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This was the fourth top category of banned books according to Pen America (https://pen.org/report/banned-in-the-usa-state-laws-supercharge-book-suppression-in-schools/)
Metadata on books included:
“Ghost Boys” By Jewell Parker Rhodes
This story is about a 12-year-old boy named Jerome who is shot and killed by a police officer who mistook his toy gun for a real one. As a ghost, Jerome observes his family’s and communities’ devastation and the rise of a movement. This story is often banned because of discussions of race and racism.
“The Hate U Give” By Angie Thomas
This best-selling debut novel, The Hate U Give, follows a teenage girl who, after witnessing her Black friend killed by the police, grapples with the aftermath of his death. The novel eventually became a film in 2018 and is a sobering story of racism, police brutality and activism. This is another book frequently banned for discussing racism by police.
"Out of Darkness" By Ashley Hope Pérez
This novel is set in the 1930s and chronicles a love affair between two teenagers, a young Mexican American girl and an African American boy in East Texas. This has been banned because of sexually explicit content and themes of interracial relationships.
"Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
This graphic novel is about Native youth Arnold Junior, his life on the Spokane Indian Reservation and his decision to go to a nearly all-white public high school away from the reservation. It is often banned due to issues of race and racism.
"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison’s first novel, this book tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, an eleven-year-old African American girl who is convinced that she is ugly and that the only way to change her rough circumstances is to have lighter skin and blue eyes. This is often banned because of discussions of race as well as sexuality and abuse.
"Separate Is Never Equal: Slyvia Mendez and her Family’s Fight for Desegregation" By Duncan Tonatiuh
Set in the late 1940s, this book is about a character named Sylvia Mendez who is forced to overcome the ills of segregation when her family moves to California and is turned away from attending the neighborhood school. This has been banned widely due to perceived anti-police propaganda and discussions of racial issues.
List Order
| December 7, 2023 | Edited by Lucas Wentworth | Edited without comment. |
| December 7, 2023 | Edited by Lucas Wentworth | Updated list. |
| December 7, 2023 | Edited by Lucas Wentworth | Updated list. |
| December 7, 2023 | Edited by Lucas Wentworth | Updated list. |
| December 7, 2023 | Created by Lucas Wentworth | Edited without comment. |
