Banned & Challenged Books That Bear Witness

I do not support banning books. I believe readers should have the freedom to explore stories, ideas, histories, and perspectives for themselves. Some of the books on this list have been challenged precisely because they confront difficult subjects—but those difficult stories are often the ones most important to preserve, discuss, and remember.

Here are some banned and challenged books I believe are especially worth reading and discussing.

• Beloved — Toni Morrison — slavery, motherhood, memory, generational trauma

• The Bluest Eye — Toni Morrison — racism, colorism, abuse, standards of beauty

• The Hate U Give — Angie Thomas — racism, police violence, activism

• The Color Purple — Alice Walker — racism, sexism, abuse, survival

• The Handmaid’s Tale — Margaret Atwood — authoritarianism, women’s rights, reproductive control

• The Kite Runner — Khaled Hosseini — war, ethnic persecution, displacement, guilt

• Maus — Art Spiegelman — the Holocaust, antisemitism, inherited trauma

• Persepolis — Marjane Satrapi — revolution, political repression, war, exile

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings — Maya Angelou — racism, sexual violence, resilience

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian — Sherman Alexie — Indigenous identity, poverty, racism

• Out of Darkness — Ashley Hope Pérez — segregation, racism, violence

• Sold — Patricia McCormick — trafficking and exploitation of girls

• Speak — Laurie Halse Anderson — sexual assault, trauma, and being silenced

• Nineteen Minutes — Jodi Picoult — bullying, school violence, and social isolation

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Stephen Chbosky — trauma, abuse, mental health, adolescence