Books are challenged, and sometimes banned, for a number of reasons. People may object to the language used in a book, to depictions of violence or "mature" themes, and even to the politics of the author.
Book bans differ from situation to situation — some books have been banned by a single organization while some books, like New Kid, have been banned from an entire school district. But fighting against censorship is vital to preserving our First Amendment right to access information and to decide for ourselves what books we want our kids to read.
To celebrate Banned Books Week (September 18-24 this year), the freedom of speech, and the brilliant authors and books that have been challenged before (and will likely be challenged again), we present this list of incredible books that have been banned or challenged before, and reasons they were found objectionable.
Encourage your growing reader to expand their horizons, and dive into books that challenge their perspective on the world. Books are meant to help a reader grow — the access to new stories and information is crucial for a child's academic development.
Shop banned or challenged books below! Find more books and activities at The Scholastic Store.
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