Banned Books
What is a banned book? The idea of banning a book is a form of censorship when private individuals, government officials, or organizations remove books from libraries, school curriculums, or bookshelves, often because the works go against these people's beliefs, ideas, or agendas. Despite the word "banned," it is not illegal to read a banned book because it would overstep the boundaries of freedom of speech. Although, banning books that are someone else's thoughts and ideas is a dangerous step toward eliminating the freedom of speech. It teaches people to rely on others' thoughts and feelings instead of thinking on their own. Banning books not only takes away the ability to read a creative story, but it also takes away our voice.
Here are a few banned books you can find at Paper Leaves. Check out the QR code to learn why these books are banned.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
In a world where it's illegal to own or read books, Guy Montag is a fireman whose responsibility is to destroy the most illegal of items–printed books and any house in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction of books by fire, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family." But when Montag meets his young neighbor Clarisse, who introduces him to a world where knowledge is not banned, and people can think using creative ideals, he begins questioning everything he has ever known. Are books really as dangerous as other firemen say and can only be used as fuel to a fire? Or are they the door to new universes where knowledge is free?
Harry Potter by J.K Rowling
The Harry Potter series follows a young Harry Potter through his seven years at his school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the beginning, Harry Potter had no idea that he was a wizard; he just thought he was a freak of nature who had strange abilities, but as the book continues, he learns that not only is he famous, but he's also a wizard that is expected to fight off an evil dark lord that killed his parents and hundreds of others. Harry Potter goes through many adventures, betrayals, and horrors as he fights trolls, evil wizards, and dragons and finds love and a family while trying to win a war that could destroy the wizarding world.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The animals take over a farm, overthrowing Mr. Jones, the abusive and neglectful farmer who runs Manor Farm. Now, the newly freed animals are discovering that they aren't truly free under the pig's rule. The other farm animals live in constant fear, hunger, and exhaustion as Napolean, the head pig, manipulates the other animals into doing his bidding by using psychological methods. Animal Farm is meant to be an allegory for what life was like during the Communist regime in the USSR with its questionable ideals and compelling slogans.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
In 1942, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled Nazi-occupied Amsterdam and went into hiding. The Franks and another family lived in the secret annex of an old office building for the next two years until the two families were betrayed by the Gestapo and taken to a concentration camp, where they were later killed. Cut off from the rest of the world, Anne Frank recorded her vivid impressions of her experiences in hiding as she faced hunger, boredom, and the constant fear of discovery and death. Her account of her time in the attic offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and the self-portrait of a young, spirited girl whose journey in life came to a tragic end.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, the book follows a young Jean Finch, an intelligent and unconventional girl. Jean is raised by her father, a prominent lawyer who always encourages his children to fight for what is just. So when Tom Robinson, one of the town's Black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, Atticus decides to defend him despite the backlash he faces from his community. The book illustrates what life was like during segregation, as many people saw Black people as objects instead of human beings and faced scrutiny and oppression.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Huck Finn, a barely literate teen, fakes his death to escape from his abusive, drunkard father. While enjoying his freedom, Huck meets a runaway slave named Jim, and together, the two embark on a long journey down the Mississippi River. Along the way, they encounter a family feud, two scoundrels pretending to be royalty, and a woman who mistakes Huck for her nephew, Tom Sawyer.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The two are an unlikely pair: George is small and quick, while Lennie is a man of tremendous size and has the mind of a young child. Both are laborers in California's dusty vegetable fields. They work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. They formed a "family" clinging together to their shared loneliness and alienation. But George and Lennie have plans to own an acre of land and a shack they can finally call their own. Of Mice and Men is meant to show the recurring themes throughout the laboring class during the 1930s in a world full of petty tyranny, jealousy, and callousness, but that a simple friendship can make an individual's existence meaningful.
Written by Carlie Renee
