Banned Books Week: Banned Books at Maxwell Library

After this was made into a Netflix television series this young adult title made its way to the top of the list of most challenged titles for 2017 for its discussion of suicide.

One of the most frequently challenged books of 2017 this book about a transgender child about was targeted by the Family Research Council over it concerns it would confuse children.

Drug use, profanity, and use of offensive language were among the reasons this popular young adult title has been targeted.

The Garcia Girls was removed from Johnston (North Carolina) schools for sexual content and profane language. The removal launched a district-wide title review in search of other titles to remove.

This work was banned from the Mascenic Regional High School in New Hampshire in 1995 for its homosexual theme. One English teacher was fired for refusing to to remove the book. She was eventually reinstated, but only after she lost a year's pay.

Terkel interviewed over 120 people about their jobs for this book. Workers responses to his questions were often quite graphic, prompting challenges to "obscene language". Other reasons for challenging the book were that it was "too depressing" and "too negative."

Banned from the Beulah, North Dakota High School library in January 2009 at the request of the parents of one student, who said the the book was pornographic. It was reinstated four days later.

Teachers at the Westlake Middle School in Erie Pennsylvania blacked out portions of this book having to do with masturbation and mating.

First published in 1970 Sendak's book has a long history of censorship because pictures in this storybook show a little boy with no clothes. Maxwell Library owns two copies of this title; an unknown person has pasted shorts on the boy in one copy, the other copy retains the original artwork.

Banned in Boston! From 1873 until 1931 the Boston Watch and Ward Society successfully campaigned to have materials that it deemed vulgar or obscene banned from newsstands and bookstores.

Wright's work has faced many challenges with charges of being "sexually explicit", "vulgar", "violent" and "profane".

Challenged at the Courtland High School in Ohio because a group of parents objected to its "rotten, filthy, language."

Called "anti-American", "offensive", and "disturbing".

This book was banned in Wild Rose, Wisconsin because it was "slanted" and "if there is a possibility that something might be controversial, then why not eliminate it."

This classic feminist work has been removed from school and public libraries across the country for "promoting homosexuality", and its "pornographic nature."

Up until the 1960s L. Frank Baum's "Oz" series was generally kept off library shelves. Librarians would not purchase the books because they believed the fantasy aspect of the stories was unhealthy for children.

Vonnegut's book was removed from the Republic, Missouri high school in 2011 because it "contained crude language and adult themes." Also removed was "Twenty Boy Summer" by Sarah Ockler. Challenged, but retained, was "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in Indianapolis fought the ban by giving away 150 copies of "Slaughterhouse" to students at the school. "Slaughterhouse" and "Twenty-Boy" were returned to the library in the fall, but only in a section accessible to parents.

The work has the distinction of being the first in the nation to be banned for obscenity following a trial in Massachusetts in 1821. Since the decision was not overturned until 1966, it also holds the distinction of being the longest-banned title in U.S. history.

Banned in Lebanon after Catholic leaders said it was offensive to Christianity. Booksellers were told to pull all copies off their shelves.

In February of 2012 the state of Arizona made the teaching of Mexican-American Studies illegal. Books that were used as part of the curriculum were removed from classrooms. Among them were Freire's classic work of educational philosophy.

Removed from schools in Randolph County, North Carolina in September 2013 after a parent complaint. Stating it was "hard to read" and had "objectionable language" the board ultimately voted to ban the book.

This book tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman whose cervical cancer cells were taken and used for research without her knowledge or consent. Challenged in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2015 by a parent who called it "pornographic".

Reference book available on the first floor of Maxwell Library

Located in the General Collection on the third floor.

Located in the General Collection-third floor

Located in the General Collection - third floor

Located in General Collection - third floor

Located in the General Collection-third floor

Located in Reference Department - first floor