Why you should read these banned books now

As journalists, it's our job to seek out the truth even when it's uncomfortable. We value diverse perspectives, are open to new ideas and respect intellectual freedom. So it should come as no surprise that the thought of banning a book would get us riled.

What happens when a book is challenged in school boards and public libraries? Titles can be removed from school curriculums or library shelves. Most public schools and libraries have boards made up of elected officials or members appointed by elected officials. It is by the power of these officials that a book can go from challenged to banned in a school district or public library.

Sure, there is the argument you can just purchase a book if it's taken off public shelves. But that is true only for those with financial resources. For many, particularly children and young adults, school and public libraries are the only means to access literature.

With that in mind, current and former USA TODAY staff picked a challenged or banned book that was meaningful to them. In the books' defense, we've written why they deserve a place in our schools, libraries and society.

‘Looking for Alaska’ by John Green

Young people don’t typically seek out stories about grief, but I did after being hit with the sour reality that terrible things can happen to those you love and the world just moves on. Clinging to my signed first-edition, which I reread multiple times and used quotes from in my journal, is something of a core memory to my 12-year-old self. This book is challenged for explicit writing, but it offered the "stick-it-to-the-man"ness I needed to defy expectations and endeavor to be better than the generation that came before. Over a decade after my first read, I can still feel the protest that John Green's words invoked to seek growth and understanding above all. And that grief never leaves you, it only grows with you. – Sam Woodward

Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park

Growing up, Junie B. Jones felt more like a spunky pal than a book character. It's not a moral lesson I remember, but just plain fun. This series has been banned on the basis that Junie is not a good role model. She's loud and uses words like "dumb" and "stupid." What are we telling girls if we say the only books they can read have polished, quiet protagonists? What do we stand to lose if we tell girls they can't be messy? Series author Barbara Park once told USA TODAY a story is valuable even if it “gives the reader nothing more than a smile or two.” I couldn’t agree more. – Clare Mulroy

'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J. Maas

ACOTAR – as its known by fans – starts when a woman named Feyre is kidnapped and taken to a faerie realm where a blight is plaguing the land. First, she is just figuring out how to survive, but soon she falls in love with Prythian and its subjects. What unfolds is an epic (and spicy) romance, found family, meaty twists and an adventure that brings an immersive world full of magic to life.

Read ACOTAR the first time to enjoy the ride. Read it the second time to pick up on every hint into the greater Maasverse. Read it the third time because you can’t go a year without saying hello to your favorite characters. – Niki Gunter

'All Boys Aren’t Blue' by George M. Johnson

We’re failing young queer readers, if a book like this stays on banned book lists. Published in 2020, this memoir-manifesto follows the author’s journey of growing up a queer Black person and is an indispensable piece of literature for high school readers. Johnson explores their childhood, adolescence and college years while revisiting traumatic and transformative experiences and weaving in important statistics about the LGBTQ community. Johnson candidly – some say explicitly – explores sexuality and unpacks their experiences with sexual assault in a way that’s necessary to heal. Both a primer for teens looking to be allies to the LGBTQ community and a YA book meant to make young queer readers feel seen, Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue” is a force to be reckoned with. – Pamela Avila

'Gender Queer' by Maia Kobabe

Reading “Gender Queer” for the first time was like experiencing a jolt of adrenaline. Maia Kobabe’s autobiographical graphic novel explores the author's experience coming out as nonbinary and asexual, and vividly unravels small personal moments common to so many young people. It’s a book about Kobabe’s journey, but it allowed me to reframe mine, offering me the space to excavate my past and challenge my own self-concept. “Gender Queer” encourages growth and self-acceptance, and its removal from libraries is a huge disservice to teens. – Madison Durham

'The Hate U Give' by Angie Thomas

This award-winning, bestselling middle-grade novel is no stranger to controversy. The book’s critics say there’s too much sex and profanity. Some said it breeds contempt for police. The crux of the story, however, is systemic racism. Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter loses her best friend, Khalil, after he is shot and killed by a police officer. It’s a familiar story: Khalil, a Black kid, was unarmed when the white officer shot him. Khalil’s death becomes national news. Protests ensue. And a narrative forms, painting Khalil as a troublemaker and drug lord. Starr is caught between two worlds: her poor neighborhood and the rich prep school she attends. After Khalil’s death, Starr finds her voice of activism and pride in her Black identity. The banning of Thomas’ book is a reminder many people are uncomfortable with the message of the Black Lives Matter movement. – Tracee Herbaugh

