Best Banned Books

Happy Banned Books Week y'all! It's time to celebrate all the great stories that curmudgeons deem unsuitable for public consumption. As far as weird holidays go I'd rank this as better than Talk Like a Pirate Day but not yet at Saint Patrick's Day levels.

Last year's most frequently banned books included these gems:

2013. Reasons: Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group

This is an amazing book. 
The protagonist leaves the reservation to get a better education at the white school. Of course the book has offensive language and racism. How could it avoid that without candy coating the story? A realistic, flawed, and deeply relatable teenage boy tells the story in his own words--so of course it's sexually explicit. Adolescence is a time when we're all keenly aware and interested in sex.
Alexie  doesn't pull any punches, he lets you really get into this kid's head, which is probably why this book is banned.  Whenever someone writes about what it's really like to be a teenager, the book is always deemed "unsuited for age group."

2013. Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

I haven't read this series in a while, so I can't recall why someone might have a religious objection to it. However, I can understand why some find this series unsuitable for children. There's the whole "I don't support children killing children" point of view and I respect that. However, I think this book is valuable for young readers. Lots of books play on our fear of death, this book asks us to think about how we'd feel if we were asked to kill. You might survive the hunger games, but think of the terrible things you'd have to do. The violence itself is as frightening and repugnant as death. Ultimately, the protagonist wins through a subversive act of pacifism. 

Sadly, I haven't read the other banned books of 2013 so I can't vouch for their excellence. However, I will mention a few more great books. All of these were in the top ten most frequently challenged for their year.

2012. Reasons: Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit

2011. Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit. 

You know it's a great book when it's decades old and people are still angry about it.

2011. Reasons: offensive language; racism

When you ban an anti-racism book for racism you are missing the point.

2007. Reason: racism

2007. Reason: sexually explicit

2003. Reasons: occult/Satanism

Each of these books have made me a better person. Each of them has taught me something valuable. I think that the reason why so many people dislike these books can best be explained by Gloria Steinem "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."

Happy Banned Books Week everyone.