Most Challenged Books | Banned Books
Most Challenged Books
Every year, the American Library Association compiles a list of the books most frequently targeted by censors based on reports from the field and media coverage.
Every year, ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The lists are based on information from confidential reports filed by library professionals and community members, as well as news stories published throughout the United States.
Because many book challenges are not reported to the ALA or covered by the press, the data compiled by ALA represent only a snapshot of censorship attempts in libraries.
The 2025 data reported to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) shows that
the majority of book censorship attempts continue to originate from organized movements.
In 2025,
92% of all book challenges were initiated by pressure groups, government officials, and decision makers,
up from 72% in 2024. Less than 3% of challenges originated from individual parents.
The most common justifications for censorship provided by complainants were false claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and covering topics of race, racism, equity, and social justice.
Since 2021, ALA has tracked a sharp spike in censorship attempts in libraries. OIF tracked
4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, the second highest ever documented by ALA.
The highest ever documented was 4,240 in 2023. Of the unique titles challenged in 2025,
1,671 (40%) represent the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and people of color.
OIF documented
5,668 books banned from libraries (66% of the total challenged)
in 2025.
An additional 920 books were censored
through access restrictions such as relocation or requiring parental permission. This is both the highest number of titles censored in one year and the highest rate of challenges resulting in censorship from 1990–2025.
The Top 10 Most Challenged Books lists are released annually during
National Library Week
and
Right to Read Day
The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to defend each person's right to read under the First Amendment and to ensure free access to information. Your support matters now more than ever. Donations strengthen ALA's efforts to fight censorship, support libraries and library workers confronting attempts to remove materials and other resources, and increase awareness about the nationwide assault on the freedom to read. If you're able, please consider donating to the Office for Intellectual Freedom today.
Donate to OIF
1. Sold by Patricia McCormick
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Number of challenges:
33
Download and Share
Book Résumé
3. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
Number of challenges:
25
Download and Share
Book Résumé
4. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Number of challenges:
24
Download and Share
Book Résumé
5. (TIE) Last Night at the Telegraph Club by
Number of challenges:
23
Download and Share
Book Résumé
5. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Number of challenges:
23
Download and Share
Book Résumé
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Number of challenges:
22
Download and Share
Book Résumé
8. (TIE) A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Number of challenges:
21
Download and Share
Book Résumé
8. (TIE) Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Number of challenges:
21
Download and Share
Book Résumé
8. (TIE) Looking for Alaska by John Green
Number of challenges:
21
Download and Share
Book Résumé
8. (TIE)
Number of challenges:
Download and Share
Book Résumé
Spread the Word
Shareable Graphics
Bluesky Cover
Horizontal
Instagram Share
Instagram Story
Square
The Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2025 infographic was released as part of the 2026
State of America's Libraries Report
View the Full Report
Censorship by the Numbers and Top 11 Most Challenged Books of 2025 (web version)
(.pdf, 2.04 MB)
Censorship by the Numbers and Top 11 Most Challenged Books of 2025 (print version)
(.pdf, 1.41 MB)
Mapping Challenges to the Freedom to Read
ALA analyzes censorship data and compiles lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools. Censorship data paints a vivid picture of attempts to ban or restrict library books and resources across the United States. We break down censorship by the numbers.
The Book Report
The Book Report
, formerly known as
The Field Report
, examines attempts to curtail the freedom to read, offering more information about censorship attacks on the 20 most challenged books in the country. This annual report is the perfect handout for those who don’t know about the scope of censorship in libraries and for readers who want to stay informed about recent attempts to restrict access to information.
The 2024 report is available
here
(digital version
here
).
The issue covering the 2025 titles will be available in the ALA Store in June 2026.
The Book Report: Titles Targeted for Censorship 2023 (PDF)
Field Report 2022: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Field Report 2021: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Field Report 2020: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Field Report 2019: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Field Report 2018: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Field Report 2016: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Field Report 2015: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Field Report 2014: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Field Report 2013: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Field Report 2012: Banned and Challenged Books (PDF)
Most Challenged Books Lists, 2001–2024
All Boys Aren’t Blue
by George M. Johnson
Why this book matters:
bit.ly/allboysBR
Gender Queer
by Maia Kobabe
Why this book matters:
bit.ly/genderBR
(TIE)
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
Why this book matters:
bit.ly/bluestBR
(TIE)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Why this book matters:
bit.ly/wallflowerBR
Tricks
by Ellen Hopkins
Why this book matters: bit.ly/tricksBR
(TIE)
Looking for Alaska
by John Green
Why this book matters:
bit.ly/alaskaBR
(TIE)
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
by Jesse Andrews
Why this book matters:
bit.ly/earlBR
(TIE)
Crank
by Ellen Hopkins
Why this book matters:
bit.ly/crankBR
(TIE)
Sold
by Patricia McCormick
Why this book matters:
bit.ly/soldBR
Flamer
by Mike Curato
Why this book matters:
bit.ly/flamerBR
Download the Censorship by the Numbers 2024 infographic.
The American Library Association documented
821 attempts to censor
materials and services at libraries, schools, and universities in 2024. The most common reasons for challenges were false claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and dealing with topics of race, racism, inclusivity, equity, and social justice. Of the
2,452 unique titles
that were challenged or banned in 2024, here are the top 10 most frequently targeted.
Gender Queer
by Maia Kobabe
Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
All Boys Aren’t Blue
by George M. Johnson
Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
This Book is Gay
by Juno Dawson
Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, rape, drugs, profanity
Flamer
by Mike Curato
Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Depiction of rape, incest, claimed to be sexually explicit, EDI content
(TIE)
Tricks
by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs, depiction of rape, LGBTQIA+ content
(TIE)
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
by Jesse Andrews
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity
Let’s Talk About It
by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, sex education, LGBTQIA+ content
Sold
by Patricia McCormick
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, depiction of rape
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2023 infographic
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 1,269 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2022. Of the 2,571 unique titles that were targeted, here are the most challenged along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Gender Queer
by Maia Kobabe
Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
All Boys Aren’t Blue
by George M. Johnson
Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Banned and challenged for depiction of sexual abuse, EDI content, and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Flamer
by Mike Curato
Reasons:Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Looking for Alaska
by John Green (tie)
Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky (tie)
Reasons: Banned and challenged for depiction of sexual abuse, LGBTQIA+ content, drug use, profanity, and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Lawn Boy
by Jonathan Evison
Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Out of Darkness
by Ashley Hope Perez
Reasons: Banned and challenged for depictions of abuse and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
A Court of Mist and Fury
by Sarah J. Maas (tie)
Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Crank
by Ellen Hopkins (tie)
Reasons: Banned and challenged for drug use and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
by Jesse Andrews (tie)
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
This Book is Gay
by Juno Dawson (tie)
Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, providing sexual education, and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2022 infographic
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2021. Of the 1,597 unique titles that were targeted, here are the most challenged along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Gender Queer
by Maia Kobabe
Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images
Lawn Boy
by Jonathan Evison
Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
All Boys Aren’t Blue
by George M. Johnson
Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
Out of Darkness
by Ashley Hope Perez
Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, violence, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references and use of a derogatory term
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
by Jesse Andrews
Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and degrading to women
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Banned and challenged because it depicts child sexual abuse and was considered sexually explicit
This Book is Gay
by Juno Dawson
Reasons: Banned, challenged, relocated, and restricted for providing sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content.
Beyond Magenta
by Susan Kuklin
Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2021 infographic
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 156 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2020. Of the 273 unique titles that were targeted, here are the most challenged along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Melissa
(previously published as
George
) by Alex Gino
Reasons: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
Reasons: Banned and challenged because of author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people
All American Boys
by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”
Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author
Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice
by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
Reasons: Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience
Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse
The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas
Reasons: Challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2020 infographic
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 377 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2019. Of the 566 unique titles that were targeted, here are the most challenged along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Melissa
(previously published as
George
) by Alex Gino
Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out
by Susan Kuklin
Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
Reasons: challenged and vandalized for LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is “designed to pollute the morals of its readers,” and for not including a content warning
Sex is a Funny Word
by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth
Reasons: challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate”
Prince & Knight
by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
Reasons: challenged and restricted for featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content; for being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint
I Am Jazz
by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
Reasons: challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged”
The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood
Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones”
Drama
written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals”
Harry Potter series
by J. K. Rowling
Reasons: banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals
And Tango Makes Three
by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson illustrated by Henry Cole
Reason: challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2019 infographic
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2019 Spanish infographic
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked
347 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2018. Of the 483 unique titles that were targeted, here are the most challenged along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Melissa
(previously published as
George
) by Alex Gino
Reasons: banned, challenged, and relocated because it was believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones, and for mentioning “dirty magazines,” describing male anatomy, “creating confusion,” and including a transgender character
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ content, and for political and religious viewpoints
Captain Underpants series
written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while
Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot
was challenged for including a same-sex couple
The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas
Reasons: banned and challenged because it was deemed “anti-cop,” and for profanity, drug use, and sexual references
Drama
written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ characters and themes
Thirteen Reasons Why
by Jay Asher
Reasons: banned, challenged, and restricted for addressing teen suicide
This One Summer
by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations
Skippyjon Jones series
written and illustrated by Judy Schachner
Reason: challenged for depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: banned and challenged for sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint
This Day in June
by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten
Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content
Two Boys Kissing
by David Levithan
Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2018 infographic
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 354 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2017. Of the 416 unique titles that were targeted, here are the most challenged along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Thirteen Reasons Why
written by Jay Asher
Originally published in 2007, this New York Times bestseller has resurfaced as a controversial book after Netflix aired a TV series by the same name. This YA novel was challenged and banned in multiple school districts because it discusses suicide.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
written by Sherman Alexie
Consistently challenged since its publication in 2007 for acknowledging issues such as poverty, alcoholism, and sexuality, this National Book Award winner was challenged in school curriculums because of profanity and situations that were deemed sexually explicit.