‘Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda’ by Becky Albertalli

Sixteen-year-old Simon Spier has a crush on an anonymous gay classmate who goes by the name Blue online, and with whom he has been exchanging increasingly flirtatious emails. One problem: Neither knows the other’s real identity. Another problem: Simon is still closeted. But when a nosey classmate finds Simon’s emails and threatens to out him, cautious Simon needs to step outside his comfort zone before he’s pushed out. What’s so welcome about Albertalli’s tale of high school high jinks, secret crushes and fraught friend-group dynamics is how ordinary and familiar it is. This sweet and funny high school story is light on trauma and big on laughs, and a balm to queer readers who want to see themselves reflected in happy coming-out stories. (It also has a rather good film adaptation, “Love, Simon,” starring Nick Robinson and Jennifer Garner.) – Barbara VanDenburgh

'Kafka on the Shore' by Haruki Murakami

This is one of the most hauntingly, mind-bendingly beautiful books I've ever read. The surreal novel weaves two parallel plots that meld music and metaphysics, time and fate, and loss and alienation as it follows the young Kafka Tamura, who is fleeing an Oedipal curse, and Satoru Nakata, an old man with a knack for talking to cats. Full of surreal happenings, nothing is clearly defined in this book. Murakami leaves the story open-ended for readers, giving them space to decide what to draw from it – a level of freedom they may not often be afforded when dissecting more “classic” novels typically included in curriculums. In a setting where students are often instructed to find "the right answer," "Kafka on the Shore" is a breath of fresh air that can stretch their imaginations. – Christine Fernando

'Twilight' by Stephenie Meyer

When I was 13 years old, I snuck into my sister’s room and grabbed a copy of "Twilight." It was just before the "Breaking Dawn – Part 1" movie release, and "Twilight" fever had hit my school. The story of Bella, Edward, vampires and forbidden love features all the hallmarks of coming-of-age literature and introduced me to themes I hadn’t seen in media yet. "Twilight" brought me together with my peers to talk about reading, giving me new worlds to explore and new friends to talk about them with. Banning "Twilight" severely limits the opportunity for students to take reading into their own hands and enjoy a coming-of-age story full of fantasy and imagination. – Chris Panella

'I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter' by Erika L. Sanchez

For young women struggling with mental health struggles, the loss of a loved one, the loss of innocence and outdated expectations that often come with growing up in a Latino household, Sanchez’s 2017 YA novel can be a lifeline. High school is a tough time, and young people in particular pick up a book to escape reality or to make sense of the changing world around them – reading makes them feel safe enough to express how they’re feeling. And making a book like Sanchez’s inaccessible hinders the representation young Latino readers need. – Avila

'The Odyssey' by Homer

Odysseus’ 10-year journey after the Trojan War back home to Ithaca to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, has a lot going on including witches, slavery, betrayals, monsters, cannibal giants and mass slaughter. It’s a wild ride with bad role models. The book itself and the themes it explores are so deeply woven into the fabric of our modern culture that the name itself is a genre. Knowing "The Odyssey" is like getting a peek into the source code of innumerable (truly) works of literature spanning centuries, giving any reader a deeper, more nuanced understanding of not just countless works of art but of culture itself. – Jennifer Ernst Beaudry

'Speak' by Laurie Halse Anderson

It's funny that "Speak" is so challenged, considering I was in high school when I read it. Apparently, it "exposes children to immorality" but adults who think teenagers aren't already exposed to everything probably don't remember what it was like being a teenager. Sexual assault, unhappy families and the nuances of high school life are real-world issues that teens are already aware of. Kids need books that start difficult conversations, demonstrate the importance of using your voice and show you can rise above adversity. "Speak" is beautiful in its spare prose and simplicity. Many can relate to, and laugh with, Melinda's dry humor and cynical voice. It's a necessary story that gives permission to students whose voices are silenced to speak. – Nusrat Sultana

