BANNED

Yes, Grown Is Banned!

by Tiffany D. Jackson · Katherine Tegen Books · 2020

ISBN: 9780062840356

18 documented challenges

Tiffany D. Jackson’s Grown is a thinly veiled response to the R. Kelly case, telling the story of Enchanted Jones, a talented seventeen-year-old singer recruited by Korey Fields, a superstar R&B artist twice her age. What begins as a dream opportunity curdles into a nightmare of manipulation, isolation, and abuse. When Enchanted wakes up in Korey’s bed covered in his blood with no memory of what happened, she has to piece together the truth about a night she can’t remember and a relationship she couldn’t escape. Jackson writes about grooming with forensic precision, showing how predators isolate their victims incrementally.

Grown was challenged 11 times in the 2024-2025 PEN America data, with bans in Florida and Tennessee school districts including Knox County, Monroe County, Oak Ridge, and Rutherford County. The challenges cite sexual content, violence, and language. The book was written specifically to help teenagers recognize the signs of grooming, a form of abuse that depends on the victim not having language for what’s happening to them. Jackson has pointed out that removing Grown from libraries takes away a tool that could help young people identify and resist predatory behavior, precisely the outcome that the adults claiming to protect children should want to prevent.

Why Was It Banned?

Where Was It Banned?

Florida Hillsborough County Public Schools 2025
Florida Union County School District 2025
Tennessee Knox County Schools 2024
Tennessee Monroe County Schools 2025
Tennessee Oak Ridge Schools 2025
Tennessee Rutherford County Schools 2025

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Grown banned?

Yes, Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson has been banned or challenged in 18 documented instances across 2 states in the United States, including Florida, Tennessee. It remains one of the most frequently challenged books in America.

Why was Grown banned?

Grown has been challenged and banned for the following reasons: Sexual Content, Violence, Language. These challenges have come from school boards, libraries, and parent groups seeking to restrict access to the book.

Where is Grown banned?

As of 2025, Grown has been banned or challenged in Florida, Tennessee. Notable bans include Hillsborough County Public Schools (2025), Union County School District (2025), Knox County Schools (2024).