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Books banned or challenged in the United States

Titles below have at least one documented restriction in the United States. The restriction may be national, regional, or limited to a school or library. Open a book page for scope, year, and sources.

The catalog records 1 restriction and 34 challenges across 34 books here. Dated records run from 1918 (Ulysses) to 2024 (1984).

34 books

  • Cover of 1984, by George Orwell
  • Cover of Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
  • Cover of Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
  • Cover of Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
  • Cover of Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
  • Cover of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • Cover of The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
  • Cover of Ulysses, by James Joyce
  • Cover of Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
  • Cover of Animal Farm, by George Orwell
  • Cover of The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
  • Cover of A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway
  • Cover of Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
  • Cover of Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
  • Cover of Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
  • Cover of Native Son, by Richard Wright
  • Cover of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey
  • Cover of For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway
  • Cover of All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren
  • Cover of Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D. H. Lawrence
  • Cover of The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
  • Cover of In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
  • Cover of Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs
  • Cover of Women in Love, by D. H. Lawrence
  • Cover of Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller
  • Cover of An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser
  • Cover of Rabbit, Run, by John Updike
  • Cover of Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
  • Cover of The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien
  • Cover of The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
  • Cover of Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich
  • Cover of A Gathering of Old Men, by Ernest J. Gaines
  • Cover of A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines
  • Cover of The Dead Zone, by Stephen King

Restriction record

BookYearStatusScopeWhere
1984George Orwell2024RestrictedSchool Elizabeth School District, Colorado
The AwakeningKate Chopin2006At riskSchool United States
In Cold BloodTruman Capote2000At riskSchool United States
Native SonRichard Wright1998At riskSchool United States
Their Eyes Were Watching GodZora Neale Hurston1997At riskSchool United States
Song of SolomonToni Morrison1994At riskSchool United States
Animal FarmGeorge Orwell1987At riskSchool United States
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald1987At riskUniversity United States
1984George Orwell1981At riskSchool United States
Brave New WorldAldous Huxley1980At riskSchool United States
Rabbit, RunJohn Updike1976At riskSchool United States
Invisible ManRalph Ellison1975At riskSchool United States
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestKen Kesey1975At riskSchool United States
All the King's MenRobert Penn Warren1974At riskSchool United States
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck1974At riskSchool United States
Slaughterhouse-FiveKurt Vonnegut1973At riskSchool United States
Catch-22Joseph Heller1972At riskSchool United States
Naked LunchWilliam S. Burroughs1965At riskDistribution United States
For Whom the Bell TollsErnest Hemingway1940At riskDistribution United States
The Grapes of WrathJohn Steinbeck1939At riskSchool United States
Tropic of CancerHenry Miller1934At riskDistribution United States
The Sun Also RisesErnest Hemingway1930At riskDistribution United States
A Farewell to ArmsErnest Hemingway1929At riskSchool United States
Lady Chatterley's LoverD. H. Lawrence1929At riskDistribution United States
An American TragedyTheodore Dreiser1927At riskDistribution United States
Women in LoveD. H. Lawrence1922At riskDistribution United States
UlyssesJames Joyce1918At riskDistribution United States
A Gathering of Old MenErnest J. GainesUndatedAt riskSchool United States
A Lesson Before DyingErnest J. GainesUndatedAt riskSchool United States
Fahrenheit 451Ray BradburyUndatedAt riskSchool United States
Flowers for AlgernonDaniel KeyesUndatedAt riskSchool United States
Nickel and DimedBarbara EhrenreichUndatedAt riskSchool United States
The Dead ZoneStephen KingUndatedAt riskSchool United States
The House of the SpiritsIsabel AllendeUndatedAt riskSchool United States
The Things They CarriedTim O'BrienUndatedAt riskSchool United States