Banned Books Week is winding down. But frankly, I don’t think it should. With all the attacks on literacy this year, I think we should keep right on celebrating banned books.
So today I want to share with you my ten favorite banned books. Some of them are fun, some are heavy. Some I was blessed to be taught about in school. Some I only discovered because of events like Banned Books Week.
None of them should be banned.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The absolute irony of banning a book about people controlling the thoughts and actions of their citizens is not lost on me.
I talk about The Giver all the time. Everyone should read it. There are so many lessons here about valuing people for more than just their productivity, for championing individuality, and for bulking authority.
I wonder why some people don’t want us to read that.
1984 by George Orwell
1984 is, in my opinion, the next step up from The Giver in terms of anti-conformity, anti-government overreach, and overall pro-individual life choices. It has many of the same themes as The Giver, with some frightening additions. Our main character writes news reports and masterfully lies to the people. If the ration of chocolate is being cut, he’ll write about the great increase in the chocolate rations.
Then, of course, there are the rats.
Maus by Art Spiegelman
If you never thought you could get emotionally broken by a comic, you will know better after reading Maus.
Maus is a messy, dark, horrific tale of the Holocaust, told with cartoon mice and cats and pigs. In it, the author tells the story of his family and friends during one of the most horrific events in history. And it pulls no goddamned punches.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This is my favorite book. This is why we named our cat Harper. When Harper Lee died, I cried in public.
I was taught To Kill A Mockingbird in school. It was a dark story of false accusations, horrific racism, and the penalties for standing up for what’s right. This book has given me courage during some dark times in my life.
This is the great thing about dark books. They can give us strength during hard times.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
I wonder why some people don’t want us to read this.
Just on the off chance you haven’t read this book or seen the show inspired by it, this is a dark tale of a dystopian future in which birth rates have plummeted.
But of course, people with money and power will not be denied anything they want. Even if it means enslaving women and forcing them to have sex and carry babies against their will.
This felt a lot less realistic before last year. Did you know women needed their husband’s permission to have a credit card before 1974?
1974.
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
Yes, Rowling is a problem. And I’m not gonna defend her. I’m gonna defend trans women and men.
Yes, these books have a host of issues. Yes, they’re still fun to read. And the reason they were banned was not because of the author’s opinions of womanhood, or the cringy way she named characters of other nationalities.
These books were banned because they contained magic. Gee, wonder why that might piss me off. It’s not even real witchcraft. Censoring magic in a child’s life is just never going to make sense to me.
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
It really is amazing how many dystopian future books about all-powerful and abusive governments get banned.
Hunger Games is a great series. It has a lot of dark things to say about how media is used to manipulate and control us. Which is something we all need to be more aware of.
Have you ever wondered, for instance, why there are so many cop shows?
Bone by Jeff Smith
Unlike the rest of the books on this list, Bone is not heavy. Well, the copy I have is physically heavy because it’s the whole damn run in one hulking volume.
But this is not a massively deep tale or one with problematic undertones. It’s just a cute adventure story about a little bone and a warrior princess.
I honestly am not sure why Bone was banned. I suppose there’s some drinking, some suggestive situations. But it’s nothing serious.
And if you’re going to read the other books on this list, you could probably use something a bit lighter afterward.
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Reading the work of Maya Angelou always makes me feel like I’m sitting in the room with her, listening to her talking just to me.
This first book begins the tale of her life, which has been a fascinating and difficult one. It tells of her childhood, living with her grandmother, father, and mother. It tells of her childhood and teenage triumphs and the horrible tales of her abuses.
If you’ve never read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, read it now. It is astonishing.
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss
I have purchased copies of this book for every friend of mine who has a small child. Let it never be said that spite can’t create something beautiful.
This is the story of a bunny named Marlon Bundo, who happens to belong to Former VP Mike Pence. Marlon is gay and has a beautiful relationship with another boy bunny.
It’s cute, sweet, and a great book to explain LGBTQ+ to little kids. And that’s something we could use more of.
So that’s it for today. I see no reason to stop reading banned books just because Banned Books Week is over. And I’d love to hear from you in the comments. What is your favorite banned book?
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