In honor of Banned Book Week (September 24 through October 1), I have posted the list of the top 100 banned or challenged books in 2000-2009 from the American Library Association.

The titles I’ve read I’ve struck through.
The titles I own are in italics.
The titles I want to read are in bold.

  1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
  2. Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  3. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
  4. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
  5. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
  6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
  7. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
  8. His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
  9. ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series), by Myracle, Lauren
  10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
  11. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
  12. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
  13. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
  14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
  15. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
  16. Forever, by Judy Blume
  17. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
  18. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
  19. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
  20. King and King, by Linda de Haan
  21. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
  22. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
  23. The Giver, by Lois Lowry
  24. In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
  25. Killing Mr. Griffen, by Lois Duncan
  26. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
  27. My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier
  28. Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
  29. The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney
  30. We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
  31. What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
  32. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
  33. Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
  34. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
  35. Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison
  36. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
  37. It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris
  38. Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles
  39. Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
  40. Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank
  41. Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
  42. The Fighting Ground, by Avi
  43. Blubber, by Judy Blume
  44. Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
  45. Crazy Lady, by Jane Leslie Conly
  46. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
  47. The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, by George Beard
  48. Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez
  49. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
  50. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
  51. Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan
  52. The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
  53. You Hear Me?, by Betsy Franco
  54. The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole
  55. Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green
  56. When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester
  57. Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
  58. Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
  59. Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
  60. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
  61. Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle
  62. The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
  63. The Terrorist, by Caroline B. Cooney
  64. Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park
  65. The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
  66. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor
  67. A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
  68. Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
  69. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
  70. Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen
  71. Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park
  72. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
  73. What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras
  74. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
  75. Anastasia (series), by Lois Lowry
  76. A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
  77. Crazy: A Novel, by Benjamin Lebert
  78. The Joy of Gay Sex, by Dr. Charles Silverstein
  79. The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss
  80. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
  81. Black Boy, by Richard Wright
  82. Deal With It!, by Esther Drill
  83. Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
  84. So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins
  85. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher
  86. Cut, by Patricia McCormick
  87. Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
  88. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
  89. Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissenger
  90. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
  91. Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
  92. The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
  93. Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
  94. Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
  95. Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix
  96. Grendel, by John Gardner
  97. The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
  98. I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte
  99. Are You There, God?  It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
  100. America: A Novel, by E.R. Frank

I haven’t actually read many of them. There’s probably two reasons for that. First, I just don’t read much YA, which several of these are. Second, I don’t tend to read books that deal with tough topics, issues that would make people uncomfortable enough to challenge a book.

And now I want to know…

  • Are there any you’ve loved?
  • Any that shock your sensibilities?
  • Any that you particularly disliked, although you wouldn’t ‘ban’ them?
  • Any which made you cry?
  • Any that you want to read for Banned Book Week or beyond?

I don’t know that there are any on this list that I truly loved, but that may be because I read them a while ago and just don’t remember them clearly. I didn’t like Brave New World. I finished it, but it just wasn’t worth my time. I’m sure there are books on the list that made me cry. I cry pretty easily.

Which book(s) should I definitely read?

11 Comments

  • CAtcher in the Rye, Grendel, Julie of the Wolves and Farenheit 451 are some of my favorites. I never cared much for The Giver, and I didn’t make it through Owen Meany. There’s quite a few on this list I’ve never heard of, especially that series by Lauren Myracle.

  • I’ve read about twelve of these but there are a few more I’d like to read. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great book. A lot of these make no sense to me to be on a banned books list but somehow something in them bugs someone. Lol.

  • Haven’t read most of these and probably won’t mostly because I’m not interested in a lot of them. I just recently read Catcher in the Rye. I wasn’t overly impressed, but it was an okay read. Don’t see much reason to ban it. There was some use of the word “fuck” but in the context it was used it seemed rather appropriate since it was not spoken but seen and I think it became part of the books message. In other words the word was not used gratuitously like we here in a lot of music, movies, and everyday speech (which is something I find very annoying and unnecessary).

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

    • I haven’t read Catcher in the Rye but I’m not sure if I will. It seems to be one of those ones that really makes an impression when you’re a teenager or young adult.

  • There’s only a few on there that I’ve read which you don’t have marked though there are plenty on this list I’ve been meaning to read.

    I would say The Kite Runner is a very worthy read though I understand why it’s challenged. The subject matter is a bit difficult but it’s still a book I find myself recommending a lot. The teaser I always give is when a book starts out with the phrase, “There is a way to be good again,” how can you not be intrigued by it?

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