Banned books week is an event held every year to celebrate the freedom to read. This year, we celebrate banned books week from September 27, 2020 – October 3, 2020. Every year, we use this time to support the freedom to seek and express ideas. Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly banned books and why they’re being censored. All of these books are linked and most are available for less than $10.
How to Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This Pulitzer Prize winning novel has been banned for offensive language, violence, and racism
Animal Farm by George Orwell
This literary masterpiece is actually still banned in Cuba and North Korea for highlighting the brutal reality of communism.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Brave New World has been banned for sexual content, insensitivity, comments against religion and the traditional family.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
This book is actually both the most banned book in American schools and the second most taught book in American schools!
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
This literary piece has been banned from many schools for its vulgar language and racial slurs.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This classic has been banned for its frequent references to drugs and sexuality.
1984 by George Orwell
Orwell’s second book on this list has frequently been banned for its pro-communism ideas and sexual content.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
This reason this book has been banned is due to the story’s excessive violence and profanity
We must continue to defend the freedom to read. When we censor ideas that make us uncomfortable or silence views that we disagree with, we are suppressing the freedom of speech in its purest form. The books that are aggressively banned are often the ones most worth reading.
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