Immorality
This beloved vampire series was banned for its "questionable religious viewpoints."
What is Twilight — Stephenie Meyer
This popular romance story (with a connection to a certain band and separate book series) was banned and challenged by schools & libraries for its sexual content, which they argued "Young teens would want to get involved in [it]."
What is Fifty Shades of Grey — E.L. James
This popular children's thriller story series was banned in school districts for being too frightening.
What is Goosebumps — R.L. Stine
This classic 1960 novel detailing racial injustice was banned in curriculums for language, racial slurs, and sexual references.
What is To Kill a Mockingbird — Harper Lee
This classic fantasy story about being transported into a different world and venturing back home was banned in public libraries in 1928 for depicting women in strong leadership roles.
What is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz — L. Frank Baum
This 1914 novel-turned-Disney-movie was banned in the 20s and 30s due to its main characters living together in the jungle and conceiving a child whilst unmarried.
What is Tarzan of the Apes — Edgar Rice Burroughs
This mischevious feline-fronted children's series had its Christmas edition banned in Texas for briefly mentioning a lesbian couple.
What is Bad Kitty Christmas — Nick Bruel
This popular middle school read about greasers and socs was banned for an array of reasons, but primarily gang violence and murder.
What is The Outsiders — S.E. Hinton
This classic 1949 novel about the dangers of totalitarianism, censorship, and government surveillance was banned in curriculums throughout every decade since its publication.
What is 1984 — George Orwell
This 1865 novel featuring anthroporphic animals in a fantastical realm was banned in China in 1931 in fear that children would start to believe that animals deserved as much respect as humans.
What is Alice in Wonderland — Lewis Carroll
This popular 1999 YA novel-turned-movie with a memorable dance scene was banned in schools for depictions of LGBTQ+ content, drugs/alcohol/smoking, profanity, abuse, and anti-family values.
What is The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Stephen Chbosky
This graphic memoir—later adapted into a musical—was banned/is challenged in curriculums for its depictions of homosexuality, nudity, and alleged anti-religious themes.
What is Fun Home — Alison Bechdel
This Japanese Manga remains banned in several countries due to concerns over students creating their own versions of the violent object used in the story, but pirated copies still circulate.
What is Death Note — Tsugumi Ohba
This 1985 dystopian novel is challenged in schools and libraries for its graphic sexual scenes, totalitarianism, violence against women, and "anti-Christian" values. The author released a fireproof edition of the book in 2022 to protest censorship.
What is The Handmaid's Tale — Margaret Atwood
This children's picture book about overworked crayons was banned for displaying one crayon without its wrapper, which parents deemed "sexually explicit material."
What is The Day the Crayons Quit — Drew Daywalt
This story collection published in 1353 describing life during the Black Death was banned in Australia from 1927-1973 for being "obscene, indecent, and immoral."
What is The Decameron — Giovanni Boccaccio
This 1991 horror satire novel—later adapted into a misinterpreted "filmbro" movie—has been widely banned in many countries for its graphic violence. It cannot be purchased or borrowed under the age of eighteen in Australia.
What is American Psycho — Bret Easton Ellis
This 1925 novel was banned for its graphic depictions of 1920's party culture, which involved excessive drinking, inappropriate language, adultery, and "overly lavish lifestyles."
What is The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgerald
This Dr. Seuss book was banned for allegedly encouraging children to be violent toward and injure their fathers.
What is Hop on Pop — Dr. Seuss
This 2002 novel was adapted into a 2009 movie starring Saoirse Ronan. It was banned for depicting the violent death of a young teenage girl and its aftermath.
What is The Lovely Bones — Alice Sebold
This 1922 novel was banned for its feature of masturbation in its Nausicaa chapter, which readers described as "pure filth." This novel was subsequently widely unavailable to the public for a decade following the court ruling to ban its importation to the US.
What is Ulysses — James Joyce
This widely-utilized, incredibly important text was challenged in a Florida school for containing "sexual content" and "inappropriate language".
What is The Dictionary