Banned Books Week reminds us that stories are powerful enough to scare people into silencing them. The reasons books get banned often reveal more about a culture’s fears than the books themselves. Here are 10 books you might be surprised to learn have been banned or challenged, along with when they were published and when they sparked controversy.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)
Ray Bradbury’s classic about a future where books are burned was ironically censored itself. In 1967, a school district in California cut words like “hell” and “damn,” and schools in the 1990s challenged it for “offensive” themes.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884/1885)
Praised as a great American novel, Twain’s work was banned almost immediately—Concord Public Library in Massachusetts pulled it in 1885 for being “trash.” More than a century later, it continues to be challenged for racial slurs.
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (2019)
This graphic memoir has become the most banned book in the U.S. since 2021. Schools and libraries have pulled it hundreds of times for its frank exploration of identity and sexuality.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (1970)
Morrison’s debut novel has been challenged since the 1990s, and it remains one of the most frequently targeted works of literary fiction today. Its themes of race, beauty, and trauma still make readers—and censors—deeply uncomfortable.
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (1988)
Rushdie’s novel was banned in India the year it was published, and soon after in more than a dozen countries. In 1989, Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death—turning the author into a global symbol of the risks of free expression.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)
In 1931, officials in China’s Hunan Province banned this whimsical tale, arguing animals should not be given human speech. Nearly 70 years after publication, Carroll’s fantasy still unsettled authorities.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017)
Thomas’s bestselling YA novel was challenged just a year after publication. Schools and parents objected to profanity and its depiction of police violence, even as young readers embraced it as a voice for their own reality.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2000/2003)
This graphic memoir was banned in Iran immediately upon release. In 2013, Chicago Public Schools removed it from classrooms, sparking national debate, and it continues to face challenges in U.S. districts today.
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford (1987)
Believe it or not, this children’s puzzle book was first challenged in 1989. The “offending” image? A tiny topless sunbather hidden among the crowds—proof that sometimes bans are more absurd than alarming.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947/1995 full edition)
Anne’s diary was first published in 1947, but even her voice hasn’t escaped censorship. In 1983, it was challenged in Alabama for being “a real downer,” and in 2010, a Virginia school objected to the unabridged edition for “sexual content.”
Why it matters
Books get banned for being dangerous, uncomfortable, or subversive. But isn’t that what great literature is supposed to do? Banned Books Week isn’t just about defending the freedom to read. It’s about remembering that every time someone tries to silence a story, it’s because that story has power.
Do you have a work in progress that could risk being banned or challenged if it fell into certain hands?
I sure hope so.
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