List of most commonly challenged books in the United States
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Judy Blume is the author featured most frequently on this list (five times). Her young adult novels are typically about coming of age issues such as teenage sexuality.
The second oldest works featured on the list were written by Mark Twain. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) is often challenged for its language and discussion of racism.
This list of the most commonly challenged books in the United States refers to books sought to be removed or otherwise restricted from public access, typically from a library or a school curriculum. This list is primarily based on U.S. data gathered by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), which gathers data from media reports, and from reports from librarians and teachers.[1]
As of 2020, the top ten reasons books were challenged and banned included sexual content (92.5% percent of books on the list); offensive language (61.5%); unsuited to age group (49%); religious viewpoint (26%); LGBTQIA+ content (23.5%); violence (19%); racism (16.5%); drugs, alcohol, and smoking (12.5%); "anti-family" content (7%); and political viewpoint (6.5%).[2][3][4][bettersourceneeded]
The ALA does not claim comprehensiveness in recording challenges. Research suggests that for each challenge reported there are as many as four or five which go unreported.[6]
The list is sorted alphabetically by default. Included is each book's rank in the ALA's lists of top 100 challenged books by decade (if applicable).
Profanity, drug use, and alcoholism; thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”[10]
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")
Obscene language, gang violence, underage smoking and drinking, strong language/slang, and family dysfunction, legitimisation of murder and anti-religious content
LGBTQIA+ content; featuring a gay marriage; being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; conflicting with a religious viewpoint
LGBTQIA+ content, discussing gender identity and sex education, concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate,” believed to lead children to “want to have sex or ask questions about sex”
Author's public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people.[10]
↑ Gender Queer was the most challenged book of 2021, 2022, and 2023
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References
↑ "Banned & Challenged Books". www.ala.org. American Library Association. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
↑ Banned & Challenged Books (March 26, 2013). "Banned & Challenged Classics". Office for Intellectual Freedom. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
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