In honor of Banned Books Week, I thought I would share some of my favorites from the list. Then I started reading through the lists. I could not believe how many classics have been banned or challenged. These are books I was fortunate to read in high school and college English and beyond. I’m talking about books like Zora Neal Hurston’s THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, Jack London’s THE CALL OF THE WILD, Truman Capote’s IN COLD BLOOD….all banned or challenged at one time.
So, instead of listing my favorites, I thought I would look at the list of 97 banned or challenged classics and see how many I have NOT read. The answer: 8 books out of 97. I’ve read all other 89. I guess I should add THE SATANIC VERSES to my list.
If you prefer contemporary fiction, you can look at the most frequently challenged books of the 21st Century here. You will undoubtedly recognize several titles like TWILIGHT and THE HUNGER GAMES.
I challenge you to look through the lists this week and see how many banned books you’ve read. Maybe you’ll find a couple more to add to your “to read” list.
Kirsten W. Larson 
Out of the 100 on the complete list, I have only read 48, so I am not as well read as you are. But Winnie The Pooh? Charlotte’s Web? The Wind In The Willows? What is wrong with those people? Those are all amazing, wonderful, childhood classics!
I know. When I read the classics list, I felt like I was reading through the assigned reading lists for my high school and college English classes. Really?
That’s really impressive Kirsten. I can’t open the link, but some time I will check how many I’ve read. I bet the list gets longer and longer each year with everyone getting more and more politically correct.
I don’t if it’s impressive as much as a statement about what kind of books get banned or challenged. Most of the books on the list were assigned in high school or college classes I had!
I love reading, but that love got challenged when I hit High School (thanks to [what I considered torture) having to read Thoreau’s “Walden”]). Fortunately, they assigned “The Great Gatsby” and my love returned. A few years ago, after passing a particularly difficult computer certification exam, my wife Lise allowed me to purchase a new copy of “The Great Gatsby” as a reward. I was a little surprised to see that as #1 on the list.
I was surprised to see that one too. I can understand DH Lawrence, but many on the list are assigned reading in English classes, including The Great Gatsby. Thanks for visiting!
I have to check the list! I accept the challenge!
Just checked. I only read part of Call of the Wild with my Dad, but it got a bit inappropiate (cursing) and we stopped reading it. I’ll have to see if there are other books I can read!
Erik
Erik, I think most of the “classic” books are probably high school or older. I read many of them then.
Looks like I just found me a list of books to read. Unfortunately, I was never a great reader as a child or young adult but am very fortunate to have married one. Hopefully, with my wife’s guidance, our children will read all of these books at some point during their lives!
Even if you kids don’t read these books, make sure they find other things they enjoy reading. I think a lot of people discount reading if it’s not fiction. I’m all for comic books, well-written magazines and nonfiction of all sorts. One of my favorite high school English teachers made us analyze articles from SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. Talk about talented writers…
That’s funny. I think SI was actually one of the things I DID read as a child. Or perhaps I just enjoyed looking at the pictures.
Ach du Lieber!
🙂
Thanks for the links. These are some great lists. The reasons “why” some books were requested to be banned is interesting. The Hunger Games is many things, but satanic? Not so much.
It’s amazing what people read into things…or what they don’t read into things, like historical context. I am sure many books dubbed “racist” use terminology that was accepted at the time they were written.