Banned Book Week 2021

Banned Book Week: September 26-October 2, 2021

Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2020-2021

  1. George by Alex Gino
  2. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
  3. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
  4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
  5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
  6. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
  7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  8. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
  9. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
  10. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

General Information

Marshall University does not ban books! The information is provided to let people know what has been banned/challenged elsewhere.

From September 26 to October 2, 2021, the Marshall University Libraries will be observing Banned Book Week with a display in the Drinko Library and an updated website. The theme this year is “Books Unite Us, Censorship Divides Us!”

Visit the website or stop by the display on the first floor of Drinko to see what has been challenged or banned over the past year. Contact Ron Titus at 696-6575 or library@marshall.edu with questions.

Banned Books Week (BBW) celebrates the freedom to choose and the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, stressing the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them. It is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Library of Congress’ Center for the Book.

Material for this page was obtained from the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom and Field Report 2020: Banned & Challenged Books by Robert P. Doyle.

On These Pages

A Banned book has been removed from a library, classroom, etc.
A Challenged book has been requested to be removed from a library, classroom, etc.

For additional information contact

Ron Titus, titus@marshall.edu
304-696-6575

Last updated

July 14, 2021