Banned and challenged books often address important themes that deserve thoughtful discussion. These guides help educators, librarians, and book club leaders create safe spaces for exploring difficult topics and diverse perspectives.
These guides are designed to facilitate open dialogue, not to advocate for any particular viewpoint. Encourage participants to share their perspectives respectfully and to consider viewpoints different from their own.
Tips for Discussion Facilitators
- 1Establish ground rules. Before discussing sensitive topics, create agreements about respectful listening, speaking from personal experience, and welcoming different viewpoints.
- 2Know your audience. Adapt questions and discussion depth based on participants' ages, backgrounds, and comfort levels with the material.
- 3Allow for silence. Give participants time to think before responding. Not every question needs an immediate answer.
- 4Validate emotions. Some books may evoke strong feelings. Acknowledge that these reactions are valid while keeping discussion productive.
- 5Connect to broader context. Help participants understand why the book was challenged and what that reveals about societal tensions.
Book Discussion Guides
Select from the guides below based on your setting and the themes you want to explore. Each guide can be adapted for different age groups and discussion formats.
The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas (2017)
Why this book has been challenged: Profanity, drug use, and themes related to police brutality and racism. Some challenges cite anti-police messaging.
Background
The Hate U Give follows sixteen-year-old Starr Carter, who witnesses the fatal shooting of her unarmed childhood friend Khalil by a police officer. Starr must navigate between her poor neighborhood and her affluent prep school while deciding whether to speak up about what she witnessed. The novel explores racial identity, code-switching, systemic racism, and the power of finding one's voice.
Themes to Explore
Discussion Questions
Comprehension & Analysis
- How does Starr describe the differences between her two worlds? What does she feel she cannot share in each setting?
- What role does the title, taken from Tupac's "THUG LIFE" philosophy, play in understanding the novel's themes?
- How does the author use Starr's internal dialogue to show her growth throughout the story?
Personal Connection
- Have you ever felt like you had to act differently in different environments? How did that feel?
- What would you have done in Starr's position? What factors would influence your decision?
- How do you find your voice when speaking up feels risky?
Critical Thinking
- Why do you think this book has been frequently challenged? What makes these conversations difficult?
- How can fiction help us understand experiences different from our own?
- What responsibilities do communities have to address systemic inequities?
Activities & Extensions
- Research the Black Lives Matter movement and compare real events to those depicted in the novel.
- Write a journal entry from the perspective of a different character in the book.
- Create a playlist of songs that connect to themes in the novel and explain your choices.
- Investigate your local community's relationship between police and residents. What initiatives exist for dialogue?
- Compare media coverage of a fictional event in the book with how real similar events are covered.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie (2007)
Why this book has been challenged: Sexual content, profanity, violence, and depictions of bullying and underage drinking. Some challenges cite anti-family and offensive to religious sensibilities.
Background
This semi-autobiographical novel follows Junior, a fourteen-year-old Spokane Indian who decides to attend an all-white high school outside his reservation, seeking better opportunities. Through Junior's cartoons and first-person narrative, the book explores poverty, identity, hope, and the difficult choice between loyalty to one's community and pursuing personal dreams.
Themes to Explore
Discussion Questions
Comprehension & Analysis
- How do Junior's cartoons add to the storytelling? What can he express through drawings that might be harder to say in words?
- Why does Junior's decision to leave the reservation school feel like a betrayal to some? Who sees it differently?
- How does Sherman Alexie use humor to address serious topics? Is this effective?
Personal Connection
- Have you ever had to choose between loyalty to a group and pursuing your own goals? How did you handle it?
- Junior uses drawing to process his emotions. What creative outlets help you express yourself?
- How does where you grow up shape your expectations for your future?
Critical Thinking
- What does this book reveal about the ongoing effects of historical policies toward Native Americans?
- Why might some people find this book offensive? Why might others find it empowering?
- How can communities support young people who want to pursue opportunities while honoring their roots?
Activities & Extensions
- Research the history of Indian boarding schools and their lasting impact on Native communities.
