There are books that have been on the banned books list for years, and some that have only newly arrived. As long as there has been literature there are those trying to limit its reach. This week, for banned books week we are celebrating the stories that despite opposition, find their way into our hearts and onto our shelves.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
When Cameron’s parents pass away in a car accident, it feels like her fear around being found out dies with them. That is until she is sent to live in Montana with her conservative aunt and old-fashioned grandmother. Soon her friendship with a cowgirl feels like it could become something more, until her aunt sends her to a conversion camp to “fix” her.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Feed by M. T. Anderson
In the near future everyone’s thoughts are catalogued and organized into “feeds.” Titus and his friends were supposed to be spending spring break on the Moon. Now, they are all lying in a hospital after a hacker caused their feeds to malfunction.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
When Junior decides to take his future into his own hands, he leaves his Rez school for the all-white local public school. A budding cartoonist, he and the school mascot are the only Indians in the place. Based in part by the authors own experiences, this story explores the journey of a young Native American boy determined to change his fate.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Looking for Alaska by John Green
In the book that put John Green on the map, Miles is seeking out the “Great Perhaps.” He is obsessed with famous last words and sets a course to seek his own misadventures. When he meets Alaska, he’s swept up into her atmosphere and cast into a maze of unknowns.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In this unforgettable apocalyptic series, Katnis Everdeen must fight for her life in a deadly game to entertain the elites and keep everyone else in line. When her efforts to battle her way back to her sister ignites a rebellion, she’s drawn into a much bigger game.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Camino Rios eagerly awaits the arrival of her father’s plane in the Dominican Republic, but is met with an airport full of people crying. Yahaira Rios is pulled from her NYC school and told her father has died in a horrible plane crash. Combatting grief and secrets, both girls are filled with grief, their lives altered forever. And then they learn about each other.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Justyce left behind his rough neighborhood, but he can’t seem to escape how he’s seen. A good kid who excels in school, he tries to cope with his reality by writing letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., pondering on whether his teachings still hold up. When he catches the unfortunate eye of a white, off-duty police officer, he ends up in handcuffs and in the crosshairs of the media fallout.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume
In this classic tale, Margaret moves from New York City to New Jersey and forms a special clique with friends from school. They share secrets about boys and bras and, of course, getting their periods. They even discuss religion, something Margaret doesn’t have, to their dismay. But that’s because she speaks to God on her own terms.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Leave A Comment