SALT LAKE CITY — More book bans are ushering in the 2026 winter semester, with three new titles added to Utah’s growing list of books prohibited in public schools.
They are: “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire; “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult; and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky.
The additions bring Utah’s total number of banned books to 22.
Maguire’s 1995 dark fantasy novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” reimagines the legendary tale of “The Wizard of Oz” from the perspective of the Wicked Witch, Elphaba.
It follows her life, her friendship with Glinda, The Good Witch, and her fight for the rights of animals, who are being oppressed by a not-so-wonderful Wizard of Oz.
At its core, the book explores the “nature of evil,” Maguire told the BBC in a 2024 interview. But more specifically it asks “what does being ‘evil’ mean?” Maguire explained.
The novel is the first installment in a four-part series, and inspired the hit Broadway musical, “Wicked.” The stage musical was adapted into a two-part film saga, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. Both movies are rated PG.
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