Welcome back to the Old Town Books blog. Today concludes 2020’s Banned Books Week, an annual event coordinated by the American Library Association (ALA) to celebrate works that have historically been censored in school and public library environments. Some members of our staff are happy to chime in and celebrate these diverse pieces by sharing their favorite and/or most impactful banned book.

Fahrenheit 451

Banned for: Vulgarity, obscenity

The central theme of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is the dangers of censorship, so it's ironic that it, too, has a history of being banned, challenged and censored.  A school once gave out copies of Fahrenheit 451 to students that had all "obscene" words blacked out. When I first read it, I remember the terrible shock of realizing that in this story, "firemen" burn books and destroy knowledge. From there, I was easily drawn into the story by Bradbury's prose and plot. It's one of America's great dystopian novels. — Jen (Book Buyer)

To Kill a Mockingbird

Banned for: Sexuality, Profanity

Growing up, I read a lot. I sometimes worried that I would run out of books to read at the local library. Because of this, the reading I did for school was usually an annoyance. I wasn't a fan of Charles Dickens or Thomas Hardy or Nathaniel Hawthorne. But there were a few books that excited me - and they tended to be the ones that have been banned. Those were the ones that were real and addressed issues we face in our world, not the droning of an old white man from centuries ago. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was one of the first books that made me ache and opened my eyes to the fact that my life as a white person is very different and more privileged than it would be if I were born Black. It showed me that injustice exists and that there's not always a happy ending. I think I read it five times in the two weeks we were given to read it once. I remember some students bringing notes from their parents to get them out from reading some of these books, and I always thought it was so sad. If our worldviews can't be challenged by new information, then how strong is it in the first place? Reading To Kill a Mockingbird and The Bluest Eye and 1984 and others were a vital part of my education, and I continue to believe that we have to read books that show us different perspectives and realities and possibilities. — Laura (Bookseller)

Beloved

Banned for: Violence, sexuality

Beloved by Toni Morrison is my favorite “banned book.” I was a sophomore in high school when I first read it and it was the first book I ever read by a Black woman in any of my classes. It was also the first book I read that didn’t feel like an assignment while reading it because I was so engrossed and a little horrified by the story. Beloved completely changed my perception of what literature could be, of how deeply fiction could evoke empathy. I’m so grateful to have learned this as a part of my curriculum, even though it’s often challenged in schools. — Angie (Social Media Coordinator)

The Awakening

Banned for: Sexuality, immorality

My favorite Banned Book would be The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I first read it in high school and didn't realize it was banned or challenged when it was first published in 1899. It's a short and sad story of a woman, Edna, who, during her summer spent vacationing with her husband and children at a resort at the Gulf of Mexico, begins a passionate affair with a local man. It's during this relationship that Edna truly realizes how unsatisfied she is with her life and how stifled she is as a wife and woman. Knowing she'll never be able to be happy with her lover or her husband, she commits suicide, drowning in the same water by which she originally vacationed. 

It's a hard read but important, I think, especially for younger women who are just starting to feel the restrictions that Edna struggles with. Ironically, this was why the book was challenged in the first place, deemed 'immoral' for depicting female sexual urges so frankly and openly. But Chopin's gorgeous and heartfelt writing will have you empathizing for Edna, no matter your gender. — Abby (Floor Manager)

Looking for Alaska

Banned for: Graphic language, sexuality

John Green’s first novel Looking for Alaska brought me so much more than simply reading pleasure. Along with his brother Hank (who wrote one of my favorite sci-fi novels of recent years), Green regularly posts YouTube videos for a community of self-proclaimed “Nerdfighters",” ranging in topic from global health, literature, pranks, and more. It was through a note left by such a fan in my library copy of Alaska that I connected with other awkward, artistic teenagers across the country and the world.

This novel, just as the real life connections it inspired, is full of heart, learning, and newly-felt depths of emotion. I think it makes literature and complex storytelling approachable to young people and opens the gateway to a love for learning that extends far beyond the last page. — Shannon (Bookseller)

Blog contributions by Jen Cheng, Laura Schwartz, Angie Sanchez, Abby Bennsky, and Shannon McCarthy. Photo by Angie Sanchez. Edited by Shannon McCarthy.