Top ten frequently challenged books lists of the 21st century
Each year, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles a list of the top ten most frequently challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The ALA condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information.
A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. The number of challenges reflects only incidents reported. We estimate that for every reported challenge, four or five remain unreported. Therefore, we do not claim comprehensiveness in recording challenges.
Top Ten List Methodology
The Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged books list is compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and is based on anecdotal data derived from media stories and voluntary reports sent to OIF about book challenges in communities across the United States. Challenges are documented requests to remove materials from schools or libraries, thus restricting access to them by others. In some cases OIF may