All about Banned Books

Written by Violet Crain. Published 1/20/25.

600 words. Three-minute estimated read time.

Since putting up our Banned Books display in November of 2024, Good on Paper’s staff agree that not one day has gone by without the shelf garnering attention and creating conversation. This makes sense! From classic novels like Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to more contemporary titles such as Raina Telgemeier’s Drama, every patron has spotted a novel they recognize–and often one they consider beloved. With such a powerful and sometimes shocking display, many customers have the same question: in this context, what does “banned” mean? This blog post will help you learn the book banning basics (say that three times fast…) and let you know how to make a difference and keep the novels you read in school and on your own time in circulation.

What is a Banned Book?

The “banned books” label generally refers to novels that have been restricted from resting on the shelves of public schools (while pushes have been made to strike banned books from the shelves of bookstores and public libraries, this is the more colloquial use of the term, and likely what any banned book lists you stumble across are referencing). These bans can be local or recognized across states. For example, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale was banned by Katy ISD in November of 2024, while J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye’s place in public school curriculum has been challenged as far back as 1960 in states like Oklahoma. Good on Paper referenced the American Library Association’s (ALA) Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2000-2009 and 2010-2019 lists to curate our Banned Books shelf.

It is worth noting that even if a banned book can be accessed elsewhere–for example, in a local public library or bookstore–the novel is still considered restricted, a decision that was reached in 2003 as a result of Counts v. Cedarville School District. This ruling was based on the notion that limiting a student’s access to book titles in their public school library is a potential infringement upon their First Amendment rights.

Why Do Books Get Banned?

Book bans happen for a plethora of reasons, though the ALA identified the following as the top three reasons for challenging and banning books:

  1. Sexually explicit material
  2. Material containing offensive language
  3. Materials that are unsuitable for any age group

Additionally, in 2022, the ALA reported that titles giving voices to queer and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of campaigns to remove materials from shelves.

You may have noticed these reasons for book bans are quite subjective, and may vary from person to person or group to group. Book challenges–the attempt to ban a book as opposed to the actual ban itself–are most often presented by political or religious groups, school boards and administration, and parents, the latter of which made up the majority of book challenges in 2019.

What Can I Do About It?

The best way to face book banning head-on is to keep buying and reading banned books while encouraging those around you to do the same. Participating in local elections is also crucial to staying vigilant about book challenges and bans. From school board races to city council positions, these elected officials will have a direct say in what is put on the shelves–so be sure to exercise your say in the process and vote!

To all our customers who are parents, consider attending the next school board meeting to advocate for your child, their peers, their instructors, and their right–and yours!–to choose their reading materials. PEN America, a longstanding educational resource for the topic of censorship and book bans, has a great tips page on how to express your grievances with book bans. For information on when the next board meeting will take place, please reference HISD’s calendar and meetings page.

 

This post was made possible by the American Library Association and PEN America. Be sure to check each website out and give these organizations your support!