Drama
written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
This Stonewall Honor Award-winning, 2012 graphic novel from an acclaimed cartoonist was challenged and banned in school libraries because it includes LGBT characters and was considered “confusing.”
The Kite Runner
written by Khaled Hosseini
This critically acclaimed, multigenerational novel was challenged and banned because it includes sexual violence and was thought to “lead to terrorism” and “promote Islam.”
Melissa
(previously published as
George
) written by Alex Gino
Written for elementary-age children, this Lambda Literary Award winner was challenged and banned because it includes a transgender child.
Sex is a Funny Word
written by Cory Silverberg and illustrated by Fiona Smyth
This 2015 informational children’s book written by a certified sex educator was challenged because it addresses sex education and is believed to lead children to “want to have sex or ask questions about sex.”
To Kill a Mockingbird
written by Harper Lee
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, considered an American classic, was challenged and banned because of violence and its use of the N-word.
The Hate U Give
written by Angie Thomas
Despite winning multiple awards and being the most searched-for book on Goodreads during its debut year, this YA novel was challenged and banned in school libraries and curriculums because it was considered “pervasively vulgar” and because of drug use, profanity, and offensive language.
And Tango Makes Three
written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole
Returning after a brief hiatus from the Top Ten Most Challenged list, this ALA Notable Children’s Book, published in 2005, was challenged and labeled because it features a same-sex relationship.
I Am Jazz
written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
This autobiographical picture book co-written by the 13-year-old protagonist was challenged because it addresses gender identity.
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2017 infographic
Out of 323 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
This One Summer
written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and it was considered sexually explicit with mature themes
Drama
written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint
Melissa
(previously published as
George
) written by Alex Gino
Reasons: challenged because it includes a transgender child, and the “sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels”
I Am Jazz
written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
Reasons: challenged because it portrays a transgender child and because of language, sex education, and offensive viewpoints
Two Boys Kissing
written by David Levithan
Reasons: challenged because its cover has an image of two boys kissing, and it was considered to include sexually explicit LGBT content
Looking for Alaska
written by John Green
Reasons: challenged for a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to “sexual experimentation”
Big Hard Sex Criminals
written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky
Reason: challenged because it was considered sexually explicit
Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread
written by Chuck Palahniuk
Reasons: challenged for profanity, sexual explicitness, and being “disgusting and all around offensive”
Little Bill
(series) written by Bill Cosby and and illustrated by Varnette P. Honeywood
Reason: challenged because of criminal sexual allegations against the author
Eleanor & Park
written by Rainbow Rowell
Reason: challenged for offensive language
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2016 infographic
Out of 275 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Looking for Alaska
, by John Green
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group
Fifty Shades of Grey
, by E. L. James
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and other (“poorly written,” “concerns that a group of teenagers will want to try it”)
I Am Jazz
, by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
Reasons: inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out
, by Susan Kuklin
Reasons: anti-family, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“wants to remove from collection to ward off complaints”)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
, by Mark Haddon
Reasons: offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“profanity and atheism”)
The Holy Bible
Reasons: religious viewpoint
Fun Home
, by Alison Bechdel
Reasons: violence and other (“graphic images”)
Habibi
, by Craig Thompson
Reasons: nudity, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group
Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan
, by Jeanette Winter
Reasons: religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, and violence
Two Boys Kissing
, by David Levithan
Reasons: homosexuality and other (“condones public displays of affection”)
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2015 infographic
Out of 311 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”
Persepolis
, by Marjane Satrapi
Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”
And Tango Makes Three
, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”
The Bluest Eye
, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”
It’s Perfectly Normal
, by Robie Harris
Reasons: nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it is child pornography”
Saga
, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Reasons: anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group
The Kite Runner
, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”
A Stolen Life
, Jaycee Dugard
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
Drama
, by Raina Telgemeier
Reason: sexually explicit
Download the
Censorship by the Numbers 2014 infographic
Out of 307 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Captain Underpants
(series), by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence
The Bluest Eye
, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Fifty Shades of Grey
, by E.L. James
Reasons: nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Hunger Games
, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl
, by Tanya Lee Stone
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
Looking for Alaska
, by John Green
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Bless Me Ultima
, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
Bone
(series), by Jeff Smith
Reason: political viewpoint, racism, violence
Out of 464 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Captain Underpants
(series), by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited for age group
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
Thirteen Reasons Why
, by Jay Asher
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group
Fifty Shades of Grey
, by E. L. James
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit
And Tango Makes Three
, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, unsuited for age group
The Kite Runner
, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
Looking for Alaska
, by John Green
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
Scary Stories
(series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: unsuited for age group, violence
The Glass Castle
, by Jeanette Walls
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit
Beloved
, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence
Out of 326 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r
(series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Color of Earth
(series), by Kim Dong Hwa
Reasons: nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Hunger Games
trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, insensitivity, offensive language, occult/satanic, violence
My Mom's Having A Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy
, by Dori Hillestad Butler
Reasons: nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Alice
(series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint
Brave New World
, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, nudity, racism, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
What My Mother Doesn't Know
, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
Gossip Girl
(series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit
To Kill a Mockingbird
, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language, racism
Out of 348 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
And Tango Makes Three
, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
Brave New World
, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit
Crank
, by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit
The Hunger Games
, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
Lush
, by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
What My Mother Doesn't Know
, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Nickel and Dimed
, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint
Revolutionary Voices
, edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit
Twilight
, by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint, violence
Out of 460 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r
(series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: drugs, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
And Tango Makes Three,
by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality
The Perks of Being A Wallflower
, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: anti-family, drugs, homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group
To Kill A Mockingbird
, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language, racism, unsuited to age group
Twilight
(series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Catcher in the Rye
, by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
My Sister's Keeper,
by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things,
by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Color Purple,
by Alice Walker
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Chocolate War
, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
Out of 513 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
And Tango Makes Three
, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
His Dark Materials
trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, violence
ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r
(series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Scary Stories
(series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, violence
Bless Me, Ultima
, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group
Gossip Girl
(series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Uncle Bobby's Wedding
, by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: homosexuality, unsuited to age group
The Kite Runner
, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Flashcards of My Life
, by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
Out of 420 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
And Tango Makes Three
, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, sexism, unsuited to age group
The Chocolate War
, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, violence
Olive's Ocean
, by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit
The Golden Compass
, by Philip Pullman
Reason: religious viewpoint
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
, by Mark Twain
Reason: racism
The Color Purple
, by Alice Walker
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit
ttyl
, by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
, by Maya Angelou
Reason: sexually explicit
It's Perfectly Normal
, by Robie Harris
Reasons: sex education, sexually explicit
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
Out of 546 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
And Tango Makes Three
, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-family, homosexuality, unsuited to age group
Gossip Girls
(series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
Alice
(series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: offensive language and sexually explicit
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
, by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: anti-family, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Bluest Eye
, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Scary Stories
(series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: insensitivity, occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence
Athletic Shorts
, by Chris Crutcher
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Beloved
, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Chocolate War
, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, violence
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
Out of 405 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
, by Robie H. Harris
Reasons: abortion, homosexuality, nudity, religious viewpoint, sex education, unsuited to age group
Forever
, by Judy Blume
Reasons: offensive language, sexual content
The Catcher in the Rye
, by J. D. Salinger
Reasons: sexual content, offensive language, unsuited to age group
The Chocolate War
, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: sexual content, offensive language
Whale Talk
, by Chris Crutcher
Reasons: racism, offensive language
Detour for Emmy
, by Marilyn Reynolds
Reason: sexual content
What My Mother Doesn't Know
, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexual content, being unsuited to age group
Captain Underpants
(series), by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: anti-family content, unsuited to age group, violence
Crazy Lady!
, by Jane Leslie Conly
Reason: offensive language
It's So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families
, by Robie H. Harris
Reasons: sex education, sexual content
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
Out of 547 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
The Chocolate War
, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
Fallen Angels
, by Walter Dean Myers
Reasons: offensive language, racism, violence
Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture
, by Michael A. Bellesiles
Reasons: inaccurate, political viewpoint
Captain Underpants
(series), by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit
What My Mother Doesn't Know
, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group, sexually explicit
In the Night Kitchen
, by Maurice Sendak
Reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
King & King
, by Linda deHaan
Reason: homosexuality
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
, by Maya Angelou
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Of Mice and Men
, by John Steinbeck
Reasons: offensive language, racism, violence
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
Out of 458 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Alice
(series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: sexual content, offensive language, unsuited to age group
Harry Potter
(series), by J.K. Rowling
Reasons: occult/Satanism
Of Mice and Men
, by John Steinbeck
Reason: offensive language
Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture
, by Michael Bellesiles
Reason: inaccuracy
Fallen Angels
, by Walter Dean Myers
Reason: drugs, offensive language, racism, sexual content, violence
Go Ask Alice
, by Anonymous
Reason: drugs
It's Perfectly Normal
, by Robie Harris
Reasons: homosexuality, nudity, sexual content, sex education
We All Fall Down
, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexual content
King & King
, by Linda de Haan
Reason: homosexuality
Bridge to Terabithia
, by Katherine Paterson
Reasons: occult/Satanism, offensive language
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
Out of 515 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Harry Potter
, by J.K. Rowling
Reasons: occult/Satanism, violence
Alice
(series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Chocolate War
, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
, by Maya Angelou
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
Taming the Star Runner
, by S.E. Hinton
Reason: offensive language
Captain Underpants
, by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
, by Mark Twain
Reason: offensive language
Bridge to Terabithia
, by Katherine Paterson
Reasons: occult/Satanism, offensive language, violence
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
, by Mildred D. Taylor
Reason: offensive language
Julie of the Wolves
, by Jean Craighead George
Reasons: unsuited to age group, violence
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
Out of 448 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, here are the most challenged titles along with the reasons cited for censorship attempts.
