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. 

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.

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

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.