Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Censorship Status
Banned in Various US schools
Reason: Encouraging disobedience, dark themes
A children's book about a boy's journey to an island of wild creatures.
Why Where the Wild Things Are Was Banned
Censorship Concerns
Even children's literature isn't safe from censorship when it contains themes deemed inappropriate by authorities.
Specifically, Where the Wild Things Are was targeted for: Encouraging disobedience, dark themes. The book's themes and content were deemed threatening to the social, political, or religious order in Various US schools.
Why Read Where the Wild Things Are Today?
- ✓ Historical Significance: Understand why this book was considered dangerous enough to ban.
- ✓ Intellectual Freedom: Support the right to read diverse perspectives and challenging ideas.
- ✓ Critical Thinking: Engage with ideas that authorities didn't want people to consider.
- ✓ Cultural Understanding: Gain insight into the fears and concerns of different societies and eras.
Other Banned Books You Might Like
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Based on a true story of two male penguins who hatched and raised a chick together at Central Park Zoo. This innocent children's book has been restored in Florida after a lawsuit but was previously removed under Governor DeSantis-era guidelines. The book's simple message about different types of families has made it a target for those opposing LGBTQ+ representation in schools.
Heather Has Two Mommies
by Lesléa Newman
A groundbreaking children's book about a girl with two mothers, challenged in Pennsylvania districts for referencing gender identity and non-traditional families. Originally published in 1989, it remains controversial today as Republican-led school boards attempt to remove LGBTQ+ representation from children's literature.
If I Ran the Zoo
by Dr. Seuss
In 2021, Dr. Seuss Enterprises voluntarily pulled this and 5 other titles from publication amid progressive pressure over racist imagery and caricatures. The decision came after criticism that the books perpetuated harmful stereotypes about Asian, African, and Indigenous peoples. This represents corporate response to progressive criticism rather than government censorship.
Don't Let This Story Be Silenced
Support intellectual freedom by reading the books that challenged the powerful. Get your copy of Where the Wild Things Are today and discover why it's still being banned.
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