Harry Potter
, by J.K. Rowling
Reasons: anti-family, occult/Satanism, religious viewpoint, violence
Of Mice and Men
, by John Steinbeck
Reasons: offensive language, racism, unsuited to age group, violence
The Chocolate War
, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
, by Maya Angelou
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit
Summer of My German Soldier
, by Bette Greene
Reasons: offensive language, racism, sexually explicit
The Catcher in the Rye
, by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group
Alice
(series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Go Ask Alice
, by Anonymous
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit
Fallen Angels
, by Walter Dean Myers
Reason: offensive language
Blood and Chocolate
, by Annette Curtis Klause
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
From 2000 to 2009, 5,099* challenges were reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. Download
graphs of censorship data for 2000–2009
Reasons Cited
1,577 challenges due to "sexually explicit" material
1,291 challenges due to "offensive language"
989 challenges due to materials deemed "unsuited to age group"
619 challenged due to "violence"'
361 challenges due to "homosexuality"
274 challenges due to "occult" or "Satanic" themes
291 challenges due to "religious viewpoint"
119 challenges due to "anti-family" content
(Please note that the number of challenges and the number of reasons for those challenges do not match because works are often challenged on more than one ground.)
Location
1,639 challenges in school libraries
1,811 challenges in classrooms
1,217 challenges in public libraries
114 challenges in college classes
30 in academic libraries
There are isolated cases of challenges to library materials made available in or by prisons, special libraries, community groups, and students.
Initiator
The vast majority of challenges were initiated by parents (2,535), followed by patrons and administrators (516 and 489 respectively).
* We continue to receive challenge reports after the Top Ten lists have been published. This number reflects all the challenges received since July 31, 2013 for the 2000-2009 time period.
graphs of censorship data for 1990–1999
Before 1990
OIF has only been collecting data about banned books since 1990, so we do not have data or lists of frequently challenged books or authors before that date.
100 Most Challenged Books of the Past Decades
Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 1990-1999
Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2000-2009
Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2010-2019
Frequently Challenged Books Lists
The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) receives reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. We compile lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools.
Allan, Nicholas.
Where Willy Went
Allard, Harry.
Bumps in the Night
Allard, Harry.
The Stupids
series
Allington, Richard.
Once Upon a Hippo
Ancona, George.
Cuban Kids
Avi.
The Fighting Ground
Babbitt, Natalie.
The Devil’s Storybook
Bailey, Jacqui, and Jan McCafferty.
Sex, Puberty, and All That Stuff: A Guide to Growing Up
Bannerman, Helen.
Little Black Sambo
Birdseye, Tom.
Attack of the Mutant Underwear
Blume, Judy.
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret
Blume, Judy.
Blubber
Brannen, Sarah S.
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding
Brittain, Bill.
The Wish Giver
Brown, Laurie Krasny, and Marc Brown.
What’s the Big Secret? Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys
Brown, Marc Tolon.
Buster’s Sugartime
Butler, Dori Hillestad.
My Mom’s Having a Baby! A Kid’s Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy
Carle, Eric.
Draw Me a Star
Christensen, James, C., Renwick St. James and Alan Dean Foster.
Voyage of the Basset
Clutton-Brock, Juliet.
Horse
(DK)
Cohen, Daniel.
Ghostly Warnings
Cohen, Daniel.
Phantom Animals
Cole, Babette.
Mommy Laid An Egg
Cole, Joanna.
Asking About Sex and Growing Up
Collier, James Lincoln, and Christopher Collier.
Jump Ship to Freedom
Collier, James Lincoln, and Christopher Collier.
My Brother Sam is Dead
Collier, James Lincoln, and Christopher Collier.
With Every Drop of Blood
Cormier, Robert.
The Chocolate War
Coupe, Peter.
The Beginner’s Guide to Drawing Cartoons
Curtis, Christopher Paul.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
Dahl, Roald.
James and the Giant Peach
Dahl, Roald.
The Witches
de Haan, Linda.
King & King
DeClements, Barthe.
Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You
Elliot, David.
An Alphabet for Rotten Kids
Fierstein, Harvey.
The Sissy Duckling
Fogelin, Adrian.
My Brother’s Hero
Fox, Mem.
Guess What?
Fox, Paula.
The Slave Dancer
Garden, Nancy.
Holly’s Secret
Geisel, Theodor Seuss.
Hop on Pop: The Simplest Seuss for Youngest Use
Geisel, Theodor Seuss.
If I Ran the Zoo
George, Jean Craighead.
Julie of the Wolves
Gordon, Sharon.
Cuba
Grove, Vicki.
The Starplace
Hahn, Mary Downing.
The Dead Man in Indian Creek
Hanford, Martin.
Where’s Waldo?
Harper, Charise Mericle.
Flashcards of My Life
Harper, Kathryn.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Harris, Robie.
It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
Harris, Robie.
It’s So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families
Harris, Robie.
Who’s In My Family?: All About Families (Let’s Talk About You and Me)
Henkes, Kevin.
Olive’s Ocean
Henson, Jim.
For Every Child a Better World
Hergé [Georges Remi].
Tintin in America
Hergé [Georges Remi].
Tintin in the Congo
Herthel, Jessica, and Jazz Jennings.
I Am Jazz
Hill, Douglas Arthur.
Witches and Magic-Makers
Homes, A.M.
Jack
Ignatow, Amy.
The Popularity Papers
Jukes, Mavis.
It’s a Girl Thing: How to Stay Healthy, Safe and in Charge
Kehret, Peg.
Stolen Children
Kellogg, Steven.
Pinkerton, Behave!
Kilodavis, Cheryl.
My Princess Boy: A Mom’s Story About a Young Boy Who Loves to Dress Up
Kotzwinkle, William, and Glenn Murray.
Walter the Farting Dog
L’Engle, Madeleine.
A Wrinkle in Time
Lewis, Richard, comp.
There Are Two Lives: Poems by Children of Japan
Lindgren, Astrid.
The Runaway Sleigh Ride
Lowry, Lois.
Anastasia Krupnik
series
Lowry, Lois.
The Giver
Madaras, Linda.
What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons
Madaras, Linda.
What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters
Martin, Michael.
Kurt Cobain
Mayle, Peter.
Where Did I Come From?
Mercado, Nancy E., ed.
Tripping Over the Lunch Lady and Other Short Stories
Merriam, Eve.
Halloween ABC
Merriam, Eve.
The Inner City Mother Goose
Mochizuki, Ken.
Baseball Saved Us
Nelson, O.T.
The Girl Who Owned a City
Newman, Leslea.
Heather Has Two Mommies
Okimoto, Jean Davies, and Elaine M. Aoki.
The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption
Opie, Iona.
I Saw Esau
Orgel, Doris.
The Devil in Vienna
Pardi, Francesca, and Tullio F. Altan.
Little Egg (Piccolo uovo)
Park, Barbara.
Junie B. Jones
Parr, Todd.
The Family Book
Paterson, Katherine.
Bridge to Terabithia
Paterson, Katherine.
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Perritano, John.
Amityville
Peters, Lisa Westberg.
Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story
Pilkey, Dav.
The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby: The First Graphic Novel
Pilkey, Dav.
Captain Underpants
series
Pittman, Gayle E.
This Day in June
Polacco, Patricia.
In Our Mothers’ House
Pullman, Philip.
His Dark Materials
series
Quinlan, Patricia.
Tiger Flowers
Reavin, Sam.
The Hunters Are Coming
Richardson, Justin, and Peter Parnell.
And Tango Makes Three
Rodgers, Mary.
Freaky Friday
Rosen, Lucy.
I Am Bane
Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter
series
Ruby, Laura.
Lily’s Ghosts
Sachar, Louis.
The Boy Who Lost His Face
Sachar, Louis.
Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl?
Schniedewind, Nancy.
Open Minds to Equality: A Sourcebook of Learning Activities to Affirm Diversity and Promote Equity
Schreier, Alta.
Vamos a Cuba ( A Vist to Cuba)
Schwartz, Alvin.
And the Green Grass Grew All Around
Schwartz, Alvin.
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat
Schwartz, Alvin.
Ghosts! Ghost Stories in Folklore
Schwartz, Alvin.
Scary Stories
series
Sendak, Maurice.
In the Night Kitchen
Sherman, Josepha, and T.K.F. Weisskopf.
Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts
Silverstein, Shel.
A Light in the Attic
Smith, Jeff.
Bone
series
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley.
The Egypt Game
Speare, Elizabeth George.
The Sign of the Beaver
Steer, Dugald.
