Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Sex, Drugs And Gay Penguins: Banned Books Week Is Here
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Sep 26, 2011
Modified Sep 26, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Sep 26, 2011
Modified Sep 26, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
, the annual event celebrating the freedom to read, is upon us. This year's Week started on September 24 and runs through October 1, and there are all sorts of censored books to choose from. Let's take a look at the biggest offenders, some of which may come as a surprise.
The top 10 most challenged titles of 2010 were:
And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, religious viewpoint, sex education, sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit
Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit
*The Hunger Games (*series), by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group
Lush, by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint
Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit
Twilight(series), by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence, unsuited to age group
"A lot of us take for granted our ability to read whatever we want, whenever we want," Jenn Northington, a manager at Greenpoint bookstore WORD, told us. "There are challenges every year, many times for books I love to handsell. For example, I feel like someone tries to ban Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak once a year, every year—and that's a Printz Honor book. One reader's controversial subject matter is another reader's award-winner! People are always shocked to see books like To Kill a Mockingbird on these lists—what would they even try to ban it for? It's easy to lose perspective, and I think it's great to have a yearly reminder that books, even ones that make us uncomfortable, are important."
If you'd like to stick up for your First Amendment rights while having a good time, WORD is having a special "banned books" edition of Literary Karaoke this Thursday, in which people will read a passage from their banned book of choice. The American Library Association is also hosting a virtual "read-out", so people all over the world can submit videos of readings from a banned or challenged books.
Tagged
american library association
banned books
banned books week
word bookstore
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
What do you see when you record the whole of the boroughs?
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 5, 2026
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
It's a busy month at the branches.
By
Alec Hamilton
Arts & Entertainment
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
It's a busy month at the branches.
By
Alec Hamilton
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
By
Hank Shteamer
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
By
Hannah Frishberg
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .