#FreedomToRead Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Banned and Challenged Books

Most Canadians probably don’t realize that on their own shelves at home sit challenged books, and even books that have been banned in other countries or locations. Freedom to Read Week encourages you to exercise your reading rights. Take the quiz and test your knowledge, and then celebrate by borrowing!

This book of short stories/novellas was challenged in Lanark County, Ontario. In response, a bookseller in the area contacted the author and made arrangements to distribute 600 free copies to the local community.

Dance Me Outside and Other Titles by W. P. Kinsella

Different Seasons by Stephen King

Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx

Contes Pour Buveurs Attardé by Michel Tremblay

This 1990s book about life in Buckingham Palace was banned worldwide by a British court.

Working Buckingham: From Those Who Keep It Clean to the Ultimate Queen by John Service and Margaret Scrubs

A Winde Through Buckingham Palace: A Biography of Buckingham Palace Architect William Winde by Patrick Carr

Courting Disaster by Malcom J. Baker and T. C. Sobey

A Royal Menagerie: The Animals Who Visited Royals by Alicia Darling Roberts

This children’s book was challenged in a Calgary Catholic School District in 2006, when a parent complained about the same-sex parenting depicted in it.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Black Like Kyra, White Like Me by Judith Vigna

Catch That Cat: A Picture Book of Rhymes and Puzzles by Monika Beisner

Chicken Clicking by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

These two classic novels were challenged in a New Brunswick school district for racist characterizations and language.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger and Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

This children’s book was challenged at the Edmonton Public Library, with a parent stating: “I don’t know what the author was hoping children would learn from the actions of [the title character]."

The One Pig With Horns by Laurent de Brunhoff

Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman

The Long Journey of Mister Poop by Angèle Delaunois

Ziggy Piggy and the Three Little Pigs by Frank Asch

When this book—as well as several others were banned in the late 1990s in British Columbia for depicting same-sex parents, a teacher challenged the ban in court. In 2002, the Supreme Court of Canada stated the ban was not legally justified.

Mommy, Mama, and Me by Lesléa Newman

Asha’s Mums by Rosamund Elwin and Michele Paulse

Why I’m So Special by Carla Lewis-Long

Prince and Knight by Daniel Haack

This cookbook was removed from gift shops on British Columbia ferries, even though there were no public complaints.

Love at First Bite: The Complete Vampire Lover’s Cookbook by Michelle Roy Kelly and Andrea Norville

Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes by Roald Dahl

Scrambled Brains by Pierre LeBlanc

Cooking with a Serial Killer: Recipes from Dorothea Puente by Shane Bugbee

Which of these graphic novels was challenged for being “age-inappropriate?"

Darth Maul: Sith Apprentice by Jo Casey and Catherine Saunders

Hulk: Abominable by Bruce Jones

Old Testament

All of the above

This language arts series was challenged in multiple provinces during the mid-1990s for supposedly promoting the occult and Satanism.

Impressions by Jack Book and David Booth

SecoSylvan Language Arts Workbooks Series from Sylvan Learning Choice

Life of Fred by Stanley F. Schmidt

Learning Language Arts Through Literature from Common Sense Press

This book was challenged in Alberta in the 1990s for its use of profane and irreligious language.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

This novel, set during the Halifax Explosion, was challenged for what was considered vulgar language.

Shattered by Eric Walters

Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan

Emma’s Ghost by Kat Karpenko

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

This challenged book by Jay Asher was made into a Netflix series that ran for four seasons.

Pretty Little Liars

Firefly Lane

13 Reasons Why

Gossip Girl

This YA book by Angie Thomas has been challenged for promoting anti-police views and offensive language.

The Hate U Give

Precious

The Catcher in the Rye

Looking for Alaska

This author has shown up on challenged book lists many times for his books 1984 and Animal Farm.

John Steinbeck

John Green

S.E. Hinton

George Orwell

Ray Bradbury’s frequently challenged book, Fahrenheit 451, deals with this topic.

Book burning

Time travel

Forest fires

Witchcraft

This challenged Lawrence Hill book was published under the title Someone Knows My Name in the United States.

Beloved

The Book of Negroes

Some Great Thing

The Illegal

This picture book by Robert Munsch was challenged for crude content.

Aaron’s Hair

I Have to Go!

Good Families Don’t

Love You Forever

The bestselling novel, The DaVinci Code, was challenged for religious reasons and banned completely in which country.

Lebanon

Russia

Turkey

Italy

The frequently challenged novel, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, was made into a series starring this actress as protagonist June Osborne.

Alexis Bledel

Samira Wiley

Elizabeth Banks

Elisabeth Moss

Alex Gino's challenged book, George, is being re-published under this new title, to fully reflect the character's identity.

Charlotte

Melissa

Gina

Jill

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