5. “The Handmaid’s Tale”

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is told from the perspective of Offred, a handmaid. Offred and other handmaids like her are only valuable in society due to their working ovaries and ability to conceive children. With the most recent attack against women’s reproductive rights, “The Handmaid’s Tale” serves as a dire warning. This book has been banned in schools and libraries due to its political messaging, LGBTQ+ protagonists, anti-Christian views, morality and sexual content.

4. “Fahrenheit 451”

“Fahrenheit 451” is about a fireman tasked with destroying books and the houses that hold them. His neighbor, Clarisse, teaches him about the past and he begins to question his reality. This book is set in a dystopian future, but it feels like a warning to today’s political climate. With books being challenged and banned, this novel is important because it addresses the impact of censorship. The book is being challenged due to its content that goes against moral, ethical, or religious beliefs and its vulgarity.

3. “The Color Purple”

“The Color Purple” is a heart-wrenching novel about two sisters in Georgia during the early twentieth century. Celie and Nettie are separated as young girls and spend their lives hoping to reconnect. The novel explores domestic and sexual abuse, racism and sexism. It is challenged due to its brutal depiction of Black men, same-sex encounters and sexual violence. Walker’s novel shows a reality for many Black women in the early-twentieth century and their stories need to be represented.

2. “The Hate U Give”

“The Hate U Give” is told through the perspective of Starr, a 16-year-old girl who witnesses the fatal shooting of her best friend at the hands of a police officer. Starr lives in a poor neighborhood and attends an expensive prep school, being forced to navigate the two opposite worlds. “The Hate U Give” has been challenged due to sexual content which some consider to be dangerous to children. By banning this novel, the voices and stories of those who have experienced police brutality are being silenced.

1. “The Diary of Anne Frank”

“The Diary of Anne Frank” has been banned due to its sexual content. Some claim it even minimizes the Holocaust. This diary details the life of Anne Frank during World War II. She writes about falling in love, becoming a woman, her faith and the unusual strains on her life because of the war. Frank’s diary provides first-hand insight into the struggles Jewish people faced. Eliminating Frank’s perspective of her time during the Holocaust would minimize it.