Banned Books at the Obama Presidential Center

Books expose us to different perspectives and give us the freedom to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and form our own ideas. Protecting access to those ideas creates space for open inquiry and strengthens trust across our communities.

A room with ceiling height bookshelves, a conference table with several empty chairs, and several light fixtures dangling from the ceiling.

The President’s Reading Room at the Obama Presidential Center Chicago Public Library branch features a collection of books that reflect the interests and histories of President and Mrs. Obama. 

Included in the collection are many books that are frequently banned. Consider checking one out from your local library: 

  • 1984

    by George Orwell

  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    by Mark Twain

  • All American Boys

    by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds

  • All Boys Aren't Blue

    by George M. Johnson

  • And Tango Makes Three

    by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

  • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

    by Judy Blume

  • Brave New World

    by Aldous Huxley

  • Catcher in the Rye

    by J.D. Sallinger

  • Color Purple

    by Alice Walker

  • Fences

    by August Wilson

  • Gender Queer: A Memoir

    by Maia Kobabe

  • Handmaid's Tale

    by Margaret Atwood

  • Looking for Alaska

    by John Green

  • Maus I

    by Art Spiegelman

  • Native Son

    by Richard Wright

  • Nineteen Minutes

    by Jodi Picoult

  • Sold

    by Patricia McCormick

  • Song of Solomon

    by Toni Morrison

  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

    by Sherman Alexie

  • by Toni Morrison

    by Toni Morrison

  • The Hate U Give

    by Angie Thomas

  • The House on Mango Street

    by Sandra Cisneros