Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association
2014 TOP TEN BANNED BOOKS
as Reported by the American Library Association:
(click on the title for the link to the SKYCTC library catalog)
1) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”
2) Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”
3) And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”
4) The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”
5) It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it is child pornography”
6) Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group
7) The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence
8) The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”
9) A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group
10) Drama, by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: sexually explicit
(Out of 311 challenges as recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom)
Sherman Alexie is one of the most frequently challenged authors in America. His book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, has been on ALA's Top Ten Most Challenged Books List every year from 2008 till now. Watch Alexie discuss book banning, censorship, and the erotic novel to which one would-be book banner compared his young adult novel.
Fill out a WKU Courier Service request form and we'll pick up any of these graphic novels for you. You can pick them up at the SKYCTC Library Help Desk, Franklin, Transpark, or Glasgow Health campus.
SKYCTC students, faculty, and staff can get a Warren County Public Library card free of charge! Just present your SKYCTC ID.