FAQs about Banned Books

John Steinbeck, Toni Morrison, William Faulkner, Judy Blume, Maya Angelou, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King and Mark Twain: What does each of these authors have in common? They have all written books that have been banned at one time or another. Combined, they have written some of the most influential novels in modern history and broken many records on bestseller lists. Their books have won countless awards and have been read by millions of people. Clearly, banned books don't necessarily live up to their nefarious image. A book can be banned for any number of reasons, and it only takes one person to make sure a book becomes banned or challenged. During the last week of September every year, the American Library Association celebrates "Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read" in an effort to remind Americans not to take freedom for granted. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about banned books.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is a banned book?
   A banned book is a work that contains material deemed inappropriate, offensive or even dangerous by certain people, organizations or political parties. Today, books are most often challenged by an individual or group that protests at their school, local library or bookseller until the latter agrees to remove the book from the shelves. If the protester is unsuccessful in instigating a ban, the book is considered challenged rather than banned.

2. Who bans books?
   According to the ALA, 56 percent of book challenges are initiated by parents, while 13 percent come from patrons of bookstores or libraries. Other sources of book bans include administrators, teachers, religious or political organizations and governments. Although bans are most often implemented on a local level, governments and other authoritative bodies can ban books on a larger scale and create laws to punish readers.

3. What are some reasons a book can become banned or challenged?
   The most common reason for a book to be challenged is it is considered sexually explicit. Other reasons include offensive language, content that is unsuited the targeted age group, religious viewpoints, racism or even just that someone didn't like it.

4. Why are books challenged?
   Books can be challenged with good intentions, in order to protect children from difficult ideas or sensitive information. Although this is good motivation for banning a book, it also prevents other people from gaining information from that book as well. Ultimately, it is up to parents to restrict their child's access to controversial books and materials. While challengers may have good intentions, many other readers consider that censorship by libraries or other peoples in the United States is a violation of the First Amendment.

5. What are some commonly banned books?
   In more recent years, the "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling has come under considerable scrutiny from religious groups and parents concerned that it was teaching children witchcraft. These protests didn't stop the books from topping bestseller lists for years. Classic literature is also under frequent attack. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury recently became banned at a school district in Mississippi; ironically, this is a book about censorship. Other frequently challenged classics include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison and The Call of the Wild by Jack London.