Wizardology: The Book of the Secrets of Merlin
Stine, R.L.
Goosebumps
series
Stroud, Jonathan.
The Amulet of Samarkand
Stroud, Jonathan.
The Golem’s Eye
Stroud, Jonathan.
Ptolemy’s Gate
Tamaki, Mariko, and Jillian Tamaki.
This One Summer
Taylor, Mildred D.
The Land
Taylor, Mildred D.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Telgemeier, Raina.
Drama
Texier, Ophélie.
Jean Has Two Moms (Jean a deux mamans)
Toriyama, Akira.
Dragon Ball: The Monkey King
Willhoite, Michael.
Daddy’s Roommate
Winter, Jeanette.
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq
Winter, Jeanette.
Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan
Yep, Laurence.
Dragonwings
Compiled by Patricia Peters, August 2016
Books written for YA audiences, those featuring a YA main character, and classics that regularly appear on high school required reading lists.
Adler, C.S. The Shell Lady’s Daughter
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Alva0rez, Julia. In the Time of the Butterflies
Anaya, Rudolfo A. Bless Me, Ultima
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted
Anderson, M.T. Feed
Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Anonymous. Go Ask Alice
Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why
Atkins, Catherine. Alt Ed
Atkins, Catherine. When Jeff Comes Home
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale
Barnes, Derrick. The Making of Dr. Truelove
Barron, T.A. The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy
Baskin, Julia, Lindsey Newman, Sophie Pollitt-Cohen, and Courtney Toombs. The Notebook Girls: Four Friends, One Diary, Real Life
Bauer, Marion Dane. On My Honor
Bauer, Marion Dane, ed. Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence
Benioff, David. City of Thieves
Block, Francesca Lia. Baby Be-Bop
Block, Francesca Lia. Girl Goddess
Block, Francesca Lia. I Was a Teenage Fairy
Block, Francesca Lia. The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold
Block, Francesca Lia. Witch Baby
Blume, Judy. Deenie
Blume, Judy. Forever
Blume, Judy. Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson
Blume, Judy. Tiger Eyes
Bode, Janet, and Stan Mack. Heartbreak and Roses: Real Life Stories of Troubled Love
Bower, Bert, and Jim Lobdell. History Alive! The Medieval World and Beyond
Boyle, T. Coraghessan. The Tortilla Curtain
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451
Brashares, Ann. Forever in Blue, the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood
Burgess, Melvin. Doing It
Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game
Cart, Michael. My Father’s Scar
Cast, P.C., and Kristin Cast. House of Night series
Chambers, Aidan. Dance on My Grave: A Life and Death in Four Parts
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts
Clerc, Charles, and Louis Leiter, comp. Seven Contemporary Short Novels
Cohen, Susan, and Daniel Cohen. When Someone You Know is Gay
Clinton, Cathryn. A Stone in My Hand
Colasanti, Susane. When It Happens
Cole, Brock. The Facts Speak for Themselves
Cole, Brock. The Goats
Colfer, Eoin. The Supernaturalist
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games Trilogy
Conly, Jane. Crazy Lady
Cooney, Caroline. The Face on the Milk Carton
Cooney, Caroline. The Terrorist
Cormier, Robert. After the First Death
Cormier, Robert. Beyond the Chocolate War
Cormier, Robert. Fade
Cormier, Robert. Heroes
Cormier, Robert. I Am the Cheese
Cormier, Robert. Tenderness
Cormier, Robert. We All Fall Down
Coville, Bruce. Am I Blue?
Cox, Elizabeth. Night Talk
Crawford, Brent. Carter Finally Gets It
Cruse, Howard. Stuck Rubber Baby
Crutcher, Chris. Athletic Shorts
Crutcher, Chris. Chinese Handcuffs
Crutcher, Chris. Deadline
Crutcher, Chris. In the Time I Get
Crutcher, Chris. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk
Daldry, Jeremy. The Teenage Guy’s Survival Guide
Dandicat, Edwidge. Krik! Krak!
Danforth, Emily M. The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Davis, Deborah. My Brother Has AIDS
Davis, Jenny. Sex Education
Dawe, Ted. Into the River
Dawson, Juno. This Book is Gay
Dessen, Sarah. Just Listen
Deuker, Carl. On the Devil’s Court
Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother
Dorfman, Ariel. Death and the Maiden
Dorris, Michael. A Yellow Raft in Blue Water
Draper, Sharon M., and Adam Lowenbein. Romiette and Julio
Drill, Esther. Deal With It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a gURL
Duncan, Lois. Daughters of Eve
Duncan, Lois. Killing Mr. Griffin
Eleveld, Mark, ed. The Spoken Word Revolution: Slam, Hip Hop & the Poetry of a New Generation
Elish, Dan. Born Too Short: The Confessions of an Eighth-Grade Basket Case
Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor, and Anthony Esler. World History
Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man
Erlbach, Arlene. The Middle School Survival Guide
Ferris, Jean. Eight Seconds
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby
Forman, Gayle. Just One Day
Franco, Betsy. You Hear Me? Poems and Writings by Teenage Boys
Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Frank, E.R. America: A Novel
Frank, E.R. Life is Funny
Freedom Writers. The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them
Freymann-Weyr, Garret. My Heartbeat
Friend, Natasha. Lush
Gaiman, Neil. Neverwhere
Gaines, Ernest. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Garden, Nancy. Annie on My Mind
Garden, Nancy. Good Moon Rising
Gardner, John. Grendel
Giles, Gail. Shattering Glass
Glenn, Mel. Who Killed Mr. Chippendale?
Going, K.L. Fat Kid Rules the World
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies
Gould, Steven. Jumper
Gray, Heather M., and Samantha Phillips. Real Girl/Real World: Tools for Finding Your True Self
Green, John. An Abundance of Katherines
Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars
Green, John. Looking for Alaska
Green, John. Paper Towns
Greene, Bette. The Drowning of Stephan Jones
Greene, Bette. Summer of My German Solidier
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey
Halpern, Julie. Get Well Soon
Hartinger, Brent. Geography Club
Hautzig, Deborah. Hey Dollface
Heller, Joseph. Catch-22
Hernandez, Gilbert. Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories
Heron, Ann. Two Teenagers in Twenty
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders
Hinton, S.E. Taming the Star Runner
Hinton, S.E. Tex
Hinton, S.E. That Was Then, This is Now
Holliday, Laurel. Children in the Holocaust and World War II: Their Secret Diaries
Holmes, Melisa, and Trish Hutchison. Hang-ups, Hook-ups, and Holding Out: Stuff You Need to Know about Your Body, Sex, and Dating
Hopkins, Ellen. Crank
Hopkins, Ellen. Identical
Horowitz, Anthony. Snakehead
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner
Howe, James. Totally Joe
Huegel, Kelly. GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God
Hurwin, Davida. Time for Dancing
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World
Hwa, Kim Dong. The Color of Earth series
Jahn-Clough, Lisa. Me, Penelope
Johnson, Maureen. The Bermudez Triangle
Jukes, Mavis. The Guy Book: An Owner’s Manual
Kehret, Peg. Abduction!
