Banned Books for Kids: The Ultimate Homeschool Reading List
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I never really spent much time thinking about banned books for kids until I began homeschooling. I noticed that the books I was reading with my kids frequently ended up on banned book lists. I enjoyed the books we were reading and so did my kids. Some years our entire reading list was made up of banned books! This is when I started paying attention. I wanted to know why a book was banned. Honestly, knowing that a book has been banned makes me even more likely to read it.
What is a banned book?
A banned book is a book that has been banned or intensely challenged by a school district or public library. Books are not banned on a national level in the United States, so a book can be banned in one school and available in school libraries in a different district. They are also still for sale, although there have been lawsuits attempting to remove books from bookstore shelves.
This banned book list does not include every banned book or even commonly banned books. It focuses on banned books for kids that you might want to consider adding to your homeschool reading list.
Banned Books for Kids: Elementary School, Middle School, and High School
I organized this list of banned books for kids into banned picture books, chapter books, and novels. Generally, the books that appear towards the beginning of the list are for younger students and the books towards the end of the list are for older students.
Not every book will be appropriate for every age and every person. As a homeschool parent, you have the ability to tailor your student’s reading list. You do not need to let me know if you don’t approve of a book on this list. You can just make the choice for your family.
Banned Books for Kids: The Ultimate Homeschool Reading List
Banned Picture Books
- Combines phonics and word recognition
- Highly recommended
- This is one of the books of the ‘beginner books’ series, which by exacting blends of words and pictures encourage children to read all by themselves
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Hop On Pop is a silly Dr. Seuss book that features pages with short rhyming text. It is frequently recommended for beginning readers because most of the words are only one syllable and follow beginning reading patterns.
Why it was banned: People claim that Hop On Pop encourages violence against fathers.
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Strega Nona provides help to her Italian town through magic. She has a huge pot that is always full. One day someone uses the magic phrase without knowing what they are doing. Pasta soon overflows the pot and floods the town with noodles.
Why it was banned: It depicts witchcraft positively.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Where the Wild Things Are tells the story of Max. Max has been sent to his room. From his room, he sails to a magical island where the wild things live. He is declared their king, and he leads them through a wild rumpus. Eventually, he smells delicious food being prepared at home, so he returns to his room.
Why it was banned: Where the Wild Things Are has been challenged because people worried that the magical beasts might be too frightening for children.
Related: Activities for Where the Wild Things Are
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
- The Giving Tree – Children’s Book, Hardcover
- Hardcover Book
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Giving Tree is a picture book about a boy who grows up with a tree. As the boy grows, the tree gives him things he wants and needs. When the boy is young, these things include apples to eat, a place for a swing, and a place to play. As the boy grows up, his needs change, so the tree gives him wood to build and a stump as a place to rest.
Why it was banned: The Giving Tree was challenged because a library believed it was sexist and that the boy’s behavior was selfish.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble begins the way you would expect. Sylvester finds a magic pebble. The magic pebble grants him wishes as long as he is holding it while making his wish. One day a lion scares Sylvester, and he wishes he were a rock so the lion would leave him alone. Unfortunately, the pebble rolls away as soon as Sylvester is transformed, so he is stuck in rock form. He misses his family terribly but is eventually reunited with them.
Why it was banned: All of the characters in this picture book are animals, but some groups objected to the police being represented by pigs.
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
And Tango Makes Three is the true story of a same-sex penguin couple who hatch an abandoned egg. They raise the chick, Tango, together as a family.
Why it was banned: And Tango Makes Three has been challenged because it features a same-sex relationship.
Related: Great And Tango Makes Three Activities
Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story From the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine
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Henry was born into slavery. When he was very young, he worked near his mother, but that changed when he was given to his owner’s son. He worked in a tobacco factory for many years. There he met a woman who became his wife, and they had a family. Tragically, he was separated from his wife and family when they were sold. Henry hatched a plan with a local doctor to be mailed up north so he could finally be free.
Why it was banned: Henry’s Freedom Box has been challenged because the portrayal of slavery was harsh. There have also been concerns that children would be afraid of being separated from their families.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This is a simple picture book that details a group of friends making fry bread. They talk about all of the elements of fry bread.
Why it was banned: I cannot find a single reason why this book has been challenged. I found it on multiple school lists of banned books, but there is never a reason given.
Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a Time by Linda Sue Park
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Nya’s Long Walk is a picture book companion to the novel A Long Walk to Water. It tells the story of a South Sudanese girl who must walk two hours to get water for her family. One day her sister becomes sick on the walk, and Nya must manage to get both her sister and the family’s water supply home.
Why it was banned: This book was banned in many Florida school districts, but there is no reason stated.
Related Post: Activities for A Long Walk to Water
14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
After the horrific events of 9/11, a group of Maasai warriors gifted America with 14 cows as condolences. It is a true story of hope and generosity.
Why it was banned: This nonfiction book was banned in Florida without any reason given. I’m noticing a trend.
