Submitted by Alexandria Ducksworth
Every year, hundreds of books are challenged due to “offensive content” ranging from vulgar language to anti-government propaganda. The American Library Assocation (ALA) annually lists the top 10 challenged books. Last year’s list included Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
Book censorship can dramatically shape how libraries function. Imagine stepping into a library with barely any books on bookshelves. A strange sight, right? That won’t be the case for GCPL.
Here are ten “banned books” you will find here:
1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Teen Fiction)
-Banned for sexual content, profanity, vulgarity, and racism.
2. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson (Easy Fiction)
-Banned for characters in a same-sex relationship (even though it’s based on a true story).
3. Drama by Raina Telgemeier (Graphic Novel)
-Banned for featuring LGBTQ+ characters
4. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Adult Non-Fiction)
-Banned for sexual violence, alcohol use, and explicit language
5. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (Adult Fiction)
-Banned for profanity, violence, strong sexual content, and “Anti-Christian” themes.
6. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Teen Fiction)
-Banned for police violence, racism, sexual references, and drug use.
7. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel (Juvenile Non-Fiction)
-Banned for featuring a transgender character
8. Operation Dark Heart by Anthony Shaffer (Adult Non-Fiction)
-Banned for containing sensitive US government information
9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Teen Fiction)
-Banned for suicidal content
10. The Witches by Roald Dahl (Juvenile Fiction)
-Banned for witchcraft, violence against children, and misogyny.
GCPL is also hosting “Banned Books: Book Talk” for ages 11-18 at the Collins Hill Branch. The program starts on September 25, 2018 at 5:30pm.
Click here to find more banned books in the GCPL catalog.