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Read Banned BooksLearn About Banned Books


Amidst a shocking increase of efforts to ban books from shelves and classrooms, here at Powell’s we firmly believe in everyone’s freedom to read.

Throughout centuries, the act of banning books has been employed as a means of suppressing ideas and controlling information. From ancient times when works deemed heretical were burned or destroyed, to the more recent history of banning books that feature LGBTQ+ themes, the world has witnessed attempts to stifle dissenting voices and alternative perspectives. Yet, despite these oppressive measures, the power of literature has always prevailed.

When we prevent people from finding difficult, fractious, or simply different ideas, we end life-changing conversations before they start. On this page, you’ll find guest essays, recommendations, and curated, in-store displays filled with banned books that have opened our horizons to new perspectives and ideas. Book by book, let's fight for our right to build bridges toward one another, and toward a future of unity founded on mutual understanding and respect.

(Last updated: August 2023)



Featured Posts About Banned Books

Buy Banned Books and Support American Booksellers for Free Expression

20% Donation on 20 Books: Buy Banned Books and Support American Booksellers for Free Expression

We are donating 20% of the sales on Powells.com of the 20 titles listed in this post, all of which are frequently banned or challenged books, to American Booksellers for Free Expression.

Banned Books Week: All About the OIFC

All About the OIFC

"Learn what the OIFC is, what is does, and why its work is vital to maintaining everyone’s right to intellectual freedom."

Banned Books Week: All About Amnesty International

Paying the Price for Free Speech and Why We Must Act Now!

"Since 1990, Amnesty International has worked with partners to draw attention to those who suffer human rights violations by government and opposition groups because of their work."

14 Frequently Challenged Books to Read Now

14 Frequently Challenged Books to Read Now

Book Buyers Kim T. and Madeline S. talk censorship and recommend some frequently challenged books to add to your reading list.

On Being Banned: Banned Book Authors Speak Out

Banned Book Authors Speak Out

"Thoughtful, candid responses to the predicament of publishing a book and then being told no one should read it."

Why We Celebrate Banned Books Week: A History

Why Celebrate Banned Books Week?

"We believe in the power of language to illuminate and explicate challenging ideas and realities."

Browse Our 2022 'Banned Books Week' Bookseller Displays

  • Banned Books Week 2022, Blue Room
  • Banned Books Week 2022, Rose Room
  • Banned Books Week 2022, Hawthorne
  • Banned Books Week 2021, Hawthorne Kids

'Banned Books Week' Bookseller Displays From Previous Years

  • Banned Books Week 2021, Blue Room
  • Banned Books Week 2021, Kids' Books
  • Banned Books Week 2021, Young Adult
  • Banned Books Week 2021, Cedar Hills Crossing

Banned Books Week

    Slaughterhouse Five Or the Childrens Crusade a Duty Dance with Death

    Slaughterhouse Five Or the Childrens Crusade a Duty Dance with Death

    Kurt Vonnegut
    Hunger Games 01

    Hunger Games 01

    Suzanne Collins
    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1)

    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1)

    J.K. Rowling
    The Kite Runner

    The Kite Runner

    Khaled Hosseini
    The Hate U Give

    The Hate U Give

    Angie Thomas
    The Handmaid's Tale

    The Handmaid's Tale

    Margaret Atwood
    The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

    The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

    Sherman Alexie
    Norwegian Wood

    Norwegian Wood

    Haruki Murakami and Jay Rubin
    The Catcher in the Rye

    The Catcher in the Rye

    J. D. Salinger
    Lolita

    Lolita

    Vladimir Nabokov
    The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

    The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

    Junot Diaz
    Looking for Alaska

    Looking for Alaska

    John Green
    Cats Cradle

    Cats Cradle

    Kurt Vonnegut
    The Perks of Being a Wallflower

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower

    Stephen Chbosky
    A Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire 1

    A Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire 1

    George R R Martin
    The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (Book 1)

    The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (Book 1)

    Douglas Adams
    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

    Mark Haddon
    Giver

    Giver

    Lois Lowry
    To Kill a Mockingbird

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    Lee, Harper
    Things Fall Apart

    Things Fall Apart

    Chinua Achebe
    The Bell Jar

    The Bell Jar

    Sylvia Plath
    Fahrenheit 451

    Fahrenheit 451

    Ray Bradbury
    The House on Mango Street

    The House on Mango Street

    Sandra Cisneros
    The Disappearing Spoon

    The Disappearing Spoon

    Sam Kean
    The Catcher in the Rye

    The Catcher in the Rye

    J. D. Salinger
    Choke

    Choke

    Chuck Palahniuk
    Make Something Up: Stories You Cant Unread

    Make Something Up: Stories You Cant Unread

    Chuck Palahniuk
    Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

    Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

    Marjane Satrapi
    The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley

    The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley

    Malcolm X and Alex Haley
    To Kill a Mockingbird

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    Harper Lee
    The Fault in Our Stars

    The Fault in Our Stars

    John Green
    Fight Club

    Fight Club

    Chuck Palahniuk
    Brave New World

    Brave New World

    Aldous Huxley
    Bone 01 Out From Boneville

    Bone 01 Out From Boneville

    Jeff Smith
    Holes

    Holes

    Louis Sachar
    Carrie

    Carrie

    Stephen King
    Invisible Man

    Invisible Man

    Ralph Ellison
    The Master and Margarita

    The Master and Margarita

    Mikhail Bulgakov
    A Clockwork Orange

    A Clockwork Orange

    Anthony Burgess
    This One Summer

    This One Summer

    Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
    Neverwhere: Authors Preferred Text