- Create your own cartoon or illustrated diary entry about a time you felt caught between two worlds.
- Interview someone from a different cultural background about how they maintain their cultural identity.
- Investigate organizations working to support Native American youth education.
- Read other works by Native American authors and compare their perspectives.
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison (1970)
Why this book has been challenged: Sexually explicit content including depictions of child abuse and incest. Some challenges cite the book as unsuitable for any age due to its graphic content.
Background
Toni Morrison's debut novel tells the tragic story of Pecola Breedlove, a young Black girl in 1940s Ohio who believes that having blue eyes would make her beautiful and loved. The novel examines how racist beauty standards, internalized racism, and cycles of abuse destroy the most vulnerable. Morrison challenges readers to consider society's complicity in Pecola's tragedy.
Themes to Explore
Discussion Questions
Comprehension & Analysis
- Why does Morrison structure the novel around the Dick and Jane primer? What is she saying about American ideals?
- How do different narrators shape our understanding of Pecola? Why might Morrison have chosen this approach?
- What role do the marigolds play in the novel, both literally and symbolically?
Personal Connection
- How do media images shape our ideas about beauty? Have you ever felt pressure to look a certain way?
- The novel shows community members who could have helped Pecola but did not. When have you witnessed someone being failed by their community?
- Claudia resists the beauty standards that harm Pecola. What gives some people the ability to resist harmful messages while others internalize them?
Critical Thinking
- Morrison has said she wanted readers to feel the horror of racism, not just understand it intellectually. Does her approach work? Is it appropriate?
- Why do you think this book, written by a Nobel Prize-winning author, remains one of the most banned books?
- How have beauty standards for people of color changed since 1970? What work remains?
Activities & Extensions
- Research the origins of beauty standards in America and their connection to racism. How did the 'Black is Beautiful' movement respond?
- Analyze contemporary media for representation of diverse beauty. Create a presentation of your findings.
- Read Toni Morrison's foreword to the novel where she reflects on writing it. Discuss her intentions.
- Research child protective services and community organizations that support at-risk youth today.
- Compare this novel with Morrison's later works. How did her approach to difficult subjects evolve?
Gender Queer: A Memoir
by Maia Kobabe (2019)
Why this book has been challenged: LGBTQ+ content, sexual imagery, and descriptions of sexual experiences. It has been the most challenged book in America for multiple years, with objections to its inclusion in school libraries.
Background
Gender Queer is an autobiographical graphic memoir in which Maia Kobabe chronicles eir journey of self-discovery, exploring gender identity and sexuality from childhood through adulthood. The book addresses the author's experiences with gender dysphoria, coming out as nonbinary and asexual, and learning to advocate for eirself in medical and social settings. Kobabe uses e/em/eir pronouns.
Themes to Explore
Discussion Questions
Comprehension & Analysis
- Why might Kobabe have chosen the graphic memoir format to tell this story? What does the visual element add?
- How does Kobabe describe the difference between sex, gender, and sexuality? Why are these distinctions important?
- What role does finding community—both in person and through media—play in Kobabe's journey?
Personal Connection
- Have you ever struggled to find words to describe an important part of your identity? How did you eventually express it?
- Kobabe describes the relief of finding language that fit eir experience. Why is language so powerful in shaping our understanding of ourselves?
- How do you respond when someone shares an identity or experience that is unfamiliar to you?
Critical Thinking
- Gender Queer has been the most challenged book in recent years. Why do you think it generates such strong reactions?
- What is the value of having books like this available to young people who may be questioning their identity?
- How should libraries balance community concerns with the needs of LGBTQ+ youth seeking representation?
Activities & Extensions
- Research the history of nonbinary gender identities across different cultures throughout history.
- Create a short graphic narrative about a moment of self-discovery in your own life.
- Interview LGBTQ+ community members about what representation meant to them growing up.
- Investigate how your local library handles challenged books and the review process.
- Compare multiple LGBTQ+ memoirs and discuss how different authors approach similar themes.
