Top 5 Wednesday: Banned Books

This week is dedicated to the books you’ve read that have been banned.

The books I’m going to list have been challenged by groups or individuals to not be allowed in school libraries, on the shelves of public libraries, or to be sold in book stores. Here we go…

1. The Catcher in the Rye — J.D. Salinger 

I read this junior year of high school and hated it. But I promise, I’m going to give it another shot. It has been questioned due to the use of vulgar language, lewd scenes, and has even been deemed as “anti-white.”

2. To Kill a Mockingbird — Harper Lee

I read this freshman year of high school. This book has been challenged because of Lee’s use of profanity, the racial content it contains, and references made to rape, along with a plethora of other reasons.

3. In Cold Blood — Truman Capote

I read this book over the summer. I can understand why people would want to keep this book off shelves due to the graphic nature it, the use of profanity, and the amount of personal information that is revealed about the victims.

4. The Awakening — Kate Chopin

I read this in my junior year of high school as well. This was never outright banned, but it has been censored for its depiction of suicide and the main characters refusal to play into gender roles expected of her at the time.

5. Slaughterhouse-Five — Kurt Vonnegut

I read this my sophomore year of college. This book has been accused of being anti-Christian, containing an obscene amount of bad language, and being psychotic.

What books have you read that have been banned?

Happy reading,
Kimberly