Libraries are safe spaces where anyone can have free and open access to information. Unfortunately, in today’s diverse political climate, books and other materials are often challenged as being offensive based on their content or are being banned which removes them from library shelves. To support the right to read and to bring awareness to intellectual freedom, The American Library Association created “Banned Books Week,” a celebration of the most challenged books across the country. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom has found that 4,240 book titles were targeted, many of them being focused on the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC community. Ohio is one of 17 states that attempted to censor over 100 titles in 2023.
Be a rebel! Read these banned books written by Ohio authors!
In this children’s graphic novel series, fourth graders George Beard and Harold Hutchins hypnotize their mean school principal, Mr. Krupp. Krupp turns into Captain Underpants, the superhero from one of the boys’ self-made comic books. Reason for ban/challenge: violent imagery
In this spin-off series to Captain Underpants, a newborn baby named Billy gains superpowers. Billy teams up with Diaper Dog to fight a sentient piece of feces named Deputy Dangerous, Diaper Dog’s former master. Reason for ban/challenge: excessive toilet humor and intentionally misspelled words
Eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove, an African American girl, is convinced that she is ugly because of her dark skin. She thinks having lighter skin and blue eyes will lead her to a better life. Sadly, she lives in a violent household with parents who constantly fight. She becomes a victim of sexual assault by her father and becomes pregnant. Reason for ban/challenge: Child sexual assault, incest, sexually explicit content, equity, diversity, and inclusion content
Beloved is based on the true story of Margaret Garner, an enslaved African-American woman who killed her child in order to spare them from a life of slavery. There are hauntings at House 124, the home belonging to Sethe, her daughter Denver, and a spiteful spirit, believed to be the child Sethe had killed. When Sethe is convinced that the spirit has appeared in human form, she invites them in, reawakening painful memories. Reason for ban/challenge: bestiality, infanticide, sex, and violence
The series follows the Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoncible P. “Phoney” Bone, and Smiley Bone. Phoney is forced out of their hometown of Boneville, and Smiley and a reluctant Fone Bone follow. Along their journey, Smiley finds a hand-drawn map which they use to navigate the Valley, a fantasy-esque landscape. The cousins get drawn into the events around them, leading them all on a hero’s journey to help free the Valley. Reason for ban/challenge: violence, racism and political viewpoint
This classic horror novel series written for children centers around teens or pre-teens who find themselves in frightening situations. These often involve elements of the supernatural, the paranormal, or the occult. Reason for ban: too frightening for kids, contained satanic and occult themes
Alana and Marko come from two factions at war with each other: The Landfall Coalition and Wreath. They meet when Alana is assigned to guard Marko (a prisoner of war) on the planet Cleave. They fall in love and escape together shortly after meeting. Alana soon gives birth to their daughter, Hazel. Their respective peoples are upset when it is suggested that they have voluntarily mated, and thus the couple is pursued by forces in service of both Wreath and Landfall because of perceived betrayal by the two fugitives and to prevent knowledge of their pairing from spreading. Reason for ban/challenge: nudity and sexually explicit scenes
Set in 1936, seventeen-year-old high-school student Naomi Vargas moves in with her oil field worker stepfather. She falls in love with an African-American boy named Wash Fuller. Naomi deals with the overt racism in New London and her troubled history with her stepfather. After an explosion rocks the town, the residents blame Wash for the disaster. Reason for ban/challenge: Sexual content, sexual assault, racism, gender fluidity, and anti-Christian themes
Kenzie, an Arab and Muslim immigrant girl, is embarrassed about her language and her culture in her surroundings. Her school teacher takes steps to help her feel welcome. Reason for ban/challenge: immigration, and religion (Muslim)
Cornelius J. Sparklesteed is known in Hoofington for his amazing handmade hats. Cornelius is hiding a secret that he’s not a regular horse, but a unicorn. Horses in Hoofington pass on lots of mean rumors about unicorns. When Cornelius is chosen to perform for this year’s Hoofapalooza, he has to decide if he wants to reveal his secret unicorniness. Reason for ban/challenge: LGBTQIA+ themes