Book bans have been an issue that has started to spiral out of control in the United States. Spanning the years 2021-2024, PEN America has recorded 15,940 reports of book bans across 43 states. From July 2023 to July 2024, the organization reported a shocking 10,046 book bans in the United States.
Leading the United States in book bans, according to PEN America’s report, was the state of Florida. The state recorded 4,561 book bans, with Iowa closely trailing behind with 3,671 bans.
Florida’s recent legislation in regard to book bans in schools makes its number unsurprising. Florida’s new bill, HB 1069, expanded on HB 1557, famously known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and also expanded on HB 1467, known as the “Book Ban” bill. The new issue mandates a book removal process and that every school district must give parents a way to restrict their children’s library access.
Book bans, especially those resulting from bills like “Don’t Say Gay,” seek to censor books with LGBTQ+ people or characters or novels featuring people and characters of color. When looking at lists like the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2023 top banned books or PEN America’s report, you’ll often find similar books on both with these characteristics.
Every year, to protest banned books, the ALA hosts Banned Book Week. In 2024, the theme was “Freed Between the Lines,” and it took place Sept. 22-28. However, outside of Banned Books Week, another way to protest and celebrate diversity in literature is by reading commonly banned books.
All of the novels listed below have been featured on a banned books list at one point or another. However, if you want a good book, these lists are usually the best places to look. So, here are my recommendations for you of my favorite banned books!
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower was featured on both PEN America’s 2023-2024 report of commonly banned books and the ALA’s top ten banned books in the 2023 list.
The book is told through letters written by the main character, Charlie. Charlie’s letters offer an insightful look into his life and offer a perspective more intimate than a diary or journal. The way the story is told makes a more personal connection between Charlie and the reader, and one of the main reasons I love this and recommend that everyone should read it.
Charlie is caught in a snare of trying to figure out who he is and how he wants to appear to his new friends as he enters high school. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age story that handles mature themes like sex, drugs, complex family dynamics, death, and suicide.
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
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There’s a certain irony in Fahrenheit 451 appearing on banned book lists in the United States. In our day and age, as book bans become increasingly common, Fahrenheit 451 offers an insightful perspective on the issue.
The story takes place in the future, in a dystopian society where firemen’s jobs are to set fires rather than stop them. Guy Montag, one of these firemen, is firmly set in his duties and has never questioned the morals behind burning books.
However, after meeting Clarisse, his eccentric neighbor, Montag begins to question it all. He begins seeking out the forbidden knowledge of books, determined to find answers after realizing he may have been on the wrong side of the war against literature.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
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The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel set in a society told from the perspective of the main character, Offred. In the world of The Handmaid’s Tale, women have virtually no freedom — they aren’t allowed to read or have jobs or money.
Offred’s duty, as one of the handmaids, is solely to get pregnant. That is a woman’s worth in The Handmaid’s Tale. The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel that’s especially relevant to the debate over abortion in America. Amendment 4, one of the amendments on Florida’s ballot this election, would prohibit a restriction on abortion for women in the state.
- Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
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Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (who uses e/em/eir pronouns) has been featured on multiple banned book lists from 2021-2024. In 2023, it appeared No. 1 on the ALA’s list. Gender Queer is an autobiographical graphic novel on eir experiences and self-discovery of eir gender identity.
The novel is an insightful guide on self-expression and gender identity for any reader. Kobabe’s novel is commonly banned for reasons such as being “sexually explicit” or containing LGBTQ+ content.
Gender Queer is an example of how book bans target novels that challenge the traditional model of heteronormativity in the United States. As politics become intertwined with books, book bans are an expression of political disagreement rather than an unbiased removal of a novel due to just pure explicit content or inappropriateness. Kobabe also has another comic being published in the spring of 2025. The comic will be published in an anthology called Banned Together, which features a collection of a variety of authors.
- Melissa (George) by Alex Gino
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Melissa, previously known as George, while being a novel written for elementary to middle school ages, is still a book I would recommend to any age to read. The novel is about an elementary school girl named Melissa/George.
To all her friends, Melissa is still George, but Melissa thinks of herself as a girl. The story follows Melissa, who desperately wants to play Charlotte in a school production of Charlotte’s Web. However, her family and friends still see her as George, and her teacher says she’s a boy, so she can’t play Charlotte.
With the help of her friend Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan to come out to the world as Melissa. No matter the age, I love Melissa because of how it portrays a young child’s struggle and discovery of their gender identity. Gender identity is not only something that middle, high school, or college students and older may struggle with, but it is a struggle that may affect all ages.
To advocate against banning books, picking up commonly banned books is a way to show support for the books, the authors, and the people who are represented in censored titles. To stay up to date on book bans in the United States, you should follow accounts such as PEN America or the ALA on platforms such as Instagram. Also, if you want more information on advocacy against book bans, websites like the ALA have information to learn more.
Reading censored titles during and outside of Banned Books Week is important for celebrating diversity and representation in literature. Happy reading, everyone!
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