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 