Beloved
by Toni Morrison (1987)
Why this book has been challenged: Violence, sexual content, and depictions of bestiality and infanticide. Challenges cite the content as too disturbing and inappropriate for students.
Background
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Beloved is set after the Civil War and tells the story of Sethe, an escaped slave haunted by the ghost of her baby daughter. Based on the true story of Margaret Garner, the novel explores the devastating psychological impact of slavery and the impossible choices enslaved people faced. Morrison called it her attempt to give voice to the 60 million and more Africans who died during the Middle Passage.
Themes to Explore
Discussion Questions
Comprehension & Analysis
- Why does Morrison tell this story non-linearly, with memories surfacing throughout? How does this structure reflect the nature of trauma?
- Who or what is Beloved? How do different interpretations change the novel's meaning?
- What does the phrase "124 was spiteful" mean, and why does Morrison open with the house as a character?
Personal Connection
- The characters struggle with whether to remember or forget the past. When is it important to remember painful history? When might forgetting seem easier?
- How do you think Sethe's choice would be judged by different people? How do you understand it?
- What role does storytelling play in processing difficult experiences in your own life or community?
Critical Thinking
- Morrison dedicated this book to "Sixty Million and more." Why is it important to have literary works that confront the horrors of slavery directly?
- Why do you think some people want to remove this book from schools? What is lost if students never encounter these stories?
- How does this novel contribute to ongoing conversations about how American history should be taught?
Activities & Extensions
- Research the true story of Margaret Garner and compare it to the fictional narrative.
- Analyze how Morrison uses supernatural elements to convey psychological truths.
- Create a timeline of events in the novel, piecing together the fragmented narrative.
- Research how different eras have taught the history of slavery in American schools.
- Read Morrison's Nobel Prize lecture and discuss her views on language and literature's power.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky (1999)
Why this book has been challenged: Drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references to sexual abuse, homosexuality, and depictions of mental health struggles including suicide.
Background
Told through letters to an anonymous friend, The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows Charlie, a freshman navigating high school after a traumatic past and his best friend's suicide. Through relationships with seniors Sam and Patrick, Charlie experiences first love, discovers music and literature, and slowly uncovers repressed memories. The novel addresses mental health, trauma, and the intensity of adolescent emotions with honesty.
Themes to Explore
Discussion Questions
Comprehension & Analysis
- Why does Charlie write letters to someone he does not know? What does this format allow him to express?
- What does the phrase "We accept the love we think we deserve" mean in the context of the novel?
- How does the revelation at the end of the book change your understanding of Charlie throughout the story?
Personal Connection
- Charlie describes feeling "infinite" at certain moments. Have you experienced moments like that? What created them?
- How have books, music, or movies helped you understand your own experiences or feel less alone?
- Charlie often observes rather than participates. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a "wallflower"?
Critical Thinking
- This book is frequently challenged for its honest depiction of teenage experiences. Why might adults want to shield young people from these topics? Why might exposure be valuable?
- How does the book portray adults—both helpful and harmful? What does this suggest about the support systems available to teens?
- What resources exist today for young people struggling with mental health that Charlie might not have had access to?
Activities & Extensions
- Create a playlist for Charlie based on the music mentioned in the book and explain your choices.
- Write a letter in Charlie's style about your own experiences as an observer or participant.
- Research mental health resources available for teenagers today and create an informational guide.
- Discuss the ethics of content warnings: When are they helpful? When might they limit important conversations?
- Compare the book with its film adaptation. What was gained or lost in translation?
Adapting Guides for Your Setting
For Classrooms:
Pre-select questions aligned with curriculum standards. Provide context about why the book has been challenged as part of media literacy instruction. Consider offering alternative assignments for students whose families prefer they not read certain titles.
For Book Clubs:
Allow members to choose which questions to discuss based on group interest. Consider having members facilitate different sections. End with the extension activities to keep engagement going between meetings.
For Libraries:
Frame discussions within the context of intellectual freedom and the library's role in providing access to diverse viewpoints. Include materials about the book challenge process and how community members can participate in library decisions.