Uncensored: Banned Books by Women

What’s the harm in banning books? Well for one it causes authors to face censorship and once one work is banned it can ricochet into more of their books being banned. Imagine all of the stories you’ve written being challenged one after the other - author Jodi Picoult, who has written such works as My Sister’s Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, and Speak, has 40 instances of her work being banned or challenged in nine states, according to Pen America’s index.

Picoult has spoken out against book bans over the years, and when her books became impacted she had this to say, “God, I'm sick of having my books banned. This time: My Sister's Keeper, Mercy and 19 Minutes in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa.”

This Women’s History Month, we ask that you join over 20,000 other DoSomething members to speak out against banned books by reading a banned book through Uncensored: Women's History Month. Select a banned/challenged book written by a female-identifying author, reflect on what you’ve taken from reading the work like, how it may have affected your life or shifted your perspective. Then share why it’s important to advocate for why the book deserves its place in your community.

My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights (2018) by Malala Yousafzai

2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai wrote this memoir which describes the story of her family uprooted by terrorism, and Malala’s journey in championing and fighting for girls’ education. As an education activist Malala advocates for the education of girls in Pakistan and has written numerous books that have been challenged in school districts. This memoir is currently banned in private schools in Pakistan.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (2017) by Erika L. Sánchez

This coming-of-age fiction about the main character, Julia, shows her rebelling against stereotypes and expectations of her roles within her family after the death of her mother. Sánchez is a poet and writer focusing on Latinx culture and history. As a daughter of undocumented and immigrant parents, her works reflect her upbringing. This work is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and a 2017 Finalist for Young People’s Literature. This book has 11 instances of being banned or challenged in states like Florida, North Carolina, and Oregon.

For Florida residents: Get this book for FREE at Banned Books USA

You Should See Me in a Crown (2020) by Leah Johnson

The debut novel of Leah Johnson, the story is about Liz Lighty, a black transgender teen, who’s always felt out of place living in a small midwestern town. She plans to move out of her town, to go to Pennington. The book follows through ambitions to win a scholarship awarded to prom queens and kings. Johnson has received critical acclaim for her work in representing Queer identities, and has been awarded a Stonewall Book Award Honor. The book has been challenged in Oklahoma for containing “obscene material”.

The Hate You Give (2017) by Angie Thomas

The Hate You Give, is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and in reaction to the shooting of Oscar Grant. It depicts a 16-year-old African-American girl from a poor neighborhood attending a private school in a predominantly white, affluent part of the city, and becomes entangled in a national news story after she witnesses a white police officer shoot and kill her childhood friend, Khalil. Thomas is an author who depicts political issues within her work, she focuses on making the political issues and events she depicts in her work personal, and her books have garnered popularity and have been recognized for encouraging young readers to find and use their voice. In response to the passage of Missouri S.B. 775, the St. Clair R-XIII School District has officially removed the book from school libraries - fearing that school staff may face potential criminal penalties.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (1969) by Maya Angelou

Author, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou wrote one of the first of seven autobiographical works, published in 1969. The book chronicles her life from age 3 through age 16, recounting an unsettled and sometimes traumatic childhood. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. According to Pen America, Angelou’s autobiography has been banned in Pennsylvania’s Penncrest School District. The book has also been banned and challenged due to concern about the controversial sexual content and alleged “anti-white” message.

The Bluest Eye (1970) by Toni Morrison

This novel explores the damaging effects of societal standards on a young black girl's sense of self-worth. It exposes the brutal realities of racism and the importance of self-acceptance in the face of adversity. Morrison built her work deeply rooted in activism, where she addressed themes of race, gender, and power in America. Her critically acclaimed Song of Solomon brought her national attention and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. According to the American Library Association (ALA) it is on the list of the most challenged for it’s depiction of sexual abuse and being sexual explicit - there are 73 instances of Morrison’s books being banned and challenged across the U.S.

Juliet Takes a Breath (2016) by Gabby Rivera

The story follows a young queer Puerto Rican woman from the Bronx who spends a summer in Portland as an intern to her feminist idol. Rivera is a Bronx-born queer Puerto Rican. She's the first Latina to write for Marvel comics, penning the solo series AMERICA about America Chavez, a portal-punching queer Latina powerhouse. Her focus is on representing queer Latinx identities in her work. The book has five instances in which it is being banned or challenged in school districts in states like Florida and Missouri. In Georgia, the Forsyth County School District included it on its list of banned books; they have stated removing books that contain sexually explicit content.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (2000) by Marjane Satrapi

In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. Satrapi is a French-Iranian graphic novelist, with her work based on her experiences growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution - the book has also been adapted into a 2007 animated film receiving critical acclaim. There are several instances of the book being challenged in Florida and Missouri with it also being banned in Iran and has been banned in Lebanon (which has been lifted in recent years).

The House on Mango Street (1984) by Sandra Cisneros

The House on Mango Street is about finding identity and a sense of belonging. Esperanza is a female coming of age in a man's world, and not only does she have to deal with men's advances in her community, but she also has to face prejudice from the outside as a Mexican American. Cisneros is a short-story writer and poet from Chicago, she also supports emerging writers through the two non-profit organizations she founded: the Macondo Foundation and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation, a grant-giving institution serving Texas writers. Most recently she’s been awarded the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature. The book has been banned in some school districts for being “inappropriate” and for “profanity, obscenity, or sexual material.” The book is a great example of the experience of many Hispanic girls, the rich culture and the struggles they face in urban settings.

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story (2021) by Nikole Hannah-Jones

The 1619 Project is a long-form journalism endeavor developed by Nikole Hannah-Jones, writers from The New York Times, and The New York Times Magazine. It focused on subjects of slavery and the founding of the United States. The first publication of the project was in The New York Times Magazine in August 2019. Nikole Hannah-Jones is a journalist who is known for her coverage of civil rights in the United States. She works as staff at The New York Times. “The 1619 Project was banned from being taught in Florida under the Stop W.O.K.E. Act.”