Forbidden Florida Reads

Two Boys Kissing

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan was published in 2013. It was awarded the Stonewall Book Award (2014). BANNED in Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Escambia, Hernando, Hillsborough, Marion, Okaloosa, Polk, Seminole, St. Lucie, and Walton County schools Escambia...

Persepolis

Persepolis and Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi were published in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Persepolis was selected for the YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults in 2004. BANNED in Hillsborough, Indian River, Union and Volusia County schools Persepolis is a...

Forever …

Forever … by Judy Blume was published in 1975. It was named in NPR’s 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels and Time Magazine’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time. BANNED in Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Hernando, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jackson,...

Fates and Furies

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff was published in 2015. The novel was a Finalist of the 2015 National Book Award and named President Barack Obama’s favorite book of 2015. BANNED in Miami-Dade and Walton County public schools Lotto and Mathilde seem to have a...

Three Book Banning Bills Died This Session — But the Fight Isn’t Over

This edition of Forbidden Florida Reads departs from its usual format to report on the 2026 Legislative Session. Two controversial education bills critics warned would expand book bans and censorship in Florida schools failed to pass during the 2026 Florida...

The Color Purple

The Color Purple by Alice Walker was published in 1982. It was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 1983. BANNED in Clay, Collier, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Orange, Union and Volusia County public schools The Color Purple is a series of letters...

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo was published in 2021 and awarded the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (2021). BANNED in Brevard, Broward, Clay, Escambia, Flagler, Hillsborough, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas,...

All Boys Aren’t Blue

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson (they/them) was published in 2020. It was selected for the YALSA’s 2021 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. BANNED in Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Clay, Escambia, Flagler Hillsborough, Lake, Manatee, Marion, Osceola,...

Nineteen Minutes

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult was published in 2007 and awarded the ALA’s Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners Award. BANNED in Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Escambia, Hamilton, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jackson, Lake,...

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was published in 1962. BANNED in Alachua, Brevard, Clay, Escambia, Flagler, Hillsborough, Lee, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Santa Rosa, St. Johns, Union, and Volusia County public schools A...

The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas was published in 2017. It was awarded the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction and adapted into an award-winning movie. BANNED in Charlotte, Collier, Hernando, Indian River, Martin, Nassau, Seminole and St. Johns County...

Publishers Sue Florida Officials

This Forbidden Florida Reads edition departs from its usual format to cover Penguin Random House v. Gibson, a recent lawsuit concerning book bans. Six publishers, the Author’s Guild and several notable authors filed a lawsuit August 29, 2024, in a US District...

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost by John Milton was published in 1667. BANNED in 2023 in Orange County public schools John Milton’s Paradise Lost was among the 673 books removed from Orange County public school classrooms and libraries in 2023. This mass book ban came after the...

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen was published in 2006. BANNED in Alachua, Clay, Collier, Duval, Lake, Leon, Manatee, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Pinellas, Polk, Santa Rosa, Seminole and St. Johns County public schools Water for Elephants is a coming-of-age...

The Bluest Eye

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison was published in 1970. Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel Beloved. BANNED in Charlotte, Clay, Hernando, Indian River, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Nassau, Orange, Pinellas...

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire was published in 1995. It was awarded the Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners Award in 2009. BANNED in Alachua, Charlotte, Clay, Indian River, Manatee, Martin,...

The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood was published and awarded the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction in 1985. Its Graphic Novel Adaptation by Renee Nault was published in 2018. BANNED in Bay, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Duval,...

69 Stephen King Books

In the year 2023, 69 of Stephen King’s books were banned in Florida public schools. All 69 removals took place in a single county: Clay County. In 2023, Clay County banned 287 of the more than 700 books banned in Florida. This made Clay County the No. 1...

Slaughterhouse Five

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut was published in 1969. It was nominated for The Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1970. BANNED in Alachua, Bay, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Duval, Indian River, Lee, Okaloosa, Orange, Polk, Santa Rosa, Union and Volusia County public...

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation

Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation was adapted by Ari Folman and illustrated by David Polonsky in 2017. Folman and Polonsky won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign-Language Film in 2008. BANNED in Clay, Indian River and Seminole County public schools...

Slaughterhouse Five

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky was published in 1999 and adapted into an award-winning movie in 2012. BANNED in Brevard, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Duval, Escambia, Hernando, Indian River, Leon, Manatee, Martin, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Pinellas,...

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Isabella J. Miletic

Isabella is an Economics and Literature student at Florida State University. She is a board member of the League of Women Voters of Tallahassee, where she began publishing Forbidden Florida Reads. Forbidden Florida Reads is Isabella’s original monthly publication that highlights a book banned in at least one Florida school district. Isabella is passionate about books and educational policy making. She hopes to attend law school and earn her Master’s in Library and Information Science.

Email

isabellajmiletic@gmail.com