The Ultimate List of Popular Banned Books You Should Read in 2024
Including their book summaries and why they were idiotically banned
The famous author Salman Rushdie once said, “What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.”
His words came from experience.
The author’s controversial book — The Satanic Verses — resulted in protests around the world, multiple assassination attempts on his life, and murders of individuals who translated his book.
But book banning has been around ever since texts were invented.
Plato is said to have spent his adult life trying to collect and burn every single copy of his adversary Democritus’s work. He wasn’t successful, but his followers largely were.
Plato’s work is still being taught today, while no full copies of Democritus' work are known to exist.
In the ancient Qin Dynasty, the Chinese emperor was alleged to have destroyed any text in the country relating to the Hundred Schools of Thought, a competing doctrine of history and philosophy at the time.
He was also alleged to have executed 460 Confucian scholars in the process.
Even Harry Potter, a story of a boy-turned-wizard who battles foes inside a wonderfully crafted magical world of fiction, has been the main reason for at least 6 book burnings in the U.S. alone.
Incendio infernus, offensive-to-me fictional story for children!
There are thousands of examples across thousands of years of book burning. But in the modern age, it usually morphs into its lesser cousin — book banning — a feat no less idiotic than its firey variant.
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Fighting Back Against Book Banning
Burning a book is not just bad for the environment, it’s bad for the intellectual soul of a society. It is often the desperate act of an arrogantly fearful group who believes only their way of viewing the world is correct.
The act is childish, naive, and closed-minded. It’s no different for book banning, either.
Ironically and somewhat humorously, when books get banned in the modern age, they often end up selling far more copies because of the resulting publicity, hurting the initial cause of the burning itself.
I can almost taste the delectable irony.
It’s called the Streisand effect. Named after the famous singer and actress Barbra Streisand tried suppressing an online image of her palatial coastal California home, which served as a great example of coastal erosion.
Book banning is such a seriously egregious assault on intellect that entire groups like the American Library Association and the Office for Intellectual Freedom spend ample amounts of effort to keep track of such instances.
Every year, they sift through the news and follow every book challenge, book banning, and book burning. They then compile a list of the top 10 most banned books each year and share it with the world.
The below list is a collection of banned books I think you should read this year.
Not out of spite — although that’s a perfectly valid reason— but because you can learn something.
And what kind of knowledge is juicier than someone who doesn’t want you to know about it? They might as well have labeled all these books with a big red button saying “Do Not Touch” when they strived to ban them in the first place.
Shall we go ahead and smash that button, now?
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Popular Banned Books You Should Read in 2022
#1. Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History
Book Summary of Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale:
The graphic novel tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Polish Jew who survived Auschwitz and other concentration camps during World War II.
His son, Art (the author), interviews his father about his experiences and records them in the form of a graphic novel. The artwork is noteworthy for depicting Germans as cats and Jews as mice, with a few other animals thrown in the mix. Maus is an amazing tribute to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.
Why was Maus banned?
The comic was first serialized in 1980 until 1991. The book is a cartoon series showing Art Spiegelman’s father’s experience as a Holocaust survivor as a Polish Jew while the artwork depicts characters as cats, mice, and pigs.
The series was so well crafted that in 1992, it became the first winner of a Pulitzer Prize for a graphic novel — a record it still holds to this day.
In January of 2022, a Tennessee school board of trustees banned Maus from its 8th-grade curriculum. They cited “rough language”, the “unnecessary” profanity of 8 words like “damn,” mentions of violence, and a small drawing of a nude cat — of all things.
It’s a good thing those 8th graders don’t have access to the internet and have never heard of the word “porn,” right?
Famous author Neil Gaiman had this to say about the incident:
Before the ban, Maus wasn’t even in the top 1,000 best-selling books on Amazon. Within days of the banning hitting the news, Maus moved to the #1 position.
Where to read Maus?
#2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
Book Summary of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings:
Published in 1969, the book is an autobiographical coming of age story of the writer and poet Maya Angelou.