'Nineteen Minutes' by Jodi Picoult

I was in eighth grade when the Columbine shooting happened, back when the concept of a school shooting was new. Children and teens today live in a very different reality, with active shooter drills and too-frequent school shootings. Parents have challenged this book because of its depictions of a school shooting; the bullying and romantic partner violence that led up to it; and the trauma and suicides that came after. Banning books about these topics doesn’t make them cease to exist. The story, so beautifully told, touches on all of these topics because these are the traumas teens battle, some of which have directly contributed to violence in schools. If we’re unwilling to let young people read about, think about, process and dissect the very traumas they experience all around them, how can ever hope to solve these problems? – Katie Wedell

'Blubber' by Judy Blume

I read “Blubber” in fifth grade, and it's the most pivotal book of my youth. The book’s main character is a young fifth grader, Jill, who joins the more popular kids in the class to ostracize Linda, a girl nicknamed Blubber because of her size. The main reason the book has been banned is because nothing happens to Jill and her fellow bullies. That is precisely why I needed this book. In the fifth grade, I was Linda. “Blubber” was inspired by an incident in the author’s daughter’s own fifth grade class, and what Blume saw was not the exception but often the rule. In real life, bullies often get away with their behavior. While the similarity between myself and Blubber stung, it also provided solace. I was not alone. It is satisfying to read stories with happy endings, but it is just as important to read ones without them. – Mary Cadden

'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding

Golding uses preteen boys to show readers how a group of people will mistreat those they simply don’t like and even beat a child to death out of fear arising from a conspiracy theory. The use of boys as main characters may make it easier for some to understand the forces that can erode a society, or may make readers feel alarmed about the “end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart.” Either way, this book can prompt young readers to think deeply about governance and societal leadership in a way that will inform them throughout their lives. – Erin Mansfield

'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck

"Of Mice and Men" revolves around the friendship between two migrant workers during the Great Depression. I remember reading the book for my high school English class and thinking about loneliness as well as companionship. The two protagonists are brought together by a shared dream of purchasing land that's eventually shattered by the predatory social environment for migrant workers. With this book, school-age readers have the opportunity to examine the conflict between reality and the American dream, in addition to human friendships. – Rayna Song

'A Light in the Attic' by Shel Silverstein

Silverstein’s collections of poetic nonsense was a classic on our living room bookshelf. His fantastical black-and-white sketches begged a wild imagination and a healthy sense of humor. They posed impossible scenarios, built as much for wordplay as they were for plot. "A Light in the Attic" has been banned over claims it promotes disrespect and violence. To argue this is to argue that children are unable to understand hyperbole. I am a deep believer that adolescent minds should be taken seriously, and the greatest children’s authors know this too. I want the next generation to learn just as I did from Silverstein the joy of twisting words in different ways, of laughing at themselves, and of finding poetry and humor in everyday life. – Anna Kaufman

'Eleanor & Park' by Rainbow Rowell

Rowell’s novel captures what it means to be a misfit teenage girl in a world that wants to cast you aside. As a teenager, this book made me feel seen as it keys into the nuances of being an outcast while coming into your own. This book has been banned for coarse language and sexuality, but it covers difficult topics such as racism, domestic abuse and body image that are enlightening for teen and adult readers alike. With high school years being a turbulent time for many, "Eleanor & Park" provides a much-needed perspective on surviving your teenage years in the face of adversity. – Samantha Mangino

'Two Boys Kissing' by David Levithan

I revisited “Two Boys Kissing” almost 10 years after first reading it, and – in the best possible way – it was more of a gut-punch than I'd recalled. The narration by a Greek chorus of men who died of AIDS is an emotional reminder of the strong bonds of chosen family. This book feels especially timely as progress on LGBTQ rights faces renewed political backlash. Reading “Two Boys Kissing” today shows how much has changed while highlighting what work there still is to be done – and what we may be in danger of losing if we become complacent about our progress. The young characters remind us what is at stake and who most needs to hear these stories and feel a community’s love today. – Zach Wichter

'Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice' by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard

As this book follows a Black family and a white family discussing the police shooting of a Black man, its first page reads, “the grown-ups didn’t think the kids knew about it.” Amid nationwide conversations about race, many parents assume children are in the dark or unable to have meaningful discussions about racism. But children hear the murmurings and have questions. Shutting those down means lost opportunities for learning. A growing body of research shows children begin to notice race years before adults want to talk about it with them. Delaying these conversations and ignoring the realities of racism could make children more susceptible to racist beliefs. After all, it’s the adult’s responsibility to help children make sense of their social world. “Something Happened” approaches these conversations with care and includes child-friendly discussion guides curated by child psychologists to help encourage vital parent-child conversations about race. – Fernando

