Yes, The Breakaways Is Banned!
📖 Why You Should Read This Book
Cathy G. Johnson's warm graphic novel is about belonging, not controversy. It was swept up in blanket removals targeting any book mentioning LGBTQ+ identity, despite being a gentle story about friendship and self-discovery.
Cathy G. Johnson’s The Breakaways is a middle-grade graphic novel about Faith, a quiet kid who joins a ragtag soccer team and slowly finds her people. The team is a mess, the games are chaotic, and Faith is working through a crush on another girl while trying to figure out where she fits. Johnson’s art is warm and expressive, capturing the awkward intensity of middle school friendships with a light touch. It’s the kind of book that kids devour in one sitting because it feels like their actual lives.
The Breakaways has been challenged 12 times across Florida, Texas, and Missouri, swept up in the mass removal campaigns of 2021 and 2022 that targeted any book containing LGBTQ+ content. The “sexual content” label is misleading: this is a gentle story about a girl with a crush. There are no explicit scenes. But in the logic of blanket book bans, a same-sex crush in a middle-grade book is enough to pull it from shelves. The irony is that The Breakaways is exactly the kind of inclusive, affirming story that helps kids feel less alone, which is precisely why some adults don’t want it in libraries.
Why Was It Banned?
Where Was It Banned?
Read It Anyway
The best response to a book ban is reading the book. Here's where to get it:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Breakaways banned?
Yes, The Breakaways by Cathy G. Johnson has been banned or challenged in 12 documented instances across 3 states in the United States, including Florida, Texas, Missouri. It remains one of the most frequently challenged books in America.
Why was The Breakaways banned?
The Breakaways has been challenged and banned for the following reasons: Sexual Content. These challenges have come from school boards, libraries, and parent groups seeking to restrict access to the book.
Where is The Breakaways banned?
As of 2025, The Breakaways has been banned or challenged in Florida, Texas, Missouri. Notable bans include Escambia County Public Schools (2022), St. Lucie Public Schools (2022), Keller ISD (2022).