Shelves full of books (Christopher Knight/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
According to the American Library Association (ALA), 4,240 books were targeted in book bans during 2023. This figure isn’t uncommon, and similarly staggering ones have been consistently reported for the last four years. These book bans are inherently unjust, and the best way to combat them is to read the affected titles.
Oftentimes targeted books are deemed “inappropriate” to be in schools, but this claim is just a mask for the bigotry that lies at the crux of the issue. The titles targeted by these challenges and bans are disproportionately written about LGBTQ+ or BIPOC experiences.
Every attempt to “protect” children from these realities just further alienates them. The United States is entrenched in an epidemic of censorship, and it can feel helpless at times. One of the best and simplest things to do is read banned or challenged work. Reading banned books not only supports the authors themselves but also supports the fight for artistic and intellectual freedom as a whole.
In honor of Banned Books Week (Sept. 22–28), here is a list of five banned books you can read to resist censorship. Consider purchasing these titles from an independent bookstore or support your local library and check the titles out there.
- “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas
“The Hate U Give” is the story of a young Black girl named Starr and her first-hand experience with police brutality. Starr is torn between two worlds: the Black neighborhood she calls home and the white prep school she goes to. Throughout the book, Starr confronts who she is and where she fits in. At its core, the novel is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of very real racial issues.
“The Hate U Give” faces bans around the country for including violence, profanity, and “anti-police” messaging. It was included in the ALA’s lists of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.
- “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin
Published in 1956, “Giovanni’s Room” chronicles the raw, tumultuous relationship between an American man in Paris and an Italian bartender he meets at a gay bar. It faced immediate backlash for openly depicting a gay relationship and was banned and censored in several different countries.
James Baldwin is one of the most influential Black authors of all time, alongside Toni Morrison and Alice Walker—both of which have had their own novels banned. It’s painfully obvious these bans originate from blatant racism, and “Giovanni’s Room” is a prime example of a beautiful work of fiction targeted solely for its depiction of diverse experiences.
- “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
Another author of high esteem, Margaret Atwood, is best known for her dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale.” In the fictional Republic of Gilead, Offred is a Handmaid, meaning she is one of the few women who are fertile and forced to conceive babies for privileged couples. Offred’s journey and the novel as a whole explore themes of feminism and reproductive rights.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” is banned in several school districts for profanity, being “anti-Christian”, and featuring LGBTQ+ protagonists. In an article for the Atlantic last year, Atwood made her position on censorship very clear and emphasized the importance of young readers exploring topics for themselves.
- “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson
“This Book is Gay” is one of the more recent releases on this list and was the 3rd most challenged book of 2023, according to the ALA. It’s non-fiction and acts as a comprehensive handbook for the LGBTQ+ community. It provides information and answers about stereotypes, coming out, sex, and flirting.
“This Book is Gay” is also marketed as a book for everyone, not just members of the LGBTQ+ community. Besides the community itself, the book is also geared toward educators, parents, and anyone with curiosity.
Seventy-one separate challenges were imposed against “This Book is Gay” in 2023 alone for LGBTQ+ content, sex education, and sexually explicit content.
- “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” follows Charlie, a shy teenage boy in his first year of high school. Throughout the novel, Charlie encounters his first love and new friendships. He also must confront his trauma from being sexually abused as a child.
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a quintessential coming-of-age story that also provides a sensitive depiction of sexual abuse and trauma. It faced dozens of challenges in 2023 alone for sexually explicit content, LGBTQ+ content, drugs, and profanity.
Whatever way it’s spun by legislators, book bans and censorship come down to one thing: keeping the country’s youth away from complex and diverse issues. One of the many purposes of reading is to broaden perspectives beyond the scope of the reader’s individual experiences, and book bans fundamentally work against that.
It’s scary to think we live in a country where art and books can be withheld, but reading is resistance. Read books by authors you identify with, but more importantly, read books by authors that are different from you. We gain nothing from putting up barriers and sheltering ourselves from work that may make us uncomfortable.