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Banned Books Week 2020 (September 27th – October 3rd)

Banned Books Week 2020 has begun! Normally scheduled for the last week in September, this week is set aside annually to celebrate the freedom to seek and share ideas through reading. By highlighting books that have been frequently challenged or marked for censorship in schools, libraries, and elsewhere, Banned Books Week emphasizes the importance of the freedom to read! To celebrate this special week, the library has put together a reading list of some of the most banned/challenged books in the United States in 2019 according to the American Library Association.



Challenged Books

(Source: www.ala.org)



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Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2019

(Source of information and captions: www.ala.org)



George (Scholastic Gold): Gino, Alex: 9780545812573: Amazon.com: Books

Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure.”

Amazon.com: Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out (9780763656119):  Kuklin, Susan: Books

Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased.

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo - Wikipedia

Reasons: Challenged and vandalized for LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is “designed to pollute the morals of its readers,” and for not including a content warning.

Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU: Silverberg,  Cory, Smyth, Fiona: 9781609806064: Amazon.com: Books

Reasons: Challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate.” 

Prince & Knight | Book by Daniel Haack, Stevie Lewis | Official Publisher  Page | Simon & Schuster Canada

Reasons: Challenged and restricted for featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content; for being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint.

I Am Jazz: Herthel, Jessica, Jennings, Jazz, McNicholas, Shelagh:  9780803741072: Amazon.com: Books

Reasons: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged.”

Books: The Handmaids Tale

Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones.”

Drama: Telgemeier, Raina, Telgemeier, Raina: 8601423318936: Amazon.com:  Books

Reasons: Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals.”

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Rowling, J.K., GrandPré, Mary:  0038332166576: Amazon.com: Books

Reasons: Banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals.

And Tango Makes Three | Book by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry  Cole | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

Reason: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content.



Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: By the Decade

1990 – 1999 | 2000 – 2009 | 2010 – 2019



Please click here for more information about Banned Books Week!

Thanks for reading!
-George, FTPL

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