Kenan, Randall. James Baldwin
Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon
King, Stephen. Carrie
King, Stephen. Christine
Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate
Klein, Norma. Beginners’ Love
Klein, Norma. Family Secrets
Klein, Norma. Just Friends
Kleinbaum, N.H. Dead Poet’s Society
Knowles, Jo (Johanna Beth). Lessons from a Dead Girl
Koertge, Ron. Arizona Kid
Koertge, Ron. The Brimstone Journals
Koerge, Ron. Where the Kissing Never Stopped
Korman, Gordon. Jake Reinvented
Kuklin, Susan. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out
LaCour, Nina. Hold Still
Larson, Rodger. What I Know Now
Lebert, Benjamin. Crazy: A Novel
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird
Lester, Julius. When Dad Killed Mom
Levenkron, Steven. The Best Little Girl in the World
Levithan, David. Two Boys Kissing
Lipsyte, Robert. One Fat Summer
Locker, Sari. Sari Says: The Real Dirt on Everything from Sex to School
Lockhart, E. The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild
Lopez, Tiffany Ana. Growing Up Chicana/o
Loux, Matthew. SideScrollers
Lyga, Barry. I Hunt Killers
Lynch, Chris. Extreme Elvin
Lynch, Chris. The Iceman
Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things
Mackler, Carolyn. Love and Other Four Letter Words
Mackler, Carolyn. Tangled
Mackler, Carolyn. Vegan Virgin Valentine
Martin, W.K. Marlene Dietrich
Martinac, Paula. k.d. lang
Mazer, Harry. The Last Mission
McBain, Ed. Alice in Jeopardy
McCormick, Patricia. Cut
McCullers, Carson. The Member of the Wedding
McKissack, Fredrick, Jr. Shooting Star
McNally, John, ed. When I Was a Loser: True Stories of (Barely) Surviving High School by Today’s Top Writers
Mead, Richelle. Vampire Academy series
Meyer, Michael, ed. Bedford Introduction to Literature
Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight series
Morrison, Toni. Beloved
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye
Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon
Mungo, Raymond. Liberace
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels
Myers, Walter Dean. Hoops
Myracle, Lauren. ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r series
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Alice series
Nix, Garth. Shade’s Children
Nixon, Joan Lowery. Whispers from the Dead
Nunokawa, Jeff. Oscar Wilde
O’Brien, Sharon. Willa Cather
O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried
Oates, Joyce Carol. Sexy
Ockler, Sarah. Twenty Boy Summer
Oh, Minya. Bling: Hip Hop’s Crown Jewels
Orwell, George. 1984
Parish, James Robert. Whoopi Goldberg: Her Journey from Poverty to Mega-Stardom
Park, Barbara. Mick Harte Was Here
Parks, Gordon. The Learning Tree
Paulsen, Gary. Harris and Me
Peck, Robert Newton. A Day No Pigs Would Die
Pelzer, Dave. A Child Called It
Picoult, Jodi. Nineteen Minutes
Pike, Christopher. Bury Me Deep
Pike, Christopher. Chain Letter 2
Pike, Christopher. Die Softly
Pike, Christopher. Last Act
Pike, Christopher. The Listeners
Pike, Christopher. The Lost Mind
Pike, Christopher. The Midnight Club
Pike, Christopher. Remember Me 3
Pike, Christopher. The Star Group
Pike, Christopher. Witch
Plum-Ucci, Carol. The Body of Christopher Creed
Pomeroy, Wardell. Boys and Sex
Pomeroy, Wardell. Girls and Sex
Rapp, Adam. The Buffalo Tree
Reiss, Johanna. The Upstairs Room
Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging
Rennison, Louise. Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas
Rennison, Louise. On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God: Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson
Reynolds, Marilyn. Detour for Emmy
Riley, Andy. The Book of Bunny Suicides: Little Fluffy Rabbits Who Just Don’t Want to Live Anymore
Rivera, Tomas. And the Earth Did Not Devour Him
Rowell, Rainbow. Eleanor & Park
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye
Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys
Santiago, Esmeralda. When I Was Puerto Rican
Sapphire [Ramona Lofton]. Push
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Schouweiler, Thomas. The Devil: Opposing Viewpoints
Scott, Elizabeth. Living Dead Girl
Selzer, Adam. How to Get Suspended and Influence People
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet (No Fear Shakespeare)
Shusterman, Neal. Unwind
Sidhwa, Bapsi. Cracking India
Sittenfeld, Curtis. Prep: A Novel
Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Smith, Lee. Fair and Tender Ladies
Smith, Patrick. A Land Remembered
Snyder, Jane McIntosh. Sappho
Sones, Sonya. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Moher Dies
Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn’t Know
Sonnie, Amy, ed. Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology
Speare, Elizabeth George. The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Spies, Karen Bornemann. Everything You Need to Know About Incest
St. Stephen’s Community House. The Little Black Book for Girlz: A Book on Healthy Sexuality
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men
Stine, R.L. Double Date
Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History: Eighteenth to Twenty-First Century Art, Third Edition
Stone, Tanya Lee. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl
Srasser, Todd. Give a Boy a Gun
Summers, Courtney. Some Girls Are
Tarbox, Katherine. A Girl’s Life Online
Taylor, Mildred D. Mississippi Bridge
Touchette, Charleen. It Stops With Me: Memoir of a Canuck Girl
Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral
Twain, Mark [Samuel L. Clemens]. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Twain, Mark [Samuel L. Clemens]. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
von Ziegesar, Cecily. Gossip Girl series
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple
Walker, Kate. Peter
Watkins, Yoko. So Far From the Bamboo Grove
Wersba, Barbara. Whistle Me Home
Williams-Garcia, Rita. Like Sisters on the Homefront
Wittlinger, Ellen. Sandpiper
Wolfe, Daniel. T.E. Lawrence
Wolff, Tobias. This Boy’s Life: A Memoir
Wood, Maryrose. Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love
Wright, Richard. Native Son
WritersCorps. Paint Me Like I Am: Teen Poems
Zindel, Paul. The Pigman
Zwerman, Gilda. Martina Navratilova
Compiled by Patricia Peters, August 2016
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom records attempts to remove books from libraries, schools, and universities. The titles below are books on the
Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century
(1998) that have been banned or challenged, as well as information about notable censorship attempts.
The Great Gatsby
, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Challenged at the Baptist College in Charleston, SC (1987) because of "language and sexual references in the book.
The Catcher in the Rye
, by JD Salinger
In 1960, a teacher in Tulsa, OK was fired for assigning the book to an eleventh grade English class. The teacher appealed and was reinstated by the school board, but the book was removed from use in the school.
In 1963, a delegation of parents of high school students in Columbus, OH, asked the school board to ban the novel for being "anti-white" and "obscene." The school board refused the request.
Removed from the Selinsgrove, PA suggested reading list (1975). Based on parents' objections to the language and content of the book, the school board voted 5-4 to ban the book. The book was later reinstated in the curriculum when the board learned that the vote was illegal because they needed a two-thirds vote for removal of the text.
Challenged as an assignment in an American literature class in Pittsgrove, NJ (1977). After months of controversy, the board ruled that the novel could be read in the Advanced Placement class, but they gave parents the right to decide whether or not their children would read it.
Removed from the Issaquah, WA optional High School reading list (1978).
Removed from the required reading list in Middleville, MI (1979).
Removed from the Jackson Milton school libraries in North Jackson, OH (1980).
Removed from two Anniston, AL High school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis.
Removed from the school libraries in Morris, Manitoba (1982) along with two other books because they violate the committee's guidelines covering "excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult."
Challenged at the Libby, MT High School (1983) due to the "book's contents."
Banned from English classes at the Freeport High School in De Funiak Springs, FL (1985) because it is "unacceptable" and "obscene."
Removed from the required reading list of a Medicine Bow, WY Senior High School English class (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book.
Banned from a required sophomore English reading list at the Napoleon, ND High School (1987) after parents and the local Knights of Columbus chapter complained about its profanity and sexual references.
Challenged at the Linton-Stockton, IN High School (1988) because the book is "blasphemous and undermines morality."
Banned from the classrooms in Boron, CA High School (1989) because the book contains profanity. Challenged at the Grayslake, IL Community High School (1991).
Challenged at the Jamaica High School in Sidell, IL (1992) because the book contains profanities and depicts premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution.
Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) and Duval County, FL public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled.
Challenged at the Cumberland Valley High School in Carlisle, PA (1992) because of a parent's objections that it contains profanity and is immoral.
Challenged, but retained, at the New Richmond, WI High School (1994) for use in some English classes.
Challenged as required reading in the Corona Norco, CA Unified School District (1993) because it is "centered around negative activity." The book was retained and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Salinger's novel.
Challenged as mandatory reading in the Goffstown, NH schools (1994) because of the vulgar words used and the sexual exploits experienced in the book.
Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995).
Challenged at the Oxford Hills High School in Paris, ME (1996). A parent objected to the use of the 'F' word.
Challenged, but retained, at the Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, GA (1997). A student objected to the novel's profanity and sexual references.
Removed because of profanity and sexual situations from the required reading curriculum of the Marysville, CA Joint Unified School District (1997). The school superintendent removed it to get it "out of the way so that we didn't have that polarization over a book."
Challenged, but retained on the shelves of Limestone County, AL school district (2000) despite objections about the book's foul language.
Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, GA (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an Advanced Placement English class.
Removed by a Dorchester District 2 school board member in Summerville, SC (2001) because it "is a filthy, filthy book."
Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) school board member because of profanity. The novel was retained.
Challenged in the Big Sky High School in Missoula, MT (2009).
The Grapes of Wrath
, by John Steinbeck
Burned by the East St. Louis, IL Public Library (1939) and barred from the Buffalo, NY Public Library (1939) on the grounds that "vulgar words" were used. Banned in Kansas City, MO (1939).
Banned in Kern County CA, the scene of Steinbeck's novel (1939).
Banned in Ireland (1953).
On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six months' imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers were also on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving The Grapes of Wrath.
Banned in Kanawha, IA High School classes (1980).
Challenged in Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980).
Challenged as required reading for Richford, VT (1981) High School English students due to the book's language and portrayal of a former minister who recounts how he took advantage of a young woman.
Banned in Morris, Manitoba, Canada (1982).
Removed from two Anniston, Ala. high school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis.
Challenged at the Cummings High School in Burlington, NC (1986) as an optional reading assignment because the "book is full of filth. My son is being raised in a Christian home and this book takes the Lord's name in vain and has all kinds of profanity in it." Although the parent spoke to the press, a formal complaint with the school demanding the book's removal was not filed.
Challenged at the Moore County school system in Carthage, NC (1986) because the book contains the phase "God damn."
Challenged in the Greenville, SC schools (1991) because the book uses the name of God and Jesus in a "vain and profane manner along with inappropriate sexual references."
Challenged in the Union City, TN High School classes (1993).
To Kill a Mockingbird
, by Harper Lee
Challenged in Eden Valley, MN (1977) and temporarily banned due to words "damn" and "whore lady" used in the novel.
Challenged in the Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy novel."
Challenged at the Warren, IN Township schools (1981) because the book does "psychological damage to the positive integration process" and "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature." After unsuccessfully trying to ban Lee's novel, three black parents resigned from the township human relations advisory council.
Challenged in the Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger."
Challenged in the Kansas City, MO junior high schools (1985). Challenged at the Park Hill, MO Junior High School (1985) because the novel "contains profanity and racial slurs." Retained on a supplemental eighth grade reading list in the Casa Grande, AZ Elementary School District (1985), despite the protests by black parents and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who charged the book was unfit for junior high use.
Challenged at the Santa Cruz, CA Schools (1995) because of its racial themes. Removed from the Southwood High School Library in Caddo Parish, LA (1995) because the book's language and content were objectionable.