Related post: Books About September 11th
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
In 1960, a 6-year-old girl, Ruby Bridges, was the first black child to walk into a newly desegregated elementary school. This little girl had to walk past an angry mob of adults just so she could get an education. This is the true story of those events.
Why it was banned: This book was challenged by a school board in 2020 because people claimed it may make young white children feel bad. The school board reversed its decision in 2021 due to public pressure.
Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai wrote a picture book that is based on her childhood. She grew up in Pakistan and wished for a magic pencil to make life better for everyone. As she grew up, she realized that she didn’t need magic to make the world a better place.
Why it was banned: This book has been banned in several school districts around the United States. One district said that it was banning all books that taught social justice. The other districts have not stated the reason for the ban.
Grandpa Cacao: A Tale of Chocolate From Farm to Family by Elizabeth Zunon
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A young girl bakes a chocolate cake with her father. While they are baking, he tells her about her grandfather, a cacao farmer in the Ivory Coast of West Africa.
Why it was banned: I can’t find a reason for this book ban.
Little Red Riding Hood by Trina Schart Hyman
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Little Red Riding Hood is a classic fairy tale in which a young girl walks through the woods to take dinner to her sick grandmother. She is being pursued by a wolf. With the help of a woodsman, the girl and her grandmother are safe.
Why was it banned: This edition of Little Red Riding Hood has been challenged in places because there is a bottle of wine in the basket of food for the grandmother. Critics claim that it is promoting alcohol consumption.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See by Bill Martin and Eric Carle
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See is a frequently read sequencing book. On each page, Brown Bear sees something new. The list of things it sees grows, with readers listing everything read. I read this book with my kindergarten class because it contains plenty of color words for new readers.
Why it was banned: This book ban is a case of mistaken identity and lack of research. The school district that banned this book thought it was written by a different Bill Martin. The Bill Martin they wanted to ban wrote books on Marxist theory, not children’s picture books. Nevertheless, Brown Bear ended up banned.
Banned Chapter Books for Kids
- These are the words in Charlotte’s web, high in the barn
- Her spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, as well as the feelings of a little girl named Fern … who loves Wilbur, too
- Their love has been shared by millions of readers
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Charlotte’s Web is a story about talking farm animals and a spider who can weave words into her web. Wilbur the pig befriends Charlotte the spider after his life is saved by the young farmer’s daughter. Charlotte weaves words that express her feelings about Wilbur into her spiderweb.
Why it was banned: Charlotte’s Web has been challenged because parents were upset that it includes talking animals. They felt that was offensive to God. They also objected to the death of a spider because they thought that would be upsetting to children.
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
- 8 Gb de Memoria
- Doble ventilador
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The Harry Potter series of books tells the story of a young wizard named Harry Potter. He escaped death as a baby and lived undercover until his 11th birthday. The series follows his adventures at Hogwarts.
Why it was banned: Witchcraft, the occult, and anti-family themes are frequently given reasons why Harry Potter is banned. The Harry Potter books have been hotly debated ever since the first book was published. I remember writing a paper on why children should be allowed to read it during free reading time when I was in college working on my teaching degree.
Related: Fun Harry Potter Treats
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Giver is about a boy who lives in a seemingly utopian world. Everyone is assigned a family and a job. Everyone is useful, and no one is hungry. At first, it seems like an ideal community. When Jonas turns twelve, he begins training for his new job as the Receiver of Memory. As he goes through his training, he realizes that this is actually a dystopian environment.
Why it is banned: The Giver is challenged because it alludes to infanticide and euthanasia for sick and elderly members of the community.
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Harriet has always wanted to be a spy, so she practices the skill of observation by writing down everything about everyone in her notebook. Eventually, her notebook ends up in the wrong hands, and her classmates read what she wrote.
Why it was banned: This book is challenged because people believe it encourages kids to spy.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
- Captivating children’s book
- Jess Aaron’s greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade
- He’s been practicing all summer and can’t wait to see his classmates’ faces when he beats them all
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Bridge to Terabithia is a story of friendship. Two friends create an imaginative land where they are able to escape their daily problems. Unfortunately, one of the children dies, and the other must overcome an enormous amount of grief.
What it was banned: This book is controversial because some people believe that children should not read about death.
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Grandmamma has always warned the boy about real witches. They are pure evil and want nothing more than to get rid of all children. He listens carefully but still finds himself in danger when he meets the Grand High Witch.
Why it was banned: I assumed that this book would be banned due to witchcraft like some of the other titles. Instead, it has been challenged for being misogynistic because the witches are women and it is a boy who meets them.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This book tells the story of the Watson family’s trip to Birmingham. They are leaving Flint, Michigan, and going to visit their grandmother in Birmingham, Alabama. Unfortunately, they are headed to a troubled time in America’s history.
Why it was banned: This book has been challenged for violence. Unfortunately, history is often violent.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
- Author: Taylor, Mildred D..
- Publisher: Puffin Books
- Pages: 288
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is about a family’s struggle during the Great Depression. The story highlights many points of contention between black and white families in the 1930’s.
