4 Banned Books You MUST Read!

“Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.” 

The Issac Asimov quote rings true as we enter into a new era of “banned books”: books that are not allowed to be taught in a school district somewhere in America. The concept of banning a book is already a ridiculous thought in itself; most books, especially scholarly ones, are meant to be read with an analytic mind and openness to new ideas. While these books are restricted from being taught in some English classes, this shouldn’t stop us from critically engaging with them! Here is a list of popular banned books and where you can find them for purchase. 

If you are more interested in learning about banned books and their histories, please visit Carnegie Mellon University’s Banned Book Project. 

1. Beloved by Toni Morrison

REASONS FOR BEING BANNED: Violence, sex-acts “not rooted in history”, and being “moral sewage”. 

Beloved is based in the true story of Margaret Garner, who killed her own child to save them from a life of slavery and abuse at the hands of white violence. Toni Morrison, celebrated author and African-American storyteller, conveys the deep, serious message of sacrifice within Black motherhood.  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND Beloved: Most booksellers would have a copy on hand, especially chains like Barnes and Noble. Checking your favorite small bookstore would be beneficial to both the local economy and your wallet! 

2. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel 

REASONS FOR BEING BANNED: Being “pornographic” and promoting the Gay and Lesbian lifestyle. 

If you recognize Alison Bechdel’s last name, it’s probably from the iconic feminist film test she invented: if two female characters do not talk to one another for more than thirty seconds about something other than a man, they do not pass the “Bechdel Test”. Fun Home is a graphic novel memoir of Bechdel’s childhood and college years as she deals with her father’s closeted homosexual lifestyle and her own identity as a lesbian. Also available as a Broadway musical!

WHERE YOU CAN FIND Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic: Barnes and Noble and other major book retailers. 

3. A Separate Peace by John Knowles 

REASONS FOR BEING BANNED: Being graphic, offensive, and a “filthy, trashy sex novel”. 

A Separate Peace is a rare novel that satisfies the aesthetics within your soul while still holding fast to a deep lesson on humanity. John Knowles writes of a closed-off boarding school hidden from the horrors of World War II, but training boys nonetheless to go into war. Recommended for lovers of Dead Poets Society, this is a story of bonding, male friendships, and how far we would go for the people we love. 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND A Separate Peace: Major bookstore retailers would have a copy to purchase. If it hasn’t been banned at your school, you’ll probably be able to find it on your library shelves. 

4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 

REASONS FOR BEING BANNED: Offensive language, sexually explicit material, and being unsuited for certain age groups. 

Set in a war-torn Afghanistan, The Kite Runner is a moving story of friendship amidst the hardest times a young person can endure. Two young men, Amir and Hassan, cling tightly to one another throughout the years until a fateful kite-flying contest creates an insurmountable divide between the two, and their fates separate them altogether. *Trigger warning: This book contains descriptions of sexual assualt and rape.* 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND The Kite Runner: Another book you can most likely find in a public library, or for purchase online at Barnes and Noble. 

Happy reading!