'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky

The story is told in intimate, first-person letters from protagonist Charlie, who is coming of age after a traumatic childhood. I read “Perks” when I was about 15. Being a teenager can be incredibly isolating, and for me, books were, and still are, a form of therapy. Reading “Perks” was my first time seeing myself in a character on the page. The book introduced me to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, David Bowie, LGBTQ+ themes, how to deal with the peer pressure to drink or try drugs, and a encouraged a deep sense of how to love yourself through everything. It’s a book I would want my child to read to help them see empathy for those struggling with mental health, and learn that everyone in life, especially in high school, is going through some sort of struggle — and it’s OK to talk about it. – Gunter

'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' by Maya Angelou

Angelou’s beautifully written autobiographical novel touches on two important and painful subjects that often get it banned from schools: rape and racism. While they may not be the most comfortable topics, they’re still as prevalent now as they were in 1969, when the book was published. It features some graphic depictions, but the sad truth is these topics are not new to many young adults, and reading about Angelou’s healing journey is instrumental in letting them know they’re not alone. Simply banning a book that depicts rape and racism doesn’t shield readers from facing them in their lives; it just removes another resource that may help them move forward. – Kate Ellsworth

‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini

Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner,” which has been adapted into a film and Broadway production, tells the story of Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman who becomes close friends with Hassan, the son of one of his father’s servants in 1970s Afghanistan. As a student who frequently picked up books above her reading level, I remember reading “The Kite Runner” in middle school. The book has been widely challenged for sexual violence, homosexuality and its religious viewpoints. Reading it “The Kite Runner” sparked important conversations with my mom at home. I continue to think about “The Kite Runner” today, as our world becomes more divided by class and race, and how important a story about bridging these gaps is for young readers. – Greta Cross

'The House on Mango Street' by Sandra Cisneros

There are some novels that read like poetry, and this is on that list. Cisneros uses short vignettes to show key moments in the life of Esperanza, a 12-year-old Latina girl growing up in Chicago, poised in the awkward time between childhood and adolescence. The writing is truly lovely, and the use of vignettes creates a feeling of being inside someone’s memories. Cisneros creates a portrait of a community, both the love and support as well as the restrictive and painful aspects. The latter includes moments of domestic and sexual abuse, and as Esperanza ages within the novel, her understanding and descriptions of those situations become more explicit, though never graphic. It is easy to understand why the book has won multiple awards, as Cisneros plays with narrative form and storytelling, and questions what it means to belong in a fascinating and wonderful way. – Rebecca Viser

'Maus' by Art Spiegelman

Spiegelman's semi-autobiographical novel about his parents' experiences in Auschwitz and his family's subsequent lifelong traumas is a masterpiece of Holocaust literature and should be essential to all school-age readers. Though "Maus" is not a children's book, its graphic medium and depiction of Jews and Germans as mice and cats makes the topic more approachable for younger readers still trying to get their heads around the unfathomable historical horror. The only way to avoid a second Holocaust is to teach the first. – VanDenburgh

'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry' by Mildred D. Taylor

American public school reading curriculum is heavily white. I can attest to that with my own experience: In my 12 years as a student in American public schools, I was assigned only one novel by an African American writer, and that was Taylor’s Newbery Medal-winning story of the Logan family, sharecroppers in rural Mississippi whose love for one another helps them survive the cruelties of the Jim Crow South. I grew up a pretty privileged white kid with no personal experience of racism, and I can keenly recall how hot I burned with the unfairness of it reading “Roll of Thunder” for the first time in the second grade. If we want to create more anti-racists, we need to assign more diverse books in schools, and “Roll of Thunder” is still a great place for young readers to start. – VanDenburgh

'Animal Farm' by George Orwell

I first read it in middle school in Phoenix, only a few years after my family had escaped communist Vietnam in 1975. I checked it out of my school library because of the title and was ready for enchanted spiders and pigs like in “Charlotte's Web” by E.B. White. Instead, in Orwell’s attack on the Soviet Union, I recognized all too well what my family was hearing from relatives who hadn’t been able to flee the fall of Saigon. Daily indoctrination classes, South Vietnamese officers sent to reeducation camps and their homes confiscated and given to communist officers. Those who could still afford radios risked imprisonment to listen to Voice of America because you couldn’t believe the state-run media. Orwell wrote “Animal Farm” because he wanted to tell the story of the Russian Revolution in a way anyone could understand. And children everywhere need to. – Thuan Le Elston

'Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out' by Susan Kuklin

In this book, Kuklin interviews six trans teens about their childhoods, their coming-out experiences and where they are today. It brings hope to trans teens that there is a future for them, and it provides a clear look into their minds for loved ones to truly understand their points of view. Despite this book receiving many awards, it is often banned for “its effect on any young people who would read it.” To the contrary, this book provides a unique perspective on gender and sexuality to help teens learn about themselves from other people their age. I believe this book does a great service to the young LGBTQ community. – Melissa Rorech

'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie

I first read the story of Junior leaving his Spokane Indian Reservation school for an all-white school during Banned Books Week in middle school. As Junior struggles to find his place in a school where the only other Indian is the mascot, he grapples with generational poverty and discrimination. As a person of color at an extremely white school, I saw myself in his battle to explore identity in an environment that seeks to erase it. This book shows tribes as part of the current fabric of our nation rather than merely part of history. And it examines a dimension of diversity that’s often forgotten: disability. In the hands of a trusted teacher who can guide students through difficult conversations, this story has the power to push readers into uncomfortable but important – all through the lens of an uproariously funny teen. – Fernando

Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

It’s fun to be scared. Granted, in controlled environments – movie theaters, haunted houses, or between the covers of a book. Or in the case of Stine’s beloved horror series, dozens of books starring a bevy of spooky frights: werewolves, ghosts, haunted Halloween masks and even an evil ventriloquist's dummy. These books have long been challenged in school libraries for being too scary, but those who object clearly don’t remember what it was like to be a kid with a vivid imagination. In a world so full of real horrors, the pretend ones offer escape and catharsis. Besides, if my generation could survive the “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” illustrations, what possible danger could a few “Goosebumps” books be? – VanDenburgh

'Bridge to Terabithia' by Katherine Paterson

Farm boy Jess Aarons and imaginative, bright-eyed new girl Leslie Burke become friends and create Terabithia, a fantasy kingdom in the woods. Inspired by the magic they brought to that wooded glade, I once made my own Terabithia in a circle of tall trees in my backyard while playing outside with my friends. But (spoiler alert) after Leslie fell to her death, I was shocked. I didn’t know then that Leslie’s death and Jess’ experience of it would feel much like how my own loss would feel in the many years to come – random and senseless. Seeing Jess in the aftermath of Leslie’s death prepared many of us for what loss would feel like, the unsparing pendulum swinging between the good days and the bad. Their story also taught me the power of joyful imagination and creativity, that people are complicated (even the bullies) and that, despite the devastating reality of death, there is hope for life after loss. – Fernando

'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley

Few classic sci-fi novels bear more of a resemblance to modern times than "Brave New World." Huxley explores a future in which the government’s obsessive need for economic growth creates an endless consumerist cycle and a society divided into a rigid caste system that separates people by jobs, intelligence and appearance. The world is painted as a utopia but only because its citizens are kept complacent by entertainment and mood-altering drugs. They believe they receive everything they want, but their places in society have been carefully curated by the government and technology. There’s no room to be an individual in Huxley’s futuristic England, and anyone who tries is punished. Consumerism. Prejudice. Happiness above truth. These are all things we continue to grapple with as a modern, global society. – Joanna Nelius

'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' by Judy Blume

“Why would anyone want to ban ‘Are You There God’?” my sixth grade daughter asked. “It’s my favorite book.” Grace is 11, the same age I was when I read Blume’s classic novel about preteen girls grappling with puberty (breasts and periods, anyone?), religion and sexuality. As with Grace today, it was my favorite book then. I found comfort and familiarity in Margaret, her friends and her conversations with God. Their world was my world, and Blume paints an unvarnished picture of what life is like for maturing girls. Those frank discussions of sensitive topics – often challenging for tweens and adults alike – are why girls love the book and adults challenge it. And why this mom is thrilled that it’s still one sixth graders reach for and cherish, a generation later. – Kristen DelGuzzi

