{"title":"Let Books Be","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBanned Books Week · October 4–10, 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRead freely. These four works have faced bans or challenges. Explore the stories and ideas readers have fought to keep on shelves.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-bluest-eye-paperback","title":"The Bluest Eye - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eToni Morrison\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eJacqueline Woodson\u003c\/b\u003e (Introduction by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst published in 1970 by Morrison, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature, the novel tells the story of 11-year-old Pecola Breedlove, the nightmare at the heart of her yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTONI MORRISON is the author of eleven novels and three essay collections. She received the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and in 1993 the Nobel Prize in Literature. She died in 2019. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 224\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 7.9 x 5.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 08, 2007\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuiz Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bluest Eye\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Upper Grades, 9-12\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5.2\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47747430973652,"sku":"9780307278449","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0823\/3785\/7748\/files\/ffaI11YSC09780307278449.webp?v=1781196567"},{"product_id":"the-complete-maus-a-survivors-tale-hardcover","title":"The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eArt Spiegelman\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe definitive edition of the graphic novel acclaimed as \"the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust\" (\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e) and \"the first masterpiece in comic book history\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e) - PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - One of \u003ci\u003eVariety\u003c\/i\u003e's \"Banned and Challenged Books Everyone Should Read\"\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA brutally moving work of art--widely hailed as the greatest graphic novel ever written--\u003ci\u003eMaus \u003c\/i\u003erecounts the chilling experiences of the author's father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eMaus \u003c\/i\u003eis a haunting tale within a tale, weaving the author's account of his tortured relationship with his aging father into an astonishing retelling of one of history's most unspeakable tragedies. It is an unforgettable story of survival and a disarming look at the legacy of trauma.\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is the story of Vladek Speigelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father's story. Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive. Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), shocks us out of any lingering sense of familiarity. Maus is a haunting tale within a tale. Vladek's harrowing story of survival is woven into the author's account of his tortured relationship with his aging father. Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits. This astonishing retelling of our century's grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors. Maus studies the bloody pawprints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eART SPIEGELMAN\u003c\/b\u003e is one of the world's most admired and beloved comic artists, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning Holocaust narrative, \u003ci\u003eMaus\u003c\/i\u003e. Born in Stockholm in 1948, Spiegelman began studying cartooning in high school and drawing professionally at age sixteen. He studied art and philosophy at Harpur College before joining the underground comics movement in the 1960s. Spiegelman taught history and the aesthetics of comics at the School of Visual Arts in New York from 1979 to 1986, and in 1980 he founded \u003ci\u003eRAW, \u003c\/i\u003ethe acclaimed avant-garde comics magazine, with his wife, Françoise Mouly. Honors Spiegelman has received include induction into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame and the Art Director's Club Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was named one of \u003ci\u003eTime \u003c\/i\u003emagazine's 100 Most Influential People. He was made an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2007, and in 2011 he was awarded the Grand Prix at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. In 2015, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 2018 he became the first comic artist to receive the Edward MacDowell Medal. His art has been exhibited at museums throughout the world, including the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Jewish Museum in New York City, and the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 296\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.2 x 9.2 x 6.8 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 19, 1996\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47747479568596,"sku":"9780679406419","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0823\/3785\/7748\/files\/nETd5zYmIX9780679406419.webp?v=1781217591"},{"product_id":"1984-paperback","title":"1984 - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eGeorge Orwell\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eDolen Perkins-Valdez\u003c\/b\u003e (Introduction by), \u003cb\u003eSandra Newman\u003c\/b\u003e (Afterword by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWritten 75 years ago, \u003ci\u003e1984\u003c\/i\u003e was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever... \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis 75th Anniversary Edition includes: \u003cbr\u003e- A New Introduction by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of \u003ci\u003eTake My Hand\u003c\/i\u003e, winner of the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work--Fiction \u003cbr\u003e- A New Afterword by Sandra Newman, author of \u003ci\u003eJulia: A Retelling of George Orwell's 1984\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.