How to Eat Fried Worms cover
📚 Banned Book of the Day
It’s been a minute—but let’s bring this back with a favorite from my younger years:
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell.
Yes, it’s been banned. Why? Because kids dare each other to eat worms. I loved this book. Still do.
#BannedBooks #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #ReadFreely
Howl and Other Poems was published in the fall of 1956 as number four in the Pocket Poets Series from City Lights Books.
📚 Banned Book of the Day
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
Banned for obscenity in 1957.
Too raw. Too queer. Too loud to silence.
Still howling.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #NationalPoetryMonth #BannedBooks
The Confederacy lost.
Now its philosophical heirs wear suits,
sit on school boards, ban books, and pass laws.
160 years later, if the South rises again,
I’ll be here to stomp it back into the fucking dirt.
#OnThisDay #160YearsLater #FuckTheConfederacy #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #HistoryMatters
Does anybody else secretly aspire to end up on a banned book list, or is that just me?
Honestly, if I had to pick between bestseller and banned?
Give me the ban. At least I’ll know I said something that mattered.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #WriterLife #BannedBookGoals #AmWriting #TruthMatters
Cover of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Banned Book of the Day:
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Banned for “existential themes” and disturbing imagery.
Kafka is one of the Messes That Made Them. Even powerlessness, dread, and transformation can make something unforgettable.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #FranzKafka #TheMessThatMadeThem
Cover of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Banned Book of the Day:
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (🎂)
Banned for its honest depiction of racism, sexual abuse, and survival. Some people would rather censor reality than reckon with it. 🤷
Angelou didn’t flinch. That’s why it still matters.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #MayaAngelou
Cover of James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.
Banned Book of the Day:
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Banned for "supernatural themes" and supposed drug references. Because a boy flying around in a fruit with talking insects was clearly part of a dangerous agenda.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #ReadFreely #RoaldDahl #LiteraryAbsurdity
Cover of The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Banned Book of the Day:
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Yes, they banned the tree.
Too selfless, too sad, too open to interpretation.
Apparently, if a book makes you think too hard about generosity or emotional labor it’s dangerous.
#BannedBookOfTheDay #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #ShelSilverstein
Cover of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Banned Book of the Day:
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Banned for talking about puberty, periods, and questioning religion—so, basically, for being honest about being twelve.
Blume didn’t corrupt anyone here. She made readers feel less alone.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #JudyBlume
I Am Jazz Picture Book Cover
Banned Book of the Day:
I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings, Jessica Herthel & Shelagh McNicholas
A picture book based on Jazz’s experience as a transgender child.
Banned for “sexual content.”
It’s about a kid knowing who she is—and that's what scares them.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #TransRightsAreHumanRights
Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology
Banned Book of the Day:
Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology edited by Amy Sonnie
Pulled from shelves for “obscene” content—meaning: young queer voices telling the truth about their lives.
It gave marginalized teens a mirror.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #QueerVoicesMatter #Read
Banned Book of the Day
Today we’re honoring Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
Still challenged for “profanity” or “dark content”—because nothing’s more threatening than a teenage girl inventing science fiction before half the canon could read.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #MaryShelley #Frankenstein
Banned Book of the Day:
Looking for Alaska by John Green.
Banned and challenged for language, sexual content, and being exactly the kind of story that makes teenagers feel seen. #BannedBookOfTheDay #BooksNotBans #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Instead of a new Banned Book of the Day today, let’s celebrate some potential good news: a federal judge just issued a preliminary injunction pushing back on a school district book ban in Colorado. The fight isn’t over, but it's a start. #BannedBookOfTheDay #ReadFreely #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Cover of the book The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones
Banned Book of the Day:
The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones.
Challenged and banned for reframing U.S. history through the lens of slavery and systemic racism. Turns out some folks prefer mythology over facts. #BannedBookOfTheDay #BooksNotBans #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson.
Banned and challenged across the U.S. for being honest about identity, sex ed, and queer experience. Telling the truth is apparently dangerous.
Been posting banned books for a while now. I’d love it if you followed or shared.
#BooksNotBans #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Cover of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Banned Book of the Day:
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
Still banned and challenged for being too political, too sexual, too real. It’s not the dystopia that scares them—it’s how close it hits. #BannedBookOfTheDay #BooksNotBans #ReadFreely #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Cover of the book Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Banned Book of the Day:
Drama by Raina Telgemeier.
A graphic novel about middle school theater—and yes, it’s been banned for including LGBTQ+ characters. Apparently joy, friendship, and stage crew romance are just too much for some people. #ReadFreely #BooksNotBans #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Banned Book of the Day:
Melissa by Alex Gino (formerly George).
Challenged and banned for centering a transgender girl. It’s about identity, empathy, and the right to be seen. Which, of course, is why they want it gone. #BannedBookOfTheDay #BooksNotBans #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #ReadFreely
Cover of The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
Banned Book of the Day:
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie.
Banned in multiple countries for daring to explore faith, doubt, and identity through fiction. Powerful, provocative, and still dangerous in the eyes of censors.
#OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #ReadFreely #BooksNotBans #CensorshipKillsArt
Cover of Stamped (For Kids)
Banned Book of the Day: Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
This powerful remix of Kendi’s original work has been widely banned for addressing systemic racism in accessible, honest language for young readers.
#BannedBooks #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Cover of the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Banned Book of the Day: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
This powerful YA novel about a teenage girl’s silence after sexual assault has been frequently banned for “explicit content.” But what it really does is give voice to trauma—that matters.
#BannedBooks #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #ReadFreely
Banned Book of the Day: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Frequently banned for its honest depictions of racism, abuse, and trauma, this powerful novel remains one of the most vital works in American literature. Some people still can’t handle the truth.
#BannedBooks #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks #ReadFreely
Banned Book of the Day: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
This graphic memoir explores sexuality, identity, and family through Bechdel’s coming of age and her relationship with her closeted gay father. It’s been banned for LGBTQ+ themes and “explicit” content.
#BannedBooks #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Banned Book of the Day: The Color Purple by Alice Walker.
This Pulitzer-winning novel about Black womanhood and resilience has been repeatedly challenged for its honest depictions of abuse, race, and sexuality. Still essential. #BannedBooks #ReadFreely #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Banned Book of the Day: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Banned for its portrayal of police brutality, racism, and language, this bestseller follows a Black teen who witnessed a police shooting. A must-read for understanding injustice and speaking out.
#BannedBooks #ReadFreely #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Banned Book of the Day: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
This novel about a school shooting and its aftermath has been widely banned for its depictions of violence and assault. It sparks critical conversations about bullying, mental health, and justice.
#BannedBooks #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Banned Book of the Day: Melissa by Alex Gino
This award-winning children’s book about a transgender girl has been widely banned for its LGBTQ+ themes. A powerful story of identity and acceptance, it remains one of the most challenged books in the U.S. #BannedBooks #TransRights #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
Banned Book of the Day: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
One of the most challenged books in the U.S., this memoir explores gender identity with honesty and depth. Banned for LGBTQ+ themes, but essential reading for understanding queer experiences. #BannedBooks #ReadFreely #OnlyBadGuysBanBooks
