Banned & Challenged Books

Banned and Challenged Books

(Image cited below; click to enlarge)

"Book banning, a form of censorship, occurs when private individuals, government officials, or organizations remove books from libraries, school reading lists, or bookstore shelves because they object to their content, ideas, or themes. Those advocating a ban complain typically that the book in question contains graphic violence, expresses disrespect for parents and family, is sexually explicit, exalts evil, lacks literary merit, is unsuitable for a particular age group, or includes offensive language."

- From the Encyclopedia of the First Amendment (linked below)

Image Source: Shapiro, Paige, editor. "Book Banning is Becoming More Common." The Clarion, 2 May 2023, www.theonlineclarion.com/opinion/2023/05/02/book-banning-is-becoming-more-common/#. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Book Challenge

Mead, Washington, 1984

Michael Farris, controversial political figure whose conservative social movement advocacy included serving as the director of Washington State Moral Majority, attempted to ban the book, "The Learning Tree" from Mead, Washington schools, citing, among other objections, the book's alleged advocacy of atheism. On behalf of a Mead parent, Farris sued the school district for violating the First Amendment establishment clause, claiming that by assigning students to read this book, the school district was establishing Humanism as the school's official religion. A federal judge dismissed the case.