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Banned Book List

If it weren't for the freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, some of the most popular books ever written may have never made it to their readers. Consider the following books, taken from lists of titles most often "banned" during the last century.* How many have you (or your children) read?

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
Forever, by Judy Blume
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Goosebumps (Series), by R.L. Stine
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series), by Harry Allard
Blubber, by Judy Blume
The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Deenie, by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
Beloved, by Toni Morrison
Harry Potter (Series), by J.K. Rowling
Cujo, by Stephen King

James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
Ordinary People, by Judith Guest
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
Native Son, by Richard Wright
The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney
Carrie, by Stephen King
The Dead Zone, by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
Private Parts, by Howard Stern
Where's Waldo?, by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene
Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
Christine, by Stephen King

According to the American Library Association (ALA) the 10 most challenged books of 2007 are:

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
2. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
3. Olive's Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
4. The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

6. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
7. TTYL, by Lauren Myracle
8. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
9. It's Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
10. The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

And the most frequently challenged authors of 2007:

1. Robert Cormier
2. Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
3. Mark Twain
4. Toni Morrison
5. Philip Pullman

6. Kevin Henkes
7. Lois Lowry
8. Chris Crutcher
9. Lauren Myracle
10. Joann Sfar

*Sources:

The On-Line Books Page: Banned Book On-Line
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/banned-books.html

American Library Association: Frequently Challenged Books

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Banned Book List

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