Challenged at the Moss Point, MS School District (1996) because the novel contains a racial epithet. Banned from the Lindale, TX advanced placement English reading list (1996) because the book "conflicted with the values of the community."
Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) School Board member because of profanity. The novel was retained. Returned to the freshman reading list at Muskogee, OK High School (2001) despite complaints over the years from black students and parents about racial slurs in the text.
Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High School's sophomore literature class (2003) as being degrading to African Americans.
Challenged at the Stanford Middle School in Durham, NC (2004) because the 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel uses the word "nigger."
Challenged at the Brentwood, TN Middle School (2006) because the book contains “profanity” and “contains adult themes such as sexual intercourse, rape, and incest.” The complainants also contend that the book’s use of racial slurs promotes “racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy.”
Retained in the English curriculum by the Cherry Hill, NJ Board of Education (2007). A resident had objected to the novel’s depiction of how blacks are treated by members of a racist white community in an Alabama town during the Depression. The resident feared the book would upset black children reading it.
Removed (2009) from the St. Edmund Campion Secondary School classrooms in Brampton Ontario, Canada because a parent objected to language used in the novel, including the word “nigger."
The Color Purple
, by Alice Walker
Challenged as appropriate reading for Oakland, CA High School honors class (1984) due to the work's "sexual and social explicitness" and its "troubling ideas about race relations, man's relationship to God, African history, and human sexuality." After nine months of haggling and delays, a divided Oakland Board of Education gave formal approval for the book's use.
Rejected for purchase by the Hayward, CA school's trustee (1985) because of "rough language" and "explicit sex scenes."
Removed from the open shelves of the Newport News, VA school library (1986) because of its "profanity and sexual references" and placed in a special section accessible only to students over the age of 18 or who have written permission from a parent. Challenged at the public libraries of Saginaw, MI (1989) because it was “too sexually graphic for a 12-year-old.”
Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga, TN (1989) because of its language and "explicitness."
Challenged as an optional reading assigned in Ten Sleep, WY schools (1990).
Challenged as a reading assignment at the New Burn, NC High School (1992) because the main character is raped by her stepfather.
Banned in the Souderton, PA Area School District (1992) as appropriate reading for 10th graders because it is "smut." Challenged on the curricular reading list at Pomperaug High School in Southbury, CT (1995) because sexually explicit passages aren’t appropriate high school reading.
Retained as an English course reading assignment in the Junction City, OR high school (1995) after a challenge to Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel caused months of controversy. Although an alternative assignment was available, the book was challenged due to "inappropriate language, graphic sexual scenes, and book's negative image of black men."
Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent.
Challenged, but retained, as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High Schools in High Point, NC (1996). The book was challenged because it is "sexually graphic and violent."
Removed from the Jackson County, WV school libraries (1997) along with sixteen other titles. Challenged, but retained as part of a supplemental reading list at the Shawnee School in Lima, OH (1999). Several parents described its content as vulgar and "X-rated."
Removed from the Ferguson High School library in Newport News, VA (1999). Students may request and borrow the book with parental approval.
Challenged, along with seventeen other titles in the Fairfax County, VA elementary and secondary libraries (2002), by a group called Parents Against Bad Books in Schools. The group contends the books "contain profanity and descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct, and torture.”
Challenged in Burke County (2008) schools in Morganton, NC by parents concerned about the homosexuality, rape, and incest portrayed in the book.
Ulysses
, by James Joyce
Burned in the U.S. (1918), Ireland (1922), Canada (1922), England (1923) and banned in England (1929).
Beloved
, by Toni Morrison
Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent.
Challenged by a member of the Madawaska, ME School Committee (1997) because of the book's language. The 1987 Pulitzer Prize winning novel has been required reading for the advanced placement English class for six years.
Challenged in the Sarasota County, FL schools (1998) because of sexual material. Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading listing in Arlington Heights, IL (2006), along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she’d found on the Internet.
Challenged in the Coeur d’Alene School District, ID (2007). Some parents say the book, along with five others, should require parental permission for students to read them.
Pulled from the senior Advanced Placement (AP) English class at Eastern High School in Louisville, KY (2007) because two parents complained that the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about antebellum slavery depicted the inappropriate topics of bestiality, racism, and sex. The principal ordered teachers to start over with The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in preparation for upcoming AP exams.
The Lord of the Flies
, by William Golding
Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974).
Challenged at the Sully Buttes, SD High School (1981). Challenged at the Owen, NC High School (1981) because the book is "demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal."
Challenged at the Marana, AZ High School (1983) as an inappropriate reading assignment.
Challenged at the Olney, TX Independent School District (1984) because of "excessive violence and bad language." A committee of the Toronto, Canada Board of Education ruled on June 23, 1988, that the novel is "racist and recommended that it be removed from all schools." Parents and members of the black community complained about a reference to "niggers" in the book and said it denigrates blacks.
Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women and the disabled.
Challenged, but retained on the ninth-grade accelerated English reading list in Bloomfield, NY (2000).
1984
, by George Orwell
Challenged in the Jackson County, FL (1981) because Orwell's novel is "pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter."
Lolita
, by Vladimir Nabokov
Banned as obscene in France (1956-1959), in England (1955-59), in Argentina (1959), and in New Zealand (1960). The South African Directorate of Publications announced on November 27, 1982, that Lolita has been taken off the banned list, eight years after a request for permission to market the novel in paperback had been refused.
Challenged at the Marion-Levy Public Library System in Ocala, FL (2006). The Marion County commissioners voted to have the county attorney review the novel that addresses the themes of pedophilia and incest, to determine if it meets the state law’s definition of “unsuitable for minors.”
Of Mice and Men
, by John Steinbeck
Banned in Ireland (1953); Syracuse, IN (1974); Oil City, PA (I977); Grand Blanc, MI (1979); Continental, OH (1980) and other communities.
Challenged in Greenville, SC (1977) by the Fourth Province of the Knights of the Ku Klux KIan; Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980); St. David, AZ (1981) and Tell City, IN (1982) due to "profanity and using God's name in vain."
Banned from classroom use at the Scottsboro, AL Skyline High School (1983) due to "profanity." The Knoxville, TN School Board chairman vowed to have "filthy books" removed from Knoxville's public schools (1984) and picked Steinbeck's novel as the first target due to "its vulgar language."
Reinstated at the Christian County, KY school libraries and English classes (1987) after being challenged as vulgar and offensive.
Challenged in the Marion County, WV schools (1988), at the Wheaton Warrenville, IL Middle School (1988), and at the Berrien Springs, MI High School (1988) because the book contains profanity.
Removed from the Northside High School in Tuscaloosa, AL (1989) because the book "has profane use of God's name."
Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga, TN (1989) because "Steinbeck is known to have had an anti business attitude." In addition, "he was very questionable as to his patriotism." Removed from all reading lists and collected at the White Chapel High School in Pine Bluff, AR (1989) because of objections to language.
Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, TN school system (1989) because the novel contains "offensive language."
Challenged, but retained in a Salina, KS (1990) tenth grade English class despite concerns that it contains "profanity" and "takes the Lord's name in vain."
Challenged by a Fresno, CA (1991) parent as a tenth grade English college preparatory curriculum assignment, citing profanity" and "racial slurs." The book was retained, and the child of the objecting parent was provided with an alternative reading assignment. Challenged in the Rivera, TX schools (1990) because it contains profanity.
Challenged as curriculum material at the Ringgold High School in Carroll Township, PA (1991) because the novel contains terminology offensive to blacks. Removed and later returned to the Suwannee, FL High School library (1991) because the book is "indecent"
Challenged at the Jacksboro, TN High School (1991) because the novel contains "blasphemous" language, excessive cursing, and sexual overtones.
Challenged as required reading in the Buckingham County, VA schools (1991) because of profanity. In 1992 a coalition of community members and clergy in Mobile, AL requested that local school officials form a special textbook screening committee to "weed out objectionable things." Steinbeck's novel was the first target because it contains "profanity" and "morbid and depressing themes."
Temporarily removed from the Hamilton, OH High School reading list (1992) after a parent complained about its vulgarity and racial slurs.
Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) and the Duval County, FL public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled.
Challenged at the Modesto, CA High School as recommended reading (1992) because of "offensive and racist language." The word "nigger" appears in the book.
Challenged at the Oak Hill High School in Alexandria, LA (1992) because of profanity. Challenged as an appropriate English curriculum assignment at the Mingus, AZ Union High School (1993) because of "profane language, moral statement, treatment of the retarded, and the violent ending."
Pulled from a classroom by the Putnam County, TN school superintendent (1994) "due to the language." Later, after discussions with the school district counsel, it was reinstated.
The book was challenged in the Loganville, GA High School (1994) because of its "vulgar language throughout."
Challenged in the Galena, KS school library (1995) because of the book's language and social implications.
Retained in the Bemidji, MN schools (1995) after challenges to the book's "objectionable" language. Challenged at the Stephens County High School library in Toccoa, GA (I995) because of "curse words." The book was retained.
Challenged, but retained in a Warm Springs, VA High School (1995) English class. Banned from the Washington Junior High School curriculum in Peru, IL (1997) because it was deemed "age inappropriate."
Challenged, but retained, in the Louisville, OH high school English classes (1997) because of profanity.
