The Joy Luck Club- Amy Tan

Published in 1989, the novel centers on four Chinese-American immigrant families who start a Mahjong playing club. The book was banned in several cities including Merton, Wisconsin where the parents of an Arrowhead High School student said it was too sexually explicit and conflicted with the values of the community.

Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck

Published in 1937, this novella tells the tragic story of George and Lennie, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression. The title is taken from a Robert Burn’s poem “To a Mouse,” which is often quoted as “the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” The novella was banned from many school libraries and curricula over the years for its promotion of Euthanasia, foul language, and controversial subject matter.

The House on Mango Street- Sandra Cisneros

Published in 1984, this coming of age story of a poor Latino girl has been banned and challenged since its publication. The novella’s protagonist, Esperanza Cordero, a teenager growing up amidst the harsh beauty and poverty in the Latino section of Chicago, recounts her difficult time growing up and assimilating. Although a favorite among children and adults alike, its themes of poverty, sexuality, and racism have drawn the ire of parents in Texas, New Mexico, California, etc.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou

Published in 1969, this autobiographical book chronicles the early years of the author Maya Angelou. The title of the book is derived from Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy.” Ranked third in the American Library Association’s List of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000. The book has been banned because of its graphic themes of rape, racism, and sexism.

Lord of the Flies- William Golding

This allegorical novel by Nobel Prize winning author William Golding was first published in 1954. It is both a coming of age story and a commentary on human nature. It is the story of a group of boys trapped on a dessert island who attempt to govern themselves and fail with disastrous effects. It was banned by the Toronto School Board for its use of the word “niggers.”

The Catcher in the Rye- J.D. Salinger

First published in 1951, the book chronicles the coming of age of its protagonist Holden Caulfield, following his experiences in New York City shortly after his expulsion from school. Salinger’s novel has been extremely controversial because of its use of profanity, sexuality, and teenage angst. It has been banned in the United States and Australia.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain

Published in 1884, it was one of the first American novels ever written using Local Color Realism. The novel centers around the relationship between Huckleberry Finn and a runaway southern slave named Jim as they flee south on the Mississippi River. The book was banned from an eighth grade reading list for its use of the word “nigger.” It has been condemned by the NAACP and in 1984, the book was removed from a high school reading list in Illinois because a city council member found it offensive

Catch 22- Joseph Heller

Published in 1961, Catch 22 is a satirical, historical fiction novel. The book is a general critique on bureaucracy. Resulting from its specific use in the book, the phrase “Catch 22” is a common idiomatic usage for “a no win situation.” Heller’s novel was banned in Srongsville, Ohio in 1972, challenged in Dallas, Texas in 1974 and Snoqualmie, Washington in 1979 because of its several references to whores.

Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury

Published in 1953, it first appeared in the 1951 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. An example of dystopian fiction, the novel presents a future in which all books are banned and critical thought is suppressed. The title is a reference to the temperature at which books burn in the novel. In 1998 this book was removed from the required reading list of West Marion High School in Foxworth, Mississippi because a parent complained of the use of the words “God damn” in the novel.