Banned Books Week: 10 Banned Authors

Banned Books Week takes place between September 29 and October 6. According to the American Library Association, a "challenge" is a "formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting that materials be removed" due to their content.

I am a book lover and a book seller. I can understand why somebody would not want certain books used to teach younger children. But it disturbs me very much that books are banned outright in any library or school in America. I firmly believe that it violates our First Amendment rights to free speech. Book burning, in particular, is painfully un-American. However, that hasn't stopped many Americans from violating the constitutional rights of other Americans by both burning and banning books.

Maya Angelou

That's right, Maya Angelou is one of the most banned authors. This is primarily due to the graphic rape scene in her book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Mark Twain

Mark Twain has had many books banned over the years. Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most banned books in history. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has also been excluded from many libraries.

J. K. Rowling

The Harry Potter series of books, authored by J. K. Rowling, have been banned by parents and librarians in the United States for promoting witchcraft. The Harry Potter series was also named the favorite challenged book by more than 5,000 readers.

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck, one of the greatest and most sought after authors, has also had many books banned and burned. Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath are his most banned and challenged books. These books were banned primarily due to language and an unfavorable portrayal of religious authority.

Kurt Vonnegut

The book Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut has been both banned and burned in America due to explicit sexual scenes, offensive language and religious references. Cat's Cradle has also been challenged, but nowhere near as severely as Slaughterhouse Five.

Kate Chopin