'Persepolis' by Marjane Satrapi

When I first read “Persepolis” in college, I was immediately enchanted with the punk rock protagonist of the graphic memoir. I never lived through the Islamic Revolution in Iran, but to see Satrapi depict how the revolution disrupted people, families and communities has always stuck with me. I’m not sure how anyone can read “Persepolis” and not be touched by how loving Satrapi’s family is even when they fear for her safety. Satrapi showed us what life was like as a young, rebellious woman growing up in Iran during the 1980s. For those who found a way to survive, they lived life as best they could. And like so many other young women coming of age, Satrapi had sex (gasp!) and cursed and used drugs. Experimenting is what young people do. It’s an insult to her vulnerability that some have tried to ban her book. – Mabinty Quarshie

'The Glass Castle' by Jeannette Walls

Alcoholism, abuse and poverty plagued Jeannette Walls’ childhood. But so did ambition, hope and love. The meticulous — and at times heart-wrenching — juxtaposition of these themes makes this memoir a compelling read despite concerns over the sensitive nature of its content. As a child, Walls’ family lived a nomadic lifestyle in pursuit of a lavish lifestyle complete with a castle-like home. Walls’ recounting of her dysfunctional upbringing, as well as her ascent into adulthood, sheds light on the reality that millions of impoverished children face in this country: A need to provide for and protect themselves when adults won’t. – Melina Khan

'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' by Mark Haddon

This was among the first books I read with a neurodiverse character at its core. Instead of letting Christopher sit on the periphery, Haddon brings the reader into Christopher’s perception of the world by writing the text in ways that make it more representative of his lived experience. The novel directly shows how Christopher perceives things, including how signs at a busy airport become overwhelming walls of text. This allows Haddon to bring into question whether what most people think of as “normal” is actually better. Christopher’s world is more compassionate and empathetic toward animals, including his pet rat, Toby, and the dog whose mysterious death he sets out to solve. Aside from being a phenomenal bildungsroman, the novel stands the test of time. I read it first as a teenager, and again in my senior year of college. Both times I walked away feeling as though I’d learned more than you’d think a fictional book could ever teach. – Lindsey Vickers

'The Things They Carried' by Tim O'Brien

The Vietnam War may have started more than 60 years ago, but that doesn't make the war stories of "The Things They Carried" any less relevant for young readers today. It's not an easy read but that's the point. Learning about the day-to-day struggles soldiers have to endure is not supposed to be easy. It's supposed to be vulgar, explicit and confusing because that's exactly what soldiers face. The novel provides an unfiltered view of war that vastly contrasted the way people felt about World War II. It represents a pivotal point in history and mirrors the public sentiment of the ’70s when people stopped romanticizing war and started critically examining why we go to war and how it affects those who fight. This book presents a much-needed glimpse into the real lives of soldiers, and while it may not be a feel-good read, it’s a necessary one. – Ellsworth

'The Golden Compass' by Philip Pullman

The same reason as to why “The Golden Compass” was banned is the reason it should be a must-read. The novel is often described as the antithesis of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” which is known for its Christian allegories, because of its supposed message of atheism. Pullman’s first book in "His Dark Materials" fantasy trilogy pushes the boundaries with young characters seeing through the lies of organized religion (in this case the Magisterium) and eventually killing “God” himself. Regardless of the readers’ religion, it’s important for children to learn to question any and all institutions. Through a more contemporary lens, readers will surely appreciate Pullman’s themes even if they don’t agree with his conclusions. – Josh Rivera

'Beloved' by Toni Morrison

Motherhood in the U.S. has never been easy. We are a nation that reveres motherhood without providing the resources moms need to thrive. Now imagine the trauma of being an enslaved Black mother who doesn’t even control her own body, much less her children's. “Beloved” shows us the impossible choices Black mothers were forced to make during slavery. Who could blame Sethe, the protagonist, for doing anything to prevent her children from being enslaved – even to the point of death? I certainly can’t. Slavery has never been pretty, and it never will be. There are moments of incredible pain and violence inflicted upon Black men and women in “Beloved.” We can’t look away from these horrors because a few people refuse to accept that racism was a fundamental part of U.S. history. Holding up the nation’s sins to our faces was a heroic choice Morrison made in her writing. And we were all the better for it. – Quarshie

