
Turn the Page Reviews 
When my youngest was in high school, I served on a parent-teacher panel on getting more children interested in reading. At the same time, there was a board of ed member who tried to get HOLES by Louis Sachar banned for violence. I thought it was an excellent book for young kids.
It just blows my mind that Harry Potter is banned because of witchcraft. If the people upset about it actually read it, they would see that the books are really about loyalty, friendship, love, and doing what is right regardless of the cost. And there is quite a bit of Christian symbolism, especially in the last book.
I have read 1-5 on your list and will end up reading 6-7 at some point, too. I am a huge fan of banned books (reading them, NOT banning them!!). My thoughts? Freedom. Of. Speech.
Great list! I always assume that the people trying to ban TKAM are actually racist and don’t like the book because it shows how horrible and unjust the judicial system is. On the flip side, I haven’t read Gone With the Wind yet, but from what I heard it tends to… not show that racism is bad? If that makes sense. I really need to read it one of these days.
Pingback: September Wrap Up! | Turn the Page Reviews