Banned Books
While censorship of one form or another has always plagued society as the definitions of what is “acceptable” in published works have shifted over time and all over the world, book bans and challenges in the US have doubled between 2020 and 2021 according to the American Library Association.
This surge in challenged books is in line with an escalation in censorship that sees content focusing on race, sexuality and gender identity put at risk in public schools and libraries. This is a terrifying development that removes access to these important works from anyone who can’t afford to purchase them, or anyone who struggles to find acceptance within their home and looks to books to find acceptance.
Our sister company Penguin Random House has expressed its commitment to protecting free expression and the right to read, and we are proud to stand with them.
DK published Banned Books this summer, which delves into why some of the most famous (and infamous) books in history were once deemed too controversial for public consumption and profiles a selection of the most infamous, intriguing, and controversial books ever written with a unique perspective on the history of the written word.
Banned Books is an exploration of the history of banned books on both the right and wrong sides of history, offering informative insights into society, politics, law and religious belief through time and around the world.
Banned Books Week has been held every year in September since 1982, and this year it is being held between 18th and 24th. It is a campaign to encourage readers to examine challenged literary works and to promote intellectual freedom in libraries, schools, and bookstores. It highlights the value of free and open access to information, in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas. The theme of this year’s event is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.”
By focusing on efforts across the US to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles lists of challenged books as reported in the media and submitted by librarians and teachers across the country, and The Top 10 Challenged Books of 2021 were:
- Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
- Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
- All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
- Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
- Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin
RESOURCES
For teachers
- Censorship Crisis Hotline
- National Coalition Against Censorship
- National Council of Teachers of English
For librarians
