Adapted from “Banned Books Awareness: ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D. Salinger” catcher-rye-jd-salinger/ catcher-rye-jd-salinger/ The Catcher in the Rye: A Censor-y Description

Immediate Success… Within two weeks of its 1951 release, J.D. Salinger’s novel rocketed to Number 1 on the New York Times best-seller list.

Immediate Success… On July 16, 1951, Nash K. Burger of The New York Times gave a glowing review of the novel: “Holden’s story is told in Holden’s own strange, wonderful language by J.D. Salinger in an unusually brilliant novel, The Catcher in the Rye. The Book-of-the- Month Club has chosen it as its current selection.” “Mr. Salinger’s rendering of teen-age speech is wonderful: the unconscious humor, the repetitions, the slang and profanity, the emphasis, all are just right.”

…And Immediate Censorship The book has been a “favorite of censors” ever since its publication. In 1960, school administrators at a high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, fired an English teacher for assigning the book to an 11 th grade class. He was later reinstated after winning his appeal. Between 1961 and 1982, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States. In 1981, it was both the most censored book and the second most taught book in public schools in the United States.

…And Immediate Censorship According to the American Library Association, The Catcher in the Rye was the 13 th most frequently challenged book from It was one of the ten most challenged books in 2005.

…And Immediate Censorship Here’s a breakdown of the last decade alone: 2010 – challenged and/or banned for offensive language, being sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group 2009 – challenged in Big Sky High School (Missoula, MT) 2006 – challenged for sexual content, offensive language, and being unsuited to age group 2005 – challenged, but retained as an assigned reading, in Noble High School (North Berwick, ME) 2002 – removed in South Carolina as a “filthy, filthy book.” Challenged and retained in Georgia due to profanity – challenged repeatedly because of complaints that the book contained sex, violence, and profanity