'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee

Everything in this book is uncomfortable, and not because it accurately describes overt racism in sometimes noxious language. It’s uncomfortable because it holds up a mirror to our present: the ease with which neighbors will embrace lies and willingly fall in with a mob; a legal system working overtime to send a Black man to prison; how fear informs our view of the mentally ill; and the brutal dividing line between the poor and the privileged. This is a provocative book, not a perfect one. But the shortcomings of 1930s race, society and language it depicts which so distress critics are not failings of the author’s words. They are the continued failings of our world. Now is not the time to look away. – Patricia Beall

'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy

Winner of the Man Booker Prize, "The God of Small Things" focuses on twins and their family in Kerala, India. Roy explores how her characters’ lives – both past and present – are shaped by their social, political, religious and environmental surroundings. She provides readers with an insightful look into India’s colonial history, discriminatory caste system and the rise of the Communist Party in the nation in the late ’60s while challenging notions of forbidden love to present a complex portrait of an era and its societal consequences years later. It's an important read for students to understand the legacy of colonialism and the devastating impacts of discrimination. – Grace Hauck

'The Outsiders' by S.E. Hinton

When Johnny Cade implores Ponyboy Curtis to “stay gold,” it’s more than a wish from a dying friend. It’s a prayer of sorts to be carried throughout life, an adage to turn to when we need to be uplifted. That line, taken from Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” is the moral centerpiece of Hinton’s novel and its study of innocence lost. Pitting the blue-collar “Greasers” against the wealthy “Socs” is a frequently employed trope, but the melancholy that pervades Hinton’s debut novel (which she wrote in high school!) resonates beyond a seemingly simplistic setup of contrasting socioeconomic status. Some find the murder in the book unsuitable for teen readers. But when Johnny later tries to rescue some schoolchildren from a burning church (and dies from his injuries), the point is made. Golden is eternal. – Melissa Ruggieri

'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' by Mark Twain

I can’t remember when I first read "Huck," but English is my second language and it helped me learn not only how English has changed over time, but also how America has changed. When I met Huck, I heard only the boy’s voice and saw only what he understood. Upon rereading and realizing what Jim had been saying all along, I entered another universe through the eyes of a Black enslaved man, ripped from his family and fighting through his fear to survive. I never forgot how Twain gave depth to such different voices in “Huck.” He helped me write and rewrite my own novel. Keep “Huck,” for its teaching mechanics as well as its wise heart. – Elston

'50 Shades of Grey' by E.L. James

In a time in which we consider ourselves forward thinkers, it is shocking to still consider any conversation revolving around sex taboo. "50 Shades" is one of the most well-known and controversial erotica novels, but there are a vast number of authors trying to broach the subject, many worrying their writing is good only behind closed doors. In writing "50 Shades," James gives those writers a voice – those that have been waiting for the right moment to share their deepest, darkest desires with the world. It is necessary to normalize thoughts about sex and not slap tape across our lips to keep from expressing our tastes in the bedroom. – Nishka Dhawan

'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker

Taking inspiration from her literary foremother Zora Neale Hurston, Walker centers on Southern Black women, who are all too often misrepresented in American culture. I was a little girl when I first picked up “The Color Purple” but it would take until I was an adult to fully comprehend the courage it took for Celie to let go of all the oppressive teachings she internalized and find her own freedom. Oftentimes, what people call controversial in literature is simply an author refusing to ignore the truth. Celie’s relationship with Shug Avery may be a relationship that makes some people uncomfortable. But for Black LGBTQ people, it’s a necessary and affirming literary coupling. Don’t we all deserve to see our lives and truths reflected in the literature we read? – Quarshie

'The Giver' by Lois Lowry

A must-read dystopian novel for any teen, I first read this book in middle school, and then I reread it in high school and college. The main character, a tween named Jonas, is given the important role as "Receiver of Memory," where he is supposed to retain the beautiful and dark moments others in his community can't see. He can see color in a black-and-white world as well as the environment, animals, human emotions and past experiences. The book sheds light on the importance of freedom, but the message goes deeper than that. Life is spontaneous and crazy, and there shouldn’t be someone telling us how to live our life when we have the ability to carve our own destiny. Banning this book would be a loss for children, not a gain – Sudiksha Kochi

