In celebration of the 42nd Freedom to Read Week (Feb. 22 – February 28), we’ve curated a list of challenged and banned books that you can explore in print and online.
Many of these once-controversial titles went on to become literary classics, including:
- Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
- John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
- Dubliners by James Joyce
While it’s often assumed that book bans and challenges are a thing of the past, the number of challenges continues to grow. In Canada, the Canadian Federation of Library Associations Intellectual Freedom Committee, together with the Book and Periodical Council Freedom of Expression Committee, created an annual survey to track challenges in Canadian public libraries. Since 2007, this survey has documented challenges to materials in library collections, as well as to displays, programs, room bookings, and computer access.
Freedom to Read Week highlights the importance of intellectual freedom and encourages Canadians to defend their right to read, write, and publish freely. Browse the full list of featured titles and discover books that have sparked conversation, debate, and lasting impact.