The story follows her journey as a child just having moved to Stamps, Arkansas, where she experiences the trials and tribulations of racism, to that of a dignified confident young woman at the age of 16 when she becomes a mother.
Why was I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings banned?
The novel by Maya Angelou is one of the most banned books of the modern age. It’s been banned repeatedly — almost every year — by school districts throughout the U.S.
The most cited reasons are for its frank depiction of rape, sex, and race. And making people uncomfortable with learning about reality.
Oh god, the horror.
Where to read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings?
#3. 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
“1984” Book Summary
1984 is a gripping tale of a man set in the dystopian future of 1984 (it was published in 1949). The book is thought to be a fictional telling of a life parallelling the experience under communist Russia and Nazi Germany.
The story follows a path of an enlightened individual who works for one of the oppressive governments, who silently rebels with quiet acts of writing in his journal, falling in love, and questioning the reality imposed upon him.
As you can imagine, it all falls apart. Some say (me) it is ostensibly an accurate prediction of 2024 and days to come.
Why was “1984” book banned?
As you might have guessed, it was quickly banned in 1950 in Russia under Stalin. Ownership of the banned book could even result in arrest. Fortunately, it was allowed back in the country after the dissolution of the USSR in 1990.
But even in America it’s been banned in Jackson County, Florida in 1981 for being “pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter.” Lol, oh Florida.
It was also challenged in Jefferson County for being too violent and having sexually charged language.
Where to read 1984?
#4. Speak
Speak Book Summary:
The plot of Speak tells the tale of a typical freshman high school girl in America. She makes friends, worries about her clothes, and starts going to parties. Eventually, she becomes ostracized by her friends and classmates because of a terrible incident at one of those parties — she was raped.
The story follows her path in trying to come to terms with the isolation, the mental difficulties of such a traumatic event, and how she slowly regains her voice.
Why was the Speak book banned?
In September 2010, an associate professor at a university with incredibly low standards was so morally offended by tiny symbols on a piece of paper we call words that he wrote more tiny symbols to a newspaper in Missouri about Speak.
His opinion piece was intelligently titled, “Filthy books demeaning to Republic education.” In this timelessly intellectual scripture, he described Speak as “exposing children to immorality,” having a “glorification of drinking, cursing, and premarital sex” and should be “classified as soft pornography.”
I’m just gonna go ahead and assume this saint probably could use some actual pornography instead of falling prey to a classic case of projection.
It’s probably no surprise that he was also a speaker at a conference advocating the combination of church and state, Reclaiming Missouri for Christ.
Give this guy a Playboy already, Jesus. Assuming this uber-religious individual won’t take that title literally, of course.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg, as Speak comes in as the 4th most banned book or challenged in 2020 by the ALA, a book first published in 1999.
The author’s response to all this censorship?
“But censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them.”
Where to read Speak?
#5. Slaughterhouse-Five (or The Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death)
Slaughterhouse-Five Book Summary:
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a classic of American literature. It tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, a man who has been abducted by aliens and time-traveled to various moments in history. Many parts of the story take place in WWII Germany, especially in Dresden during the Allied bombing campaign.
The book is full of dark humor and satire and is considered to be one of the most influential war novels ever written.
Why was Slaughterhouse-Five banned?
This famous (infamous?) novel by Kurt Vonnegut is a frequent top 100 contender on the ALA’s list of banned books every year.
Why? Where to start. Obscene content, depictions of sex, angelic American soldiers using profanity (eeeh god man!), and of course, a little heresy thrown in for good measure. It was also among the first literary works to depict homosexuals as being victims of the Holocaust.
It was banned from schools in Oakland County after a court ruling in 1972, where the surely objectively unbiased judge said the book was “depraved, immoral, psychotic, vulgar and anti-Christian.”
There seems to be a reoccurring theme here, n’est pas?
And speaking of reoccurring themes, the book was banned at a Missouri high school in 2011, too.
Where to read Slaughterhouse-Five?
