Carrie by Stephen King was challenged in 1994 at the Bayertown, Pennsylvania Junior High East Library by a parent who objected to the book’s language, its violence, and its sexual descriptions, as well as what she described as a “Satanic killing” sequence.
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers was pulled but later returned to the library shelves of Hernando County, FL schools in 2001 after a parent complained about the book’s references to drinking and smoking, characters who take God’s name in vain, and the claim that it advocates violence.
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins has been banned in many areas of the US. In 2010 alone, there were 348 cases involving the banning of the trilogy, making it one of the most banned books of all time.
More recently, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie has made the list of the most banned and challenged books not only for its depiction of violence, but also for sexual references, profanity, gambling, underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint.
Once you have read about all the ways books are banned, you can continue on to The Task.
Sources:
Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books. Chicago: American Library Association, 2001. From the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. 8 Mar. 2001, p. 53.
“Top Ten Most Challenged Books Lists,” American Library Association, March 26, 2013. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10
“Top Ten Most Challenged Books Lists.” Advocacy, Legislation & Issues, American Library Association, 9 Apr. 2019, www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10#Before%201990.
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