Banned books are the best books.
There, I said it.
But seriously – if a book has something inside of it that is striking fear in the hearts of closed-minded people, then by all means seek out that book. Read those words. Think about those ideas.
Life is meant to be lived with love and openness and curiosity, not fear and closed-mindedness and rejection of all things new or different.
Reading books opens up whole new worlds of creativity, imagination, thought and emotion. My parents always allowed me to read anything and everything I liked, at any age, and we have done the same with Z. I’ve literally never regretted reading a book or allowing Z to read a book.
Books are doorways and portals to knowledge. I’ll never understand why someone would want to slam those doors or lock them shut.
Did you know there were more books challenged or banned in 2023 than in any prior year? According to the American Library Association (ALA), the vast majority of challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. You know who else didn’t like books like that? Hitler and his pals.
I came across a list of banned books recently and many of my favorites were included. I instantly added the books I hadn’t read to my Libby wishlist. Here are some banned books I’ve read and loved over the years. I hope you’ll read and enjoy them, too.
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – Will this book tear your heart out and break it into a thousand pieces? Yes – pretty much all of Hosseini’s books do this to me. But is it still worth reading? A hundred times, yes. It does include difficult passages about child sexual abuse by older kids and by adults, but these things happen in real life. Banning books because they include mentions of child abuse is akin to denying the lived experiences of children who experience these things. This book is written for adults, so by all means, provide young readers with emotional support and hold space for them to talk about it if they need to. Just don’t deny them the right to read it.
- Melissa by Alex Gino – How can this sweet, thoughtful and endearing book about a transgender sixth grader be on a banned books list?! Kids like Melissa exist. Banning this book is like denying her existence. That is not okay! Kids like Melissa are real, human and deserve to live life as their true selves – period. Not only should this book be allowed, it should also be required reading for all sixth graders and their parents. The world would be a better place if it were. The book does such a great job demonstrating that being trans is not the problem – it’s people’s negative opinions that are. Once Melissa gets a little validation and affirmation for being who she is… she’s RADIANT.
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – Again, the thought that anyone would want to keep kids from this book just blows my mind. This is a childhood classic. Every kiddo should have this book read to them in grade school; I did and I made sure my daughter did, too. It is beautiful, moving, funny and heartfelt. It teaches about grief and saying goodbye. It has won the highest honors in children’s literature. Are there aspects of the book that are hard for some children? Sure – I remember how haunted I was by the idea of the farmer having to cull the runt of the litter. But these are things that actually happen in life. The book shows that one child speaking up can change things. It shows the power of friendship – and of connecting with all of nature. And of being kind to spiders!
- Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone (and the entire HP series) by J.K. Rowling – Look. Is J.K. Rowling transphobic and an arrogant jerk? Unfortunately, yes. But her books are still some of my favorites and contain a magic that will live forever. They are also the most challenged books of the 21st century because it is said they contain “witchcraft, the occult and anti-family themes.” I don’t see the anti-family thing at all; if anything, the HP books teach us that family is super important and that you can build a chosen family if you don’t have a biological one. But as for the rest of it, don’t believe a word. These books are about friendship, good vs. evil and girl power. I treasure them and always will.
- Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamorra haunted me for days after I finished it. It’s the story of a little boy from El Salvador who migrates to the U.S. on his own at the age of nine. His family was promised by a coyote that it would take two weeks and that he would be safe. Instead, it was a nine-week harrowing journey with many near-death encounters, jail time and so much more. Zamorra is a poet and the writing is exquisite. I highly recommend this book for absolutely anyone and I simply cannot fathom anyone wanting to ban it for any reason. It’s a treasure.
- Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume – As I’ve written before, I’ve been a Judy Blume fan for more than 40 years and that’s not stopping anytime soon. Every grade-school girl should read this book to know she’s not alone – and to find a friend in Margaret. Blume wrote about puberty, girls’ development and women’s sexual pleasure long before anyone else was even acknowledging that such things exist. Heck, the people trying to ban this book probably still don’t believe such things exist! The 2023 movie made from this book is also charming, although nothing can touch the book in my mind. It is so important for girls to know they are normal during this tough time!
- The Absolutely True Tale of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie – I adored this funny, touching and heartbreaking story of life on a Native American reservation and how one smart boy managed to lift himself out of poverty and rez life. This book has all the heart, humor and authenticity of a Judy Blume novel, only written from a boy’s perspective and with so much heartache for how Native Americans have been treated by white people. I can understand why white people would want to ban this book, but pretending something didn’t happen doesn’t make it so. Instead of banning the book out of white guilt, how about doing something good to help Native Americans?
There are so many other banned books that I love. Do you have a favorite? This ALA list of the top 100 most banned books between 2000 – 2019 has some greats on it.
Visit the ALA Advocacy website for information on how to deal with censorship challenges at your library or school.
I have a lot of banned book reading to do. How about you?