#6. To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird Book Summary
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was immediately successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature.
The plot and characters are loosely based on the author’s observations of her family and neighbors, as well as on an event that occurred near her hometown in the 1930s when she was under 10 years old. The novel is renowned for its warmth and humor, despite dealing with serious issues of rape and racial inequality.
Why was To Kill a Mockingbird banned?
Because some white people are uncomfortable about racial issues. At least, that was the implied reasoning for removing the book from classrooms in Virginia and Mississippi a few years ago.
One other notable controversy on the book is its possible depiction of a white savior narrative, since the story is told from the perspective of a young white girl and a morally upstanding white lawyer. This debate continues to this day and is sometimes used as either a positive or a negative connotation to describe the impact of the book on racism in society.
To Kill a Mockingbird came in at #15 on the last decade list by ALA.
Where to read To Kill a Mockingbird?
#7. The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye Book Summary
The Catcher in the Rye explores many of the universal themes of adolescence, such as coming of age, identity formation, and self-discovery, and takes place after the end of WWII. Throughout the book, the main character Holden experiences a series of intense emotions, including anger, sadness, and loneliness.
He is often bitter and cynical about the world around him, believing that most people are phony and selfish. Despite his negative feelings towards others, Holden also reveals deep compassion for those he encounters during his journey, particularly children.
It has become one of the most widely-read and critically acclaimed books of all time and continues to resonate with readers today.
Despite its popularity, The Catcher in the Rye sparked controversy upon its release due to its frank depiction of teenage angst and sexuality.
Why was The Catcher in the Rye book banned?
The main controversy behind the Catcher in the Rye is that it was originally written for an adult audience. As expected, it contains a lot of naughty language, sex, blasphemy, and apparently, the undermining of moral codes and family values.
Way back in 1960, a teacher was even fired for assigning the book, while fortunately being reinstated later. In 1978, some enlightened individuals on a Washington high school board claimed the novel was part of an “overall communist plot.” Surely.
In a nice surprise, they were later fired and removed, with the book being free to be read.
Even in recent years, it continues to be the subject of an onslaught of idiocy, reaching #49 on the ALA top list last decade.
Where to read The Catcher in the Rye
#8. The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale Book Summary
The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The novel is set in a future America where the government has been overthrown and replaced by a theocratic regime.
The new government’s first priority is to establish strict controls on women’s bodies and reproductive rights. Handmaids are women who have been deemed fertile enough to bear children for the ruling elite. They are forced to live in servitude, and their only purpose is to breed.
The story follows one handmaid, Offred, as she tries to survive in this oppressive society.
Why was The Handmaid’s Tale banned?
Originally published in 1985, the acclaimed book immediately drew criticism for its fictional (but possible) extension into the future of underlying religiosity and patriarchy in American society.
As you can imagine, many school boards around the country, and many more parents, objected to the material. The reasons most cited were claiming the book was anti-fundamentalist Christian. Something I can’t quite wrap my head around as being a bad thing.
Additionally, the same people referred to the fictional novel as being pornographic and morally inept. Again, a book, made of words, about a fictional story. And people got angry.
Even more recently, and even more sadly, the book was 1 of 29 removed by a school district in 2021.
The Handmaid’s Tale comes in at #29 on the most challenged books for the 2010–2019 period.
Where to read The Handmaid’s Tale?
#9. Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men Book Summary:
Of Mice and Men is a novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The story is set during the Great Depression in the United States.
It tells the story of two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who travel together and dream of owning their own farm. Despite their struggles and difficulties, they struggle to hold on to their hope for a better life.
This powerful and moving novel is widely considered to be one of Steinbeck’s greatest works, exploring themes of loneliness, friendship, ambition, and the cruelty of life. It has been adapted into several film and stage adaptations over the years and remains a classic piece of American literature today.
Why was “Of Mice and Men” banned?
This classic fictional novel has been banned and challenged in the US and around the world for the usual reasons, profanity, naughty words, racial slurs, and stereotypes.
