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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
From Amazon: While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.
Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion, a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle—while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move—the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever.
Challenges and Bans:
- Blasphemy and religious offense: The most common reason for the bans is that the book’s storyline is perceived as an attack on the divinity of Jesus Christ and other core Christian beliefs.
- Fictional claims presented as fact: The controversy was amplified because the author included a “Fact Page” at the beginning of the book that presented fictional claims as if they were historical truths.
- Negative portrayal of religious organizations: The book also portrayed the Catholic Church as having been involved in a two-thousand-year conspiracy and depicted the Opus Dei as a sinister organization, which drew strong criticism from many Catholics.
- Historical inaccuracies: Critics also pointed to numerous inaccuracies in the book’s descriptions of art, architecture, and historical events, which they felt were used to spread false information.
The FICTIONAL plot contains what many religious groups consider to be blasphemous claims about Christianity, such as the idea that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and had children. Some say the narrative presents these ideas as factual. It is considered to be an insult to religion in sone areas, leading to bans in places like Lebanon, Egypt, and some Indian states as well as limited areas in the U.S.
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Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Description taken from Amazon: This iconic story has inspired a movie, an opera, and the imagination of generations. When Max dresses in his wolf suit and causes havoc in the house, his mother sends him to bed. From there, Max sets sail to an island inhabited by the Wild Things, who name him king and share a wild rumpus with him. But then from far away across the world, Max smells good things to eat…
Let the wild rumpus continue as this classic comes to life like never before with new reproductions of Maurice Sendak’s artwork. Astonishing state-of-the-art technology faithfully captures the color and detail of the original illustrations. Sendak himself enthusiastically endorsed this impressive new interpretation of his art.
Mary Pols of Time magazine wrote that “what makes Sendak’s book so compelling is its grounding effect: Max has a tantrum and in a flight of fancy visits his wild side, but he is pulled back by a belief in parental love to a supper ‘still hot.” Generations have shared this beautiful picture book, and children of all ages will want to return to it again and again.
- New York Public Library’s #4 book on the list of “Top Check Outs of All Time”
- One of the National Education Association’s “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children”
- The top picture book in School Library Journal’s survey of its readers
Maurice Sendak was also the creator of such classics as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, Higglety Pigglety Pop!, and Nutshell Library.
Challenges and Bans:
- Scary illustrations: Many critics believed the menacing wild creatures were too frightening for young children.
- Disobedient protagonist: Max’s unruly behavior and tantrum were seen by some as potentially encouraging misbehavior in children.
- Psychological and emotional impact: There were worries that the book’s darker themes and emphasis on negative emotions could be psychologically damaging or unsettling for children.
- Supernatural themes: The book was challenged for its depictions of witchcraft and supernatural elements.
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This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
Amazon Description: The bestselling young adult non-fiction book on sexuality and gender!
Lesbian. Gay. Bisexual. Transgender. Queer. Intersex. Straight. Curious. This book is for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual preference. This book is for anyone who’s ever dared to wonder. This book is for YOU.
This candid, funny, and uncensored exploration of sexuality and what it’s like to grow up LGBTQ also includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums, not to mention hilarious illustrations.
Inside this revised and updated edition, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you ever wanted to ask, with topics like:
- Stereotypes—the facts and fiction
- Coming out as LGBT
- Where to meet people like you
- The ins and outs of gay sex
- How to flirt
- And so much more!
You will be entertained. You will be informed. But most importantly, you will know that however you identify (or don’t) and whomever you love, you are exceptional. You matter. And so does this book.
This book is for:
- LGBTQIA+ teens, tweens, and adults
- Readers looking to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community
- Parents of gay kids and other LGBT youth
- Educators looking for advice about the LGBTQIA+ community
Praise for This Book is Gay:
A Guardian Best Book of the Year
2018 Garden State Teen Book Award Winner
“The book every LGBT person would have killed for as a teenager, told in the voice of a wise best friend. Frank, warm, funny, USEFUL.”—Patrick Ness, New York Times bestselling author
“This egregious gap has now been filled to a fare-thee-well by Dawson’s book.”—Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*
Reasons for Bans or Challenges:
The quick answer would be to read the description above.
- LGBTQIA+ content: The book is a primary target because of its explicit focus on LGBTQ+ issues.
- Sexually explicit content: Challenges frequently describe the content as too graphic for the intended age group, pointing to diagrams and discussions of sexual acts.
- Age appropriateness: Many opponents believe the book is not suitable for middle school students, a common argument in the Hillsborough County, Florida.
- Sex education: The book’s role as a sex education guide is a major point of contention, with some viewing it as necessary and others as inappropriate.
Arguments for the Book:
- Valuable resource: Supporters, including students, argue that the book provides important and potentially life-saving information for LGBTQ+ teens.
- Outcry against censorship: Some view bans as part of a larger backlash against representation, making marginalized communities feel unsafe in schools.
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Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Description taken from Amazon: Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte’s Web, high up in Zuckerman’s barn. Charlotte’s spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur’s life when he was born the runt of his litter.
E. B. White’s Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. It contains illustrations by Garth Williams, the acclaimed illustrator of E. B. White’s Stuart Little and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, among many other books.
Challenged and/or Banned:
Bans and Challenges are primarily due to religious objections to its portrayal of talking animals, which some consider unnatural and some say are sacrilegious. The death of the spider Charlotte is considered inappropriate for children’s books.
- Talking animals: Some religious objections stem from the belief that only humans should be able to speak, and that depicting animals with human-like speech is blasphemous.
- Themes of death: Critics have cited the death of Charlotte the spider at the end of the book as “inappropriate subject matter” for children and concerns about exposing children to sensitive topics like death.
- Overall concerns: These issues reflect broader anxieties about what themes are appropriate for young readers and have led to challenges and bans, particularly in some school districts
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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Description from Amazon: Extravagant rumors abound of a man named Jay Gatsby who has newly arrived to the coastline of a section of Long Island known colloquially as West Egg. Long into the night, the mysterious Gatsby threw lavish parties at his sprawling estate, but when alone, Gatsby could be found staring longingly at a solitary green light across the dark water. For all Gatsby has attained in his life, that green light represents all that he lost.
The greatest story to encapsulate the roaring twenties, The Great Gatsby follows the eventful lives of the denizens from East and West Egg in this timeless classic of American literature.Reasons for Challenges and Bans:
- Sexual content and adultery: The affair between Gatsby and Daisy, as well as other sexual references, are often cited as reasons for banning.
- Violence: The book includes violence, such as the hit-and-run death of Myrtle Wilson and the murder of Gatsby, which contributes to objections.
- Profane and explicit language: Critics have objected to the language used throughout the novel, which was considered profanity by some at the time of its challenges.
- Social and political themes: The novel’s sharp critique of the American dream and materialism, and its portrayal of a wealthy but morally bankrupt society, has been seen as subversive and challenged by those with conservative values.