Some books considered American classics or regarded as important works of litterateur tell stories from Oklahoma. And a few of those books have been banned or discouraged from teaching either within the state or in other areas of the nation. From telling stories about atrocities against the Osage Nation to socioeconomic rivalries among teenagers, these classic books stem from Oklahoma's less than pretty history.

Certain books have been banned across the country and around the world for the last several decades. But over the last few years, a new era of intense book banning has sparked throughout the United States. Typically, politicians or school boards ban the books from being available in local and school libraries, or they issue laws/orders the prohibit teachers from teaching certain topics that are typically explored in banned books.

In 2021, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed into law House Bill 1775, dictating what educators in the state can and can't teach. Outlined in the bill, the lessons cannot teach that "an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously" or that "any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex."

According to an article from The Week, this law is making Oklahoma educators afraid of teaching one of the state's most prolific books, including one that was recently made into an Academy Award-winning movie and one that was adapted into a Tony Award winning musical.

Some of the banned books from Oklahoma are currently banned either in the state or throughout the nation. Others were banned in the past but are no longer banned today and are considered classics or read as assignments in classrooms.

Below are Oklahoma books that have been placed on the banned books list.

'The Grapes of Wrath' by John Steinbeck

In 2023, The LA Times listed "The Grapes of Wrath" as one of the 15 most banned books in America. Set in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, "The Grapes of Wrath" is the story of a family that migrates from California to Oklahoma seeking out the "American Dream."

When the book came out in 1939, it was an immediate best-seller, but although it was popular across the country, some places didn't agree and banned the book. There were also reports of book burning in places, including California where the book ends.

'The Outsiders' by S.E. Hinton

When she was 15 years old, Oklahoman S.E. Hinton started writing her best seller "The Outsiders." Set in Tulsa, "The Outsiders" tells the story of two rival gangs of white Americans divided by their socioeconomic backgrounds and the heroic story of friendship and belonging. The American Library Association listed "The Outsiders" as no. 38 of most challenged books from 1990-1999.

At the 2024 Tony Awards, "The Outsiders" musical received 12 nominations and received four wins, including Best Musical. "The Outsiders" musical will kickoff its North America tour in Tulsa in the fall of this year. In September 2024, the musical partnered with the No Book Bans coalition for Banned Books Week and sponsored a book drive to encourage audiences to contact their elected officials to support the Books Save Lives Act.

'Killers Of The Flower Moon" by David Grann

"Killers Of The Flower Moon" published in 2017, and instantly became one of Time magazine's top 10 nonfiction books of 2017. "Killers Of The Flower Moon" tells the true story of a string of murders among the Osage Nation in the 1920s near Tulsa - depicting a dark piece of Oklahoma's storied history. In 2023, Martin Scorsese released his Academy Award-winning adaptation of "Killers Of The Flower Moon" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert DeNiro.

Although the book is not explicitly banned in Oklahoma, teachers are discouraged and afraid to teach the book due to HB 1775.

@doubledaybooks In the 1920s, Oklahoma members of the Osage Nation were being killed for their oil money. Then, those investigating the murders started to show up dead too. This shocking conspiracy haunted the Osage for years--even prompting them to remove a portion of a photo that included "the devil" who was responsible from their museum. Author of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, David Grann, shares the experience of seeing this photograph and why he felt compelled to tell the story. #DavidGrann #Nonfiction #ForgottenHistory #killersoftheflowermoonmovie ♬ original sound - DoubledayBooks

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Gallery Credit: Stacker

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