'A Separate Peace' by John Knowles

I first read Knowles’ 1959 novel “A Separate Peace” at 14 as a closeted gay teenager. I next read “A Separate Peace” at 29 as an out gay adult. I provide this context because it absolutely shaped the way I read the story about wealthy teens at a New England boarding school at the start of World War II, and understood the relationship between Gene and Finny – one of platonic love bordering on romantic, one of pride bordering on envy and one of playing around bordering on violence. As clarified in David Levithan's afterword included in my edition, Knowles did not intend on homoeroticism between the characters. But Levithan gets to the heart of how I felt: “Knowles did not write about two boys who know they are gay or have conscious gay feelings, but he certainly created a compelling resonance for boys who do.” Either way, thank you, Knowles. – David Oliver

'The Bluest Eye' by Toni Morrison

Setting aside every major literary award bestowed upon her, Morrison’s oeuvre is too important to American literature to ever be cast aside or banned. I was a teenager the first time I read “The Bluest Eye,” too young to truly grasp the horror of what Morrison was writing about. Now, as a dark-skinned Black woman rereading it, I understand the suffering that Pecola Breedlove was subjected to. If we can’t read and contemplate the horrors that are inflicted upon our children, how will we ever make the world a better place? Yes, “The Bluest Eye” takes an unflinchingly look at sexual violence and incest, but we cannot afford to look away. – Quarshie

'1984' by George Orwell

I read "1984," one of the most thought-provoking and interesting dystopian books I have come across, back in my high school English class. There is simply no other book that can show readers what it would be like to live in a society where the freedom to think and make choices for oneself is not allowed. The book sheds light on why it is important for people to express themselves and make choices, and why freedom of expression is important in society. Another important theme that struck my attention was misinformation and disinformation being spread by the ruling party. As an early career reporter, I strive to make sure the public knows the truth and the facts. This book is a must-read for any high schooler because it teaches lessons you wouldn’t get from any other book – Kochi

'The Hunger Games' series by Suzanne Collins

I fell down the "Hunger Games" rabbit hole during the pandemic. What started as something to pass time turned into a deep dive into Collins' post-apocalyptic world of Panem, a society deeply divided by wealth disparity, where the elite are more concerned with pageantry than basic human rights. I couldn’t help but notice some striking parallels between the dystopia and our pandemic-riddled nation. The rich got richer. The poor got poorer. And although we don’t send a boy and girl from each district to their televised demise, the constant loop of the trauma of Black and brown bodies being killed by police felt similar in the summer of 2020. The tale may have been outrageously dystopian when Collins published her first installment in 2008, but it is not as outrageous in today's lens. – Cydney Henderson

'A Wrinkle in Time' by Madeleine L’Engle

The first time I read “A Wrinkle in Time,” I was even younger than the sci-fi classic’s 13-year-old heroine, Margaret (Meg) Murray. At the time, I didn’t know how much I needed a heroine like her in my life. As I’ve reread the book (and read it to my own kids), I’ve sent up a brief word of thanks that I was introduced to Meg. She overcomes impossible peril. Resentfully, even angrily, she saves her family, not despite her flaws but because of them. A wild, strange, sprawling tale, “A Wrinkle in Time” let me know there’s immense power in being yourself; that the galaxy is weird, wide and wonderful; that love is the answer; and that you can be terrified and do brave things anyway. In fact, you must. – Beaudry

'Born a Crime' by Trevor Noah

Noah’s 2016 memoir, "Born A Crime," is at its core a love letter to his mother, whose romantic relationship with a Swiss man was a punishable offense in South Africa’s apartheid state. She rears Trevor through apartheid and its chaotic collapse, and eventually through her own abusive relationship with his stepfather by a mix of tough love, gallows humor and religion. The book forces readers to look critically into corners where we too easily looked away. Certainly, apartheid was touched on in our history or government classes. Too often, though, its abstract presentation – brutal colonization, minority rule, a worthy martyr named Nelson Mandela – never encouraged us to get too close, lest we recognize our own pathologies. – Gabe Lacques

'Harry Potter' series by J.K. Rowling

It's a shame Rowling tarnished her own legacy in recent years by attacking transgender people – for fans, her hate speech felt like a betrayal of the very values her books espoused. "The Harry Potter" novels have been frequently challenged by religious groups for supposedly promoting witchcraft. But snatching these books out of the hands of children because of that supernatural bogeyman would be doing them an awful disservice. The series taught a generation of readers about empathy, friendship and courage in the face of political danger. Harry Potter is a powerful example of fiction's ability to make us more thoughtful and discerning people, and for that, it should not be banned. – Jason Lalljee

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why you should read these banned books now

Reporting by USA TODAY Staff / USA TODAY

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