Banned books are books that "have been considered unfit to read in schools or have in libraries. These books have been the target of censorship due to their contents. Books may be banned locally, but in some instances are banned nationally as well. A banned book is not illegal to read, but may be difficult to find. It is not uncommon for a book to be banned from some schools, but be on the reading lists for others" (Information Commons, Butler University).
Why do we care about banned books?
Want to read a banned book? Awesome.
Banned Books Week is an annual event (since 1982!) celebrating the freedom to read, advocating for the free and open access information, and fighting censorship. Banned Books Week is always the last week of September. Learn more about frequently-challenged and Top Ten lists of banned books.
ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 2,571 unique titles targeted for censorship, a 38% increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted in 2021. Most of the targeted books were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color. Here are the most challenged books in 2022, along with the reasons cited for censoring the books:
1. “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe
Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
2. “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson
Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
3. “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison
Reasons: depiction of sexual abuse, claimed to be sexually explicit, EDI content
4. “Flamer,” by Mike Curato
Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
5. (TIE) “Looking for Alaska,” by John Green
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content
5. (TIE) “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, depiction of sexual abuse, drugs, profanity
7. “Lawn Boy,” by Jonathan Evison
Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
8. “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity
9. “Out of Darkness,” by Ashley Hope Perez
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit
10. (TIE) “A Court of Mist and Fury,” by Sarah J. Maas
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit
10. (TIE) “Crank,” by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs
10. (TIE) “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” by Jesse Andrews
Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity
10. (TIE) “This Book is Gay,” by Juno Dawson
Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit
Image source: American Library Association, ala.org
Except where otherwise noted, content in these research guides is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.