Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
by Mildred D. Taylor
26 jurisdictions · Banned 1980-2025 · Published
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is Mildred D. Taylor's 1976 Newbery Medal-winning middle-grade novel about the Logan family, a Black landowning family in Depression-era Mississippi, banned or restricted in 26+ U.S. jurisdictions.
Why it was banned
The novel has been challenged regularly for its historically-accurate use of racial slurs and depictions of Jim Crow violence. It is one of the most-banned middle-grade books in American history. Taylor wrote in response to challenges that the book's language was the language of the era she was documenting.
Cited reasons
- racial slurs
- depictions of racial violence
- language
Primary states
California, Wisconsin, Texas, Pennsylvania
Why it matters
Roll of Thunder won the 1977 Newbery Medal. It is widely taught in fourth through eighth grade and is one of the few middle-grade novels that addresses Jim Crow Mississippi at age-appropriate depth. The Logan family series continues across multiple books, all centered on the same family's experience across decades of American history.
Themes
- Jim Crow
- Black landownership
- middle grade
- American history
Awards
- Newbery Medal (1977)
Where to buy
The Ledger recommends Black-owned booksellers. Each stocks this title or can order it.
- MahoganyBooksNational Harbor, Maryland · Founded
Independent bookstore specializing in books written for, by, and about people of the African diaspora.
- Marcus BooksOakland, California · Founded
The oldest independent Black-owned bookstore in the United States, named for political activist Marcus Garvey.
- Harriett's BookshopPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania · Founded
Named for Harriet Tubman, focusing on women authors, artists, and activists.
- Loyalty BookstoreWashington, D.C. · Founded
Black, queer, and woman-owned bookstore with locations in Washington, D.C. and Silver Spring, Maryland.
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Related banned books
Books in the catalog that share themes with this one.
Documented by The Ledger. A record of what Black America built and what was taken.
Book cover via Open Library. Editorial use under fair use.