It’s Banned Books Week and we’ve got some film adaptations of banned and challenged books recommended by Joni Clayton!

For more information about banned books visit here! And don’t forget our Banned Books Week event this October 4th, with Shannon Hale!

Film recommendations:

1984

1984  100 min.

A dystopian tale set in a post-atomic war London in which Winston Smith’s job is to re-write history under the watchful gaze of “Big Brother” whose presence inhibits love and individualistic expression.
This book was banned for being pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter.

The Color Purple

1985  153 min.

From 1909 to 1949, Celie, a Southern Black woman, gradually gains self-respect as she strives to educate herself and to find love – despite an abusive spouse and a society biased against her race and her sex.
This book was banned for its sexual content and situations of abuse and domestic violence.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

2011  129 min.

A 9-year-old boy searches NYC for a lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who was killed on 9/11.
This book was banned for profanity, sex and descriptions of violence.

The Hate U Give

DV-Disc PN 1997.2 H38 2019  /  2018  133 min.

Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer.  Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr tries to find her voice in order to stand up for what’s right.
This book was banned for its depictions of racism and anti-police views.

The Handmaid’s Tale

DV-Disc PN 1997 H36 2017  /  2017  109 min.

In the not-so-distant future, strong-willed and beautiful Kate possesses a precious commodity that most women have lost and most men want to control: fertility. Kate is assigned as a Handmaiden to an eminent party leader only to find out he is sterile.  She is faced with an impossible choice: produce him an heir or die.
This book was banned for violence and profanity, and sexual activity.

Harry Potter: Years 1-6

DV-Disc PN 1997.2 H382 2009  /  2002-2007  130-161 min. ea.

A chronicle of the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
These books were banned for religious reasons because they focus on Witchcraft.

The Hunger Games

2012  142 min.

Katniss Everdeen volunteers to compete in her sister’s place in a cruel televised tournament.  Twenty four teenagers from a postapocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses to reinforce the government’s total power.
This book was banned for being anti-ethnic, anti-family, insensitivity, offensive language, occult/satanic and violence.

The Kite Runner

2007  127 min.

An Afghani writer living in America is haunted by the past and returns to his homeland to help the son of a childhood friend.
This book was banned for sexually explicit content, offensive language and age inappropriateness.

Lord of the Flies

1990  90 min.

Schoolboys stranded on a desert isle descend into savagery.
This book was banned for profanity, sex passages and defamatory to minorities, God, women and the disabled.

Perks of Being a Wallflower

2012  102 min.

A timid teenager copes with the pains of adolescence with the help of two new friends, a beautiful high-school senior and her gay stepbrother.
This book was banned for the topics of drug and alcohol use, teenage sex, sexual abuse, LGBTQIA+ content and abortion.

Persepolis

2007  96 min.

A poignant story about a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, when people’s hopes were dashed as fundamentalists took power.
This book was banned for scenes of violence, torture and the use of inappropriate language.  It was also banned in Iran and Lebanon for its portrayal of sex and the depiction of the events of the Iranian Revolution.