Removed, restored, restricted, and eventually retained at the Bay County schools in Panama City, FL (1997). A citizen group, the 100 Black United, Inc., requested the novel's removal and "any other inadmissible literary books that have racial slurs in them, such as the using of the word 'Nigger.'"
Challenged as a reading list assignment for a ninth grade literature class, but retained at the Sauk Rapids Rice High School in St. Cloud, MN (1997). A parent complained that the book's use of racist language led to racist behavior and racial harassment.
Challenged in O'Hara Park Middle School classrooms in Oakley, CA (1998) because it contains racial epithets.
Challenged, but retained, in the Bryant, AR school library (1998) because of a parent's complaint that the book "takes God's name in vain 15 times and uses Jesus's name lightly."
Challenged at the Barron, WI School District (1998). Challenged, but retained in the sophomore curriculum at West Middlesex, PA High School (1999) despite objections to the novel's profanity.
Challenged in the Tomah, WI School District (1999) because the novel is violent and contains obscenities.
Challenged as required reading at the high school in Grandville, MI (2002) because the book "is full of racism, profanity, and foul language."
Banned from the George County, MS schools (2002) because of profanity. Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High Schools (2003) because the books contains "racial slurs, profanity, violence, and does not represent traditional values." An alternative book, Steinbeck's The Pearl, was offered but rejected by the family challenging the novel. The committee then recommended The House on Mango Street and The Way to Rainy Mountain as alternatives.
Retained in the Greencastle-Antrim, PA (2006) tenth-grade English classes. A complaint was filed because of “racial slurs” and profanity used throughout the novel. The book has been used in the high school for more than thirty years, and those who object to its content have the option of reading an alternative reading.
Challenged at the Newton, IA High School (2007) because of concerns about profanity and the portrayal of Jesus Christ. Newton High School has required students to read the book since at least the early 1980s. In neighboring Des Moines, it is on the recommended reading list for ninth-grade English, and it is used for some special education students in the eleventh and twelfth grades.
Retained in the Olathe, KS ninth grade curriculum (2007) despite a parent calling the novel a “worthless, profanity-riddled book” which is “derogatory towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled.”
Catch-22
, by Joseph Heller
Banned in Strongsville, OH (1972), but the school board's action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District.
Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974); in Snoqualmie, WA (1979) because of its several references to women as "whores."
Brave New World
, by Aldous Huxley
Banned in Ireland (1932). Removed from classrooms in Miller, MO (1980), because it makes promiscuous sex "look like fun."
Challenged frequently throughout the U.S.as required reading. Challenged as required reading at the Yukon, OK High School (1988) because of "the book's language and moral content."
Challenged as required reading in the Corona-Norco, CA Unified School District (1993) because it is "centered around negative activity." Specifically, parents objected that the characters' sexual behavior directly opposed the health curriculum, which taught sexual abstinence until marriage. The book was retained, and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Huxley's novel.
Removed from the Foley, AL High School Library (2000) pending review, because a parent complained that its characters showed contempt for religion, marriage, and family. The parent complained to the school and to Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.
Challenged, but retained in the South Texas Independent School District in Mercedes, TX (2003). Parents objected to the adult themes—sexuality, drugs, suicide—that appeared in the novel. Huxley's book was part of the summer Science Academy curriculum. The board voted to give parents more control over their children's choices by requiring principals to automatically offer an alternative to a challenged book.
Retained in the Coeur D’Alene, ID School District (2008) despite objections that the book has too many references to sex and drug use.
Animal Farm
, by George Orwell
A Wisconsin survey revealed in 1963 that the John Birch Society had challenged the novel's use; it objected to the words "masses will revolt." In 1968, the New York State English Council's Committee on Defense Against Censorship conducted a comparable study in New York State English classrooms. Its findings identified the novel on its list of "problem books"; the reason cited was that "Orwell was a communist."
Suppressed from being displayed at the 1977 Moscow, Russia International Book Fair.
A survey of censorship challenges in the schools, conducted in DeKalb County for the period of 1979 to 1982, revealed that the novel had been objected to for its political theories.
Banned from Bay County's four middle schools and three high schools in Panama City, FL by the Bay County school superintendent in 1987. After 44 parents filed a suit against the district claiming that its instructional aids policy denies constitutional rights, the Bay County School Board reinstated the book, along with sixty-four others banned.
Banned from schools in the United Arab Emirates, along with 125 others in 2002. The Ministry of Education banned it on the grounds that it contains written or illustrated material that contradicts Islamic and Arab values—in this text, pictures of alcoholic drinks, pigs, and other "indecent images."
The Sun Also Rises
, by Ernest Hemingway
Banned in Boston, MA (1930), Ireland (1953), Riverside, CA (1960), San Jose, CA (1960).
Burned in Nazi bonfires in Germany (1933).
As I Lay Dying
, by William Faulkner
Banned in the Graves County School District in Mayfield, KY (1986) because it contains "offensive and obscene passages referring to abortion and used God's name in vain." The decision was reversed a week later after intense pressure from the ACLU and considerable negative publicity.
Challenged as a required reading assignment in an advanced English class of Pulaski County High School in Somerset, KY (1987) because the book contains "profanity and a segment about masturbation."
Challenged, but retained, in the Carroll County, MD schools (1991). Two school board members were concerned about the book's coarse language and dialect. Banned at Central High School in Louisville, KY (1994) temporarily because the book uses profanity and questions the existence of God.
A Farewell to Arms
, by Ernest Hemingway
The June 1929 issue of Scribner's Magazine, which ran Hemingway's novel, was banned in Boston, MA (1929).
Banned in Italy (1929) because of its painfully accurate account of the Italian retreat from Caporetto, Italy.
Burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933).
Banned in Ireland (1939). Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974).
Challenged at the Vernon-Verona-Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "sex novel."
Their Eyes Were Watching God
, by Zora Neale Hurston
Challenged for sexual explicitness, but retained on the Stonewall Jackson High School's academically advanced reading list in Brentsville, VA (1997). A parent objected to the novel's language and sexual explicitness.
Invisible Man
, by Ralph Ellison
Excerpts banned in Butler, PA (1975).
Removed from the high school English reading list in St. Francis, WI (1975).
Retained in the Yakima, WA schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list.
Song of Solomon
, by Toni Morrison
Challenged, but retained, in the Columbus, OH schools (1993). The complainant believed that the book contains language degrading to blacks, and is sexually explicit.
Removed from required reading lists and library shelves in the Richmond County, GA. School District (1994) after a parent complained that passages from the book are "filthy and inappropriate."
Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Removed from the St. Mary's County, MD schools' approved text list (1998) by the superintendent, overruling a faculty committee recommendation. Complainants referred to the novel as "filth," "trash," and "repulsive."
Reinstated in the Shelby, MI school Advanced Placement English curriculum (2009), but parents are to be informed in writing and at a meeting about the book’s content. Students not wanting to read the book can choose an alternative without academic penalty. The superintendent had suspended the book from the curriculum.
Gone with the Wind
, by Margaret Mitchell
Banned from Anaheim, CA Union High School District English classrooms (1978).
Challenged in Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger."
Native Son
, by Richard Wright
Challenged in Goffstown, NH (1978); Elmwood Park, NJ (1978) due to "objectionable" language; and North Adams, MA (1981) due to the book's "violence, sex, and profanity."
Challenged at the Berrian Springs, MI High School in classrooms and libraries (1988) because the novel is "vulgar, profane, and sexually explicit."
Retained in the Yakima, WA schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list.
Challenged as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High School in High Point, NC (1996). The book was challenged because it is "sexually graphic and violent."
Removed from Irvington High School in Fremont, CA (1998) after a few parents complained the book was unnecessarily violent and sexually explicit.
Challenged in the Hamilton High School curriculum in Fort Wayne, IN (1998) because of the novel's graphic language and sexual content.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
, by Ken Kesey
Challenged in the Greeley, CO public school district (1971) as a non-required American Culture reading.
In 1974, five residents of Strongsville, OH, sued the board of education to remove the novel. Labeling it "pornographic," they charged the novel "glorifies criminal activity, has a tendency to corrupt juveniles and contains descriptions of bestiality, bizarre violence, and torture, dismemberment, death, and human elimination."
Removed from public school libraries in Randolph, NY, and Alton, OK (1975).
Removed from the required reading list in Westport, MA (1977).
Banned from the St. Anthony, ID Freemont High School classrooms (1978) and the instructor fired. The teacher sued. A decision in the case—Fogarty v. Atchley—was never published.
Challenged at the Merrimack, NH High School (1982).
Challenged as part of the curriculum in an Aberdeen, WA High School honors English class (1986) because the book promotes "secular humanism." The school board voted to retain the title.
Challenged at the Placentia-Yorba Linda, CA Unified School District (2000) after complaints by parents stated that teachers "can choose the best books, but they keep choosing this garbage over and over again."
Slaughterhouse Five
, by Kurt Vonnegut
Challenged in many communities, but burned in Drake, ND (1973).
Banned in Rochester, MI because the novel "contains and makes references to religious matters" and thus fell within the ban of the establishment clause. An appellate court upheld its usage in the school in Todd v Rochester Community Schools, 41 Mich. App. 320, 200 N. W 2d 90 (1972).
Banned in Levittown, NY (1975), North Jackson, OH (1979), and Lakeland, FL (1982) because of the "book's explicit sexual scenes, violence, and obscene language."
Barred from purchase at the Washington Park High School in Racine, WI (1984) by the district administrative assistant for instructional services.