Somewhat amusingly, it was even condemned for supposedly promoting euthanasia, being anti-business (?), with Steinbeck’s patriotism even being questioned.
For a work of fiction. Sigh.
Of Mice and Men comes in at #28 on the most challenged book list of the last decade.
Where to read Of Mice and Men?
#10. The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas
The Hate U Give Book Summary
The Hate U Give is a powerful and moving novel about the experiences of a young African-American girl named Starr after she witnesses the shooting of her friend by a police officer.
Through alternating perspectives, the book examines issues of race, identity, and justice, exploring themes of powerlessness, anger, and resilience in a society that often devalues the lives of people of color.
With its unflinching look at current events and timely exploration of important social issues, The Hate U Give is an important read for anyone interested in understanding the struggles faced by members of marginalized communities.
Why was “The Hate U Give” banned?
The Hate U Give has been one of the most challenged books in recent years. Why? The usual stuff. Again. Bad language, drug use, profanity.
The only unique reason for challenging this book is because “it was thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda.”
In 2018, a police union in South Carolina thought it was their turn to object to books taught in school, of course, because the novel described an “almost indoctrination of distrust of police” and added, “we’ve got to put a stop to that.”
Thought police much?
It’s been removed in a few school districts around the US, such as Texas and Washington state, as of 2022 for some of the above reasons.
The Hate U Give came in at #5 for the most challenged books in 2021. Yikes.
Where to read The Hate U Give?
#11. The Captain Underpants Series
by Dav Pilkey
Captain Underpants Book Summary:
Captain Underpants is a beloved children’s book about two young boys named George and Harold, who are best friends and creative pranksters.
When their mean principal, Mr. Krupp, tries to take away their cherished comic books, the boys use their imaginations to transform him into the heroic Captain Underpants. Throughout the adventure, George and Harold must work together to save both their school and the world from various villains like Professor Poopypants and Wedgie Woman.
With its clever writing style and silly humor, Captain Underpants is a fun read for kids of all ages.
Why was “Captain Underpants” banned?
Continuing the assault on children’s cartoons, the Captain Underpants series were some of the most banned and challenged books in the last 2 decades.
According to Wikipedia, the reasons cited include, sigh, “insensitivity, offensive language, encouraging disruptive behavior, LGBTQIA+ issues, violence, being unsuited to the age group, sexually explicit content, anti-family content, as well as encouraging children to disobey authority.”
It was in the ALA’s top 10 list of books challenged each year 6 times since publishing. In 2018, it ranked #3 on the list.
Where to read “Captain Underpants”?
#12. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
by a rabbit named Marlon Bundo and Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo Book Summary:
A parody children’s book published in 2018, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo follows former US VP Mike Pence’s real-life pet rabbit, Marlon Bundo, and his same-sex romance with another rabbit named Wesley. It’s a children’s parody of Pence’s daughter’s own book, Marlon Bundo’s A Day in the Life of the Vice President.
The premise of the parody batters Pence’s religiously public feelings and thoughts on homosexuality, conversion therapy, and opposition to gay marriage.
The book was first showcased by John Oliver on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in 2018. You can watch the full hilarious episode here:
Due to the publicity, hilarity, and accuracy of the parody, the book jumped to #1 on Amazon the day after the above episode was released. All profits from the book were pledged to be donated to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.
Why was “A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo” banned?
I don’t think I need to explain this one. But here goes anyway.
The ALA cited several incidences of requests around the country to remove and censor the book “for including LGBTQIA+ content, and for political and religious viewpoints.”
What a shocker. The children’s book came in at #3 in 2019 for the most challenged books that year by the ALA.
Where to read “A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo”?
Written by a not-yet-banned author named J.J. Pryor.
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And just in case you’re interested, here’s my own creation that probably would’ve been banned if anyone actually read it. It’s a satire cartoon book parodying Trump’s insanely idiotic views from his presidency.
Also, it includes some extremely dark humor — because laughter is ever so important in this crazy world of ours.
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