Frequently Challenged Children's Books

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