Why it was banned: This book was challenged for discussing racism.
It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This book explains everything related to sexuality. It covers body parts, sex, puberty, and ways to stay healthy.
Why it was banned: Some adults feel that this book contains sexual content that is not age-appropriate.
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
They Called Us Enemy is a graphic novel about a young George Takei’s experience growing up in a Japanese internment camp during World War 2.
Why it was banned: This book has been banned in some school districts because it discusses racial issues.
Related post: Activities to Accompany They Called Us Enemy
Banned Novels
These banned novels are most likely to be read by high school students.
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The animals on the farm are tired of the way they are being treated. They team up, under the leadership of the pigs, and overthrow the farmer. They establish their own government. Before long, their government is overrun with corruption, and they realize that maybe life isn’t better.
Why it was banned: Animal Farm has been accused of being Communist propaganda.
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This graphic novel tells the story of Spiegelman’s father during the Holocaust. The Jewish people are drawn as mice, and the Nazis are illustrated as cats.
Why it was banned: Maus is often challenged because it includes potentially offensive language and a brief nude drawing. It also receives criticism for violence.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This classic story tells the tale of a young girl who observes racial tensions in her community. Her father, a lawyer, takes on the case of a black man accused of raping a white woman.
Why it was banned: To Kill a Mockingbird has been challenged for language and the mention of rape.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This classic is about a dystopian society where books are burned, not read. Firemen set books and the buildings where they are hidden on fire and watch them burn. Eventually, one of the firemen meets someone who opens his eyes to new ideas.
Why it was banned: This book has been challenged (kind of ironically) because some people are offended by the language in the book. Other people were upset that a Bible was burned in the book.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Slaughterhouse-Five is a semi-biographical story about the bombing of Dresden, Germany, in World War 2. Parts of the story are based on history, and others are embellished or fictional. The bombing was controversial, and so is the book.
Why it was banned: This book has been challenged many times for obscene language, for violence, and for being antiwar.
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D Jackson
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Monday’s Not Coming is a novel about a teenage girl who seems to vanish overnight. She doesn’t show up for school, and her friend is concerned. After asking around, it seems that no one can remember the last time they saw Monday. Even her mother isn’t sure when she saw her last.
Why it was banned: People accuse this novel of teaching critical race theory. Other parents are upset that this book includes explicit language about sex.
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Out of Darkness is a story of racism and young love with a dose of a natural gas fire in a school. It is 1937 in Texas, and many people find it inappropriate for a Mexican girl and a Black boy to date. This story is based on true events.
Why it was banned: This book has been challenged because it includes explicit language about sex – both consensual and nonconsensual.
The Scarlett Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Scarlett Letter is an American classic novel. It is about a woman who is cast out from a puritanical society when she conceives a child as a result of an affair.
Why it was banned: The Scarlett Letter has been challenged because some people consider the plot obscene.
Book bans operate under the idea that people need to be bubble-wrapped and never exposed to anything that makes them feel anything other than complete joy. That isn’t real life. Books can help people not feel alone. They can offer a different viewpoint. And sometimes the sad books make us appreciate the good in our lives.
Ways to Use These Banned Books in Your Homeschool
There are multiple ways to use these banned books for kids.
Read Alouds
My family enjoyed read-alouds until around the end of middle school. When my kids were younger, we read together throughout the day and every night before bed. When my kids got a little older, towards the end of our read-aloud days, I read aloud during lunch while they ate. It made lunchtime cozy, and the kids enjoyed it, especially if we watched the movie after we finished the book. Some of these banned books for kids would make fabulous read-alouds.
Reading List
Every year, I created a list of books for my kids to read. There are enough banned books for kids that you might be able to fill an entire school year with these titles, depending on the grade level.
Book Club
My daughter participated in homeschool book clubs during the majority of her homeschool years. In elementary and middle school, the girls enjoyed discussing the book and doing a related craft project. However, by high school, I noticed that the girls wanted deeper conversations around real issues. The novels on this list could be great options for a high school book club.
Related Post: How to Start a Book Club for Kids
Banned Books for Kids Course
Literary Adventures for Kids offers several courses that feature banned books for kids.
Banned Book Literature Series for Teens – The Banned Book Literature Series for Teens includes 12 online book clubs. It is designed to be a complete year of high school English, worth one credit on a high school transcript. The course covers literary analysis, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and writing.
Poetry Teatime: Banned Poets Edition – The Banned Poets Edition is a brand new poetry teatime by Literary Adventures for Kids. Every month, a new poetry teatime featuring banned poets will be added to the course, for a total of 11 poetry teatimes. My daughter and I enjoyed the Poetry and a Movie course and the Poetry Teatime: Holiday Edition by the same creator, so I expect the Banned Poets edition to be wonderful too.
Want to learn more about banned books for kids? The American Library Association maintains data on challenged and banned books. This is a fantastic resource to learn more about banned books. Some books are banned by a school board and then reverse the decision after public input, and the ALA database makes it easy to see the challenged history of a title.
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