Avert your eyes! A gallery of banned and challenged books
Sherman Alexie won a National Book Award for his young adult novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.” The book was challenged at schools in New Jersey and Washington state. (Kevin P. Casey / For The Times)
Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel about coming of age in Afghanistan, “The Kite Runner,” was challenged for its graphic depiction of rape. (Photoshot / Getty Images)
Harper Lee, shown in the “To Kill a Mockingbird” courthouse, this summer is releasing a novel titled “Go Set a Watchman,” which is essentially a sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird.” (Harper Collins / Getty Images)
Of the 100 books that were challenged most in the 1990s, Judy Blume wrote five: “Forever” (No. 7), “Blubber” (No. 30), “Deenie” (No. 42), “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” (No. 60) and “Tiger Eyes” (No. 89). (Suzanne Plunkett / AP)
In 1989, Salman Rushdie’s book “The Satanic Verses” was banned in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Qatar, Indonesia, South Africa and India over its controversial take on Islam. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)