    Neverwhere: Authors Preferred Text

    Neil Gaiman
    Outsiders

    Outsiders

    S E Hinton
    Running with Scissors: a Memoir

    Running with Scissors: a Memoir

    Augusten Burroughs
    Lovely Bones

    Lovely Bones

    Alice Sebold
    Bluest Eye

    Bluest Eye

    Toni Morrison
    Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies Relationships & YOU

    Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies Relationships & YOU

    Cory Silverberg, Fiona Smyth
    The Miseducation of Cameron Post

    The Miseducation of Cameron Post

    Emily M. Danforth
    The Complete Persepolis

    The Complete Persepolis

    Marjane Satrapi
    The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials 1

    The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials 1

    Philip Pullman
    The Namesake

    The Namesake

    Jhumpa Lahiri
    The Left Hand of Darkness

    The Left Hand of Darkness

    Ursula K Le Guin
    The Stand

    The Stand

    Stephen King
    Little Brother

    Little Brother

    Doctorow, Cory
    Speak

    Speak

    Laurie Halse Anderson
    Habibi

    Habibi

    Craig Thompson
    Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

    Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

    Barack Obama
    Satanic Verses

    Satanic Verses

    Salman Rushdie
    The Adventures of Captain Underpants: Color Edition (Captain Underpants #1)

    The Adventures of Captain Underpants: Color Edition (Captain Underpants #1)

    Dav Pilkey
    Grapes of Wrath

    Grapes of Wrath

    John Steinbeck
    Flowers for Algernon

    Flowers for Algernon

    Daniel Keyes
    Thirteen Reasons Why

    Thirteen Reasons Why

    Jay Asher
    Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret

    Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret

    Judy Blume
    Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Presents A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo

    Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Presents A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo

    Marlon Bundo, Jill Twiss, EG Keller
    Catch-22 50th Anniversary Edition

    Catch-22 50th Anniversary Edition

    Joseph Heller
    Color Purple

    Color Purple

    Alice Walker
    Their Eyes Were Watching God

    Their Eyes Were Watching God

    Zora Neale Hurston
    The Color Purple

    The Color Purple

    Alice Walker
    Battle Royale Remastered

    Battle Royale Remastered

    Koushun Takami and Nathan Collins
    Ulysses Complete & Unabridged As Corrected & Reset in 1961

    Ulysses Complete & Unabridged As Corrected & Reset in 1961

    James Joyce
    Harriet the Spy 01

    Harriet the Spy 01

    Louise Fitzhugh
    Naked Lunch

    Naked Lunch

    William S. Burroughs
    Diary Of A Young Girl The Definitive Edition

    Diary Of A Young Girl The Definitive Edition

    Anne Frank
    Song of Solomon

    Song of Solomon

    Toni Morrison
    Speak

    Speak

    Laurie Halse Anderson
    Go Ask Alice

    Go Ask Alice

    Anonymous
    The Autobiography of Malcolm X (As Told to Alex Haley)

    The Autobiography of Malcolm X (As Told to Alex Haley)

    Malcolm X
    Wheres Waldo The 25th Anniversary Edition

    Wheres Waldo The 25th Anniversary Edition

    Martin Handford
    Last Exit To Brooklyn

    Last Exit To Brooklyn

    Hubert Selby
    Its Perfectly Normal Changing Bodies Growing Up Sex & Sexual Health

    Its Perfectly Normal Changing Bodies Growing Up Sex & Sexual Health

    Robie H Harris, Michael Emberley
    Bridge To Terabithia

    Bridge To Terabithia

    Katherine Paterson
    In The Night Kitchen

    In The Night Kitchen

    Maurice Sendak
    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

    Carroll, Lewis
    Monster

    Monster

    Walter Dean Myers
    Black Boy

    Black Boy

    Richard Wright
    Diary Of A Young Girl The Definitive Edition

    Diary Of A Young Girl The Definitive Edition

    Frank, Anne
    Boy Meets Boy

    Boy Meets Boy

    David Levithan
    Beyond Magenta Transgender Teens Speak Out

    Beyond Magenta Transgender Teens Speak Out

    Kuklin, Susan
    Georgia Nicolson 01 Angus Thongs & Full Frontal Snogging

    Georgia Nicolson 01 Angus Thongs & Full Frontal Snogging

    Louise Rennison
    Kaffir Boy The True Story of a Black Youths Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa

    Kaffir Boy The True Story of a Black Youths Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa

    Mark Mathabane
    The Face on the Milk Carton

    The Face on the Milk Carton

    Caroline B. Cooney
    Crank 01

    Crank 01

    Ellen Hopkins
    Mexican Whiteboy

    Mexican Whiteboy

    Matt de la Pe?a
    The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq

    The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq

    Jeanette Winter
    Fallen Angels

    Fallen Angels

    Walter Dean Myers
    Two Boys Kissing

    Two Boys Kissing

    Levithan, David
    Push

    Push

    Sapphire
    Call of the Wild White Fang & Other Stories

    Call of the Wild White Fang & Other Stories

    Jack London
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