Books in America aren’t burned, but frequently pulled from library shelves. Often for strange political, religious, or social issues from communism to LGBTQ+ rights, some of America’s best literary works have been challenged in the public sphere. We’ve taken a look back at which books have been challenged the most in the past five years, from the suicide-themed Thirteen Reasons Why to the smash hit Fifty Shades of Gray to critically acclaimed classics like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
What’s going on? Why are Americans pulling books out of the library? Often the reasons cited, especially in recent years, have to do with concepts sexual in nature: gender values, sexual conduct, and nudity. Then there's also books containing LGBT content and trans identities, which have had to fight to stay on shelves. With an influx of diversity-focused books is a corresponding influx of intensely negative reactions, especially from 2014 and onward. But let’s look back at the most banned books of all time: 1984, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Catcher and the Rye, The Color Purple, and The Great Gatsby. They’re all now considered timeless classics! Will today’s rejected novels be tomorrow’s class favorites?
infographic by: playgroundequipment.com
What’s going on? Why are Americans pulling books out of the library? Often the reasons cited, especially in recent years, have to do with concepts sexual in nature: gender values, sexual conduct, and nudity. Then there's also books containing LGBT content and trans identities, which have had to fight to stay on shelves. With an influx of diversity-focused books is a corresponding influx of intensely negative reactions, especially from 2014 and onward. But let’s look back at the most banned books of all time: 1984, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Catcher and the Rye, The Color Purple, and The Great Gatsby. They’re all now considered timeless classics! Will today’s rejected novels be tomorrow’s class favorites?
infographic by: playgroundequipment.com
