There are several problems with banned books lists, the first of which is that they keep getting longer. The American Library Association (ALA) reported a record number of book bans in 2022. Last year there were 1,269 attempts to ban books, up from 729 in 2021 and 156 in 2020. And they just keep coming.

The other problem is deciding which list to check. Do you want children’s books, novels, classic literature, or nonfiction? Do you want books banned anywhere in the United States or only those banned in your state? Do you want a list of the most banned books of all time or just those that were banned last year? How about a list of banned books that are over 100 years old? Or better, how about a list of 100-year-old books that were banned last year? 

After a lot searching, I’ve created a list of 83 books recently banned in the State of Idaho.

Why? Well, every day my news feed is filled with articles like:

• Kuna School District places 25 books under restricted access at request of legislators
• Nampa school board pulls 24 books from district shelves
• Conservative activists want to ban 400 books from an Idaho library 
• ‘Concerned Citizens of Meridian’ file petition to completely dissolve Library District
• Idaho Library Bill Heads to Senate After Two-Hour Debate

The reason most Republicans cite for banning books is protecting children from pornography and other ‘harmful’ material. According to Rep. Jaron Crane (R-Nampa) and cosponsor Sen. Cindy Carlson (R-Riggins), Idaho House Bill 314 seeks to prevent minors from accessing pornographic content. Rep. Mike Kingsley (R-Lewiston) even went so far as to claim librarians were sexually grooming minors.

For reference, HB 314 defines pornography as any image depicting nudity. That includes art books showing Michelangelo’s Statue of David–it’s irrelevant that such artwork has religious and historic significance as the depiction of a biblical scene. The ban also covers scientific books on anatomy, physiology, and human development because a sketch of a naked baby in utero is equally obscene. The bill even allows aggrieved parents to sue schools and libraries for $2,500 for each violation.

It is highly ironic then, that our elected representatives desire to protect children does not extend to their cellphones. The same week that HB 314 passed, Senate Bill 1163 failed. Senate Bill 1163 would have required cellphone companies to automatically activate porn filters on the phones of minors and failure to do so would result in a $1,000 fine. The Senators who voted against the bill said it constituted government overreach and interfered with parent’s rights.

So, in Idaho it’s perfectly OK for a 13-year-old to watch porn, live and in color, on their phone but reading Harry Potter crosses the line. Yes, you read right . . . the Harry Potter series is banned in Idaho. But only the books. The movies are still acceptable to watch. Which begs the question, “If the movies are acceptable, exactly why are the books banned?”

Another interesting thing about the current book banning climate is that some of the books gaining nationwide attention are over 100 years old. That’s nearly the case with Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World which was published 91 years ago—in 1932.

Huxley’s dystopian novel is set in a futuristic world where citizens of the state are subjected to social hierarchy and psychological manipulation. The novel has been compared to George Orwell’s “1984,” where a totalitarian government based loosely on Nazi Germany bans books through the Ministry of Truth and government floods it’s citizens with constant propaganda. In 1999, A Brave New World ranked 5th on the Modern Library’s list of the 100 Best English Language Novels of the 20^th Century. Now, it’s banned.

The words and story contained in Huxley’s novel has remained exactly the same since publication. It hasn’t changed. It’s no more risqué now than it was 90 years ago. What has changed is the Republican party. If the Republican’s true goal was protecting children from pornography, the bill requiring porn filters on cellphones would have passed and books would go unbanned.

If you, like me, enjoy reading banned books, here’s a list of 83 books that have been banned or challenged in Idaho since 2018:

While most of the books being banned are novels filled with nothing but words, some are picture books designed for younger kids. Want to see inside those books? Below are some screen shots from Chana Ewing’s picture book, “An ABC of Equality.”

Further reading:

• List of books that have been challenged in Idaho since 2018
• Book challenges and bans in Idaho school districts