Which John Steinbeck novel is often banned in schools for its profanity and themes?

The John Steinbeck novel often banned in schools for its profanity and themes is Of Mice and Men.

First published in 1937, this short novel follows migrant ranch workers George Milton and Lennie Small during the Great Depression. Their dream of owning a small farm contrasts with the harsh economic insecurity, loneliness, discrimination, and violence surrounding them. Steinbeck’s plain prose and compact structure have made the book a common choice for secondary-school English classes.

It has also made the novel a frequent target of censorship. Challenges have cited profanity, racial slurs, violence, sexual content, euthanasia, and language or themes considered unsuitable for students. The objections do not mean the book is absent from schools; many districts continue to teach it, often alongside historical and literary context. A common mix-up is The Grapes of Wrath, another Steinbeck novel associated with censorship, but Of Mice and Men is the work especially known for repeated school challenges over language and subject matter.