Challenged at the Owensboro, KY High School library (1985) because of "foul language, a section depicting a picture of an act of bestiality, a reference to 'Magic Fingers' attached to the protagonist's bed to help him sleep, and the sentence: 'The gun made a ripping sound like the opening of the fly of God Almighty."'
Restricted to students who have parental permission at the four Racine, WI Unified District high school libraries (1986) because of "language used in the book, depictions of torture, ethnic slurs, and negative portrayals of women."
Challenged at the LaRue County, KY High School library (1987) because "the book contains foul language and promotes deviant sexual behavior.”
Banned from the Fitzgerald, GA schools (1987) because it was filled with profanity and full of explicit sexual references:' Challenged in the Baton Rouge, LA public high school libraries (1988) because the book is "vulgar and offensive:'
Challenged in the Monroe, MI public schools (1989) as required reading in a modem novel course for high school juniors and seniors because of the book's language and the way women are portrayed.
Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent.
Challenged as an eleventh grade summer reading option in Prince William County, VA (1998) because the book "was rife with profanity and explicit sex:"
Removed as required reading for sophomores at the Coventry, RI High School (2000) after a parent complained that it contains vulgar language, violent imagery, and sexual content.
Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, IL (2006), along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the internet.
Challenged in the Howell, MI High School (2007) because of the book's strong sexual content. In response to a request from the president of the Livingston Organization for Values in Education, or LOVE, the county's top law enforcement official reviewed the books to see whether laws against distribution of sexually explicit materials to minors had been broken. "After reading the books in question, it is clear that the explicit passages illustrated a larger literary, artistic or political message and were not included solely to appeal to the prurient interests of minors," the county prosecutor wrote. "Whether these materials are appropriate for minors is a decision to be made by the school board, but I find that they are not in violation of criminal laws."
For Whom the Bell Tolls
, by Ernest Hemingway
Declared non-mailable by the U.S. Post Office (1940). On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing, and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six months’ imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers also were on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving For Whom the Bell Tolls.
The Call of the Wild
, by Jack London
Banned in Italy (1929), Yugoslavia (1929), and burned in Nazi bonfires (1933).
Go Tell It on the Mountain,
by James Baldwin
Challenged as required reading in the Hudson Falls, NY schools (1994) because the book has recurring themes of rape, masturbation, violence, and degrading treatment of women.
Challenged as a ninth-grade summer reading option in Prince William County, VA (1988) because the book is "rife with profanity and explicit sex."
All the King's Men
, by Robert Penn Warren
Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974).
The Lord of the Rings
, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Burned in Alamagordo, NM (2001) outside Christ Community Church along with other Tolkien novels as satanic.
The Jungle
, by Upton Sinclair
Banned from public libraries in Yugoslavia (1929). Burned in the Nazi bonfires because of Sinclair's socialist views (1933).
Banned in East Germany (1956) as inimical to communism.
Banned in South Korea (1985).
Lady Chatterley's Lover
, by D.H. Lawrence
Banned by U.S. Customs (1929).
Banned in Ireland (1932), Poland (1932), Australia (1959), Japan (1959), India (1959).
Banned in Canada (1960) until 1962.
Dissemination of Lawrence’s novel has been stopped in China (1987) because the book “will corrupt the minds of young people and is also against the Chinese tradition.”
A Clockwork Orange
, by Anthony Burgess
In 1973 a bookseller in Orem, UT was arrested for selling the novel. Charges were later dropped, but the book seller was forced to close the store and relocate to another city.
Removed from Aurora, CO high school (1976) due to "objectionable" language and from high school classrooms in Westport, MA (1977) because of "objectionable" language.
Removed from two Anniston, AL High school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restricted basis.
The Awakening
, by Kate Chopin
Retained on the Northwestern Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, IL along with eight other challenged titles in 2006. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet.
First published in 1899, this novel so disturbed critics and the public that it was banished for decades afterward.
In Cold Blood
, by Truman Capote
Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, GA (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an Advanced Placement English Class.
Satanic Verses
, by Salman Rushdie
Banned in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Quatar, Indonesia, South Africa, and India because of its criticism of Islam.
Burned in West Yorkshire, England (1989) and temporarily withdrawn from two bookstores on the advice of police who took threats to staff and property seriously.
In Pakistan five people died in riots against the book. Another man died a day later in Kashmir.
Ayatollah Khomeni issued a fatwa or religious edict, stating, "I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses, which is against Islam, the prophet, and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, have been sentenced to death."
Challenged at the Wichita, KS Public Library (1989) because the book is "blasphemous to the prophet Mohammed."
In Venezuela, owning or reading it was declared a crime under penalty of 15 months' imprisonment.
In Japan, the sale of the English-language edition was banned under the threat of fines.
The governments of Bulgaria and Poland also restricted its distribution.
In 1991, in separate incidents, Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator, was stabbed to death and its Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, was seriously wounded. In 1993 William Nygaard, its Norwegian publisher, was shot and seriously injured.
Sophie's Choice
, by William Styron
Banned in South Africa in 1979.
Returned to La Mirada High School library (CA) in 2002 after a complaint about its sexual content prompted the school to pull the award-winning novel about a tormented Holocaust survivor.
Sons and Lovers
, by D.H. Lawrence
In 1961 an Oklahoma City group called Mothers United for Decency hired a trailer, dubbed it "smutmobile," and displayed books deemed objectionable, including Lawrence's novel.
Cat's Cradle
, by Kurt Vonnegut
The Strongsville, Ohio School Board (1972) voted to withdraw this title from the school library; this action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District, 541 F. 2d 577 (6th Cir. 1976).
Challenged at Merrimack, NH High School (1982).
A Separate Peace
, by John Knowles
Challenged in Vernon-Verona-Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy sex novel."
Challenged at the Fannett-Metal High School in Shippensburg, PA (1985) because of its allegedly offensive language.
Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, TN school system (1989) because the novel contains "offensive language."
Challenged, but retained in the Champaign, IL high school English classes (1991) despite claims that “unsuitable language” makes it inappropriate.
Challenged by the parent of a high school student in Troy, IL (1991) citing profanity and negative attitudes. Students were offered alternative assignments while the school board took the matter under advisement, but no further action was taken on the complaint.
Challenged at the McDowell County, NC schools (1996) because of "graphic language."
Naked Lunch
, by William S. Burroughs
Found obscene in Boston, MA Superior Court (1965). The finding was reversed by the State Supreme Court the following year.
Brideshead Revisited
, by Evelyn Waugh
Alabama Representative Gerald Allen (R-Cottondale) proposed legislation that would prohibit the use of public funds for the "purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle." The bill also proposed that novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks that suggest homosexuality is natural would have to be removed from library shelves and destroyed. The bill would impact all Alabama school, public, and university libraries. While it would ban books like
Heather Has Two Mommies
, it could also include classic and popular novels with gay characters such as
Brideshead Revisited
The Color Purple
or
The Picture of Dorian Gray
(2005).
Women in Love
, by DH Lawrence
Seized by John Summers of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice and declared obscene (1922).
The Naked and the Dead
, by Norman Mailer
Banned in Canada (1949) and Australia (1949).
Tropic of Cancer
, by Henry Miller
Banned from U.S. Customs (1934).
The U.S. Supreme Court found the novel not obscene (1964). Banned in Turkey (1986).
An American Tragedy
, by Theodore Dreiser
Banned in Boston, MA (1927) and burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933) because it "deals with low love affairs."
Rabbit, Run
, by John Updike
Banned in Ireland in 1962 because the Irish Board of Censors found the work "obscene" and "indecent," objecting particularly to the author's handling of the characters' sexuality, the "explicit sex acts" and "promiscuity." The work was officially banned from sales in Ireland until the introduction of the revised Censorship Publications Bill in 1967.
Restricted to high school students with parental permission in the six Aroostock County, ME community high school libraries (1976) because of passages in the book dealing with sex and an extramarital affair.
Removed from the required reading list for English class at the Medicine Bow, WY Junior High School (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book.
The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) receives reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. We compile lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools. How do we
define diversity
A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines
A Hero Ain't Nothin But a Sandwich by Alice Childress
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Always Running by Luis J Rodriguez
Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence by Marion Dane Baue
America by E.R. Frank
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
Baby Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block
Ball Don't Lie by Matt De La Pena
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A Anaya
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa
Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Families: A Celebration of Diversity, Commitment and Love by Aylette Jenness
Full Spectrum by David Levithan
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Geography Club by Brent Hartinger
George by Alex Gino
Getting It by Alex Sanchez
God Box by Alex Sanchez
Habibi by Craig Thompson
Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman
Hold Me Closer by David Levithan
Hoops by Walter Dean Myers
I Am J by Cris Beam
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Ironman by Chris Crutcher
It's Perfectly Normal by Robie H Harris
Jazmin's Notebook by Nikki Grimes
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
King & King by Linda de Haan
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Mexican Whiteboy by Matt De La Pena
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino
My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis
Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron
Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter
Native Son by Richard Wright
Palestine: A Nation Occupied by Joe Sacco
Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez
Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D Taylor
Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers
So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Diary of a Girl by Anne Frank
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
This Book is Gay by James Dawson
This Day in June by Gayle Pitman
This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
Tintin in America by Hergé
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Tyrell by Coe Booth
Uncle Bobby's Wedding by Sarah S Brannen
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
Who's in a Family? by Robert Skutch
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by Greg Neri
Email
Cite
Share This Page
US