Books often spark controversy due to their bold ideas, explicit content, or sensitive racial themes. Some debates persist for years.
Consider works like Art Spiegelman's 'Maus,' which recounts his parents' Holocaust survival with cats and mice as characters. It made history in 1992 as the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize and is commonly used in schools as a teaching aid about that period, similar to Anne Frank's diary. However, in January 2022, a decision by a Tennessee school board banned 'Maus' from classrooms, labeling it "vulgar and inappropriate" due to offensive language and illustrations. "God damn" is one of the offending phrases cited, and the illustration in question is of a female mouse.
Spiegelman expressed disbelief at the ban, criticizing the board's actions as Orwellian. "I’ve met so many young people who … have learned things from my book," Spiegelman commented. "I also understand that Tennessee is obviously demented. There’s something going on very, very haywire there."
The following books were all featured in the Library of Congress' exhibit 'Books that Shaped America,' and have all been banned, challenged, or censored.