BostonPL_Books Banned in New EnglandLike this list

13 items

• A Prayer for Owen Meany

  a Novel

  Irving, John, 1942-

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  When 11-year old Owen Meany hits a foul ball and kills his best friend's mother, it changes his life. Removed from the Pelham, NH, summer reading list after a parent complained about the novel's objectionable language and sexuality.

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (National Book Award Winner)

  Alexie, Sherman

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  The story of a teenage boy living on a Spokane Indian reservation who transfers to an all-white high school. Challenged in Mattapoisett, MA, after it was assigned to an eighth-grade English class. This novel is usually challenged for…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Tweaked

  a Crystal Meth Memoir

  Moore, Patrick, 1962-

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  Memoir of a crystal-meth addict who grew up in Iowa and moved to Los Angeles. Banned from North Middlesex, MA, because the book contains “’F’ words and instructions on how to make certain types of illegal drugs.”

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

  Rowling, J. K.

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  A story about a young wizard and his friends and their time at school battling dark forces. All of the novels in the Harry Potter series were banned in Wakefield, MA, due to the content of witchcraft and sorcery.

• The Lovely Bones

  Sebold, Alice

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  Narrated from heaven, Susie Salmon, who was raped and murdered, watches as her family copes in a myriad of ways. Moved to a faculty section of a school library in Waltham, MA, because it was considered too scary for the students.

• The Hunger Games

  Collins, Suzanne

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  The entire series is about a society in which "districts" send their children (11-18) to a game where the only way to win is to kill the other contestants. Challenged in Goffstown, NH, by a parent claiming that it gave her eleven-year-old nightmares…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Water for Elephants

  a Novel

  Gruen, Sara

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  A historical novel with strong romantic elements set in the 1920s with a traveling circus. Removed from a course list in Bedford, NH, after a parent complained about the novel’s sexual content.

• The Bluest Eye

  Morrison, Toni

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  A young black girl in 1941 wishes for her eyes to turn blue. Challenged in Brookfield, CT, because of sex scenes, profanity, and age-appropriateness of the book.

• Ttyl

  Myracle, Lauren, 1969-

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  An epistolary novel about three teen girls that was retained in Norwalk, CT. While some critics decry its style as “grammatically incorrect,” most who take exception point to its “foul language,” sexual content, and questionable sexual behavior.

• Wizardology

  the Book of the Secrets of Merlin

  Steer, Dugald

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  A children's book about the secrets of alchemy and wizardry written by Merlin himself! Challenged in West Haven, CT, due to concerns that the book exposes children to the occult.

• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

  An Authoritative Text, Contexts and Sources, Criticism

  Twain, Mark, 1835-1910

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  A story about a young boy's adventures in the Mississippi Valley. Challenged in Manchester, CT, due to the use of racially insensitive language throughout the book.

• The Glass Castle

  A Memoir

  Walls, Jeannette

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  The author's memoir of her dysfunctional family. Challenged after the parents of a child objected to its inclusion on an AP English teacher's summer reading list in Hollis/Brookline, NH.

• Mapping Censorship

  View on bannedbooksweek.org

  Chris Peterson of the National Coalition Against Censorship and Alita Edelman of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression created a visual representation of banned books throughout the United States. All of the titles on this list…Read moreRead more of this annotation