\u003c\/i\u003e\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWinston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can't escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching... \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA startling and haunting novel, \u003ci\u003e1984\u003c\/i\u003e creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel's hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions--a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e- Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's \u003ci\u003eThe Great American Read -\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGeorge Orwell\u003c\/b\u003e (pseudonym for Eric Blair [1903-50]) was born in Bengal and educated at Eton; after service with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, he returned to Europe to earn his living penning novels and essays. He was essentially a political writer who focused his attention on his own times, a man of intense feelings and intense hates. An opponent of totalitarianism, he served in the Loyalist forces in the Spanish Civil War. Besides his classic \u003ci\u003eAnimal Farm\u003c\/i\u003e, his works include a novel based on his experiences as a colonial policeman, \u003ci\u003eBurmese Days\u003c\/i\u003e, two firsthand studies of poverty, \u003ci\u003eDown and Out in Paris and London \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Road to Wigan Pier\u003c\/i\u003e, an account of his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, \u003ci\u003eHomage to Catalonia\u003c\/i\u003e; and the extraordinary novel of political prophecy whose title became part of our language, \u003ci\u003e1984\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 320\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.7 x 7.9 x 5.3 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 01, 1983\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuiz Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1984 (English)\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Upper Grades, 9-12\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8.9\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e 17\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47786056810708,"sku":"9780452262935","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0823\/3785\/7748\/files\/b2Sjo0-SDd9780452262935.webp?v=1781207596"},{"product_id":"the-color-purple-paperback","title":"The Color Purple - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAlice Walker\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRead the original inspiration for the new, boldly reimagined film from producers Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, starring Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Fantasia Barrino. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCelebrating its fortieth anniversary, \u003ci\u003eThe Color Purple\u003c\/i\u003e writes a message of healing, forgiveness, self-discovery, and sisterhood to a new generation of readers. An inspiration to authors who continue to give voice to the multidimensionality of Black women's stories, including Tayari Jones, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Jesmyn Ward, and more, \u003ci\u003eThe Color Purple\u003c\/i\u003e remains an essential read in conversation with storytellers today. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWinner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, \u003ci\u003eThe Color Purple\u003c\/i\u003e depicts the lives of African American women in early-twentieth-century rural Georgia. Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in each other across time, distance, and silence. Through a series of letters spanning nearly thirty years, first from Celie to God, then from the sisters to each other, the novel draws readers into a rich and memorable portrayal of Black women--their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDeeply compassionate and beautifully imagined, \u003ci\u003eThe Color Purple\u003c\/i\u003e breaks the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, and carries readers on an epic and spirit-affirming journey toward transformation, redemption, and love. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Reading \u003ci\u003eThe Color Purple\u003c\/i\u003e was the first time I had seen Southern, Black women's literature as world literature. In writing us into the world--bravely, unapologetically, and honestly--Alice Walker has given us a gift we will never be able to repay.\" --Tayari Jones \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Color Purple\u003c\/i\u003e was what church should have been, what honest familial reckoning could have been, and it is still the only art object in the world by which all three generations of Black artists in my family judge American art.\" --Kiese Laymon\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlice Walker\u003c\/b\u003e won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for her novel \u003ci\u003eThe Color Purple.\u003c\/i\u003e Her other novels include \u003ci\u003eBy the Light of My Father's Smile\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003ePossessing the Secret of Joy.\u003c\/i\u003e She is also the author of three collections of short stories, three collections of essays, seven volumes of poetry, and several children's books. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, Walker now lives in Northern California.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 8.3 x 5.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 10, 2019\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuiz Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Color Purple\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Upper Grades, 9-12\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47786130702548,"sku":"9780143135692","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0823\/3785\/7748\/files\/4gM37vYbDD9780143135692.webp?v=1783460119"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookschoices.com\/collections\/let-books-be.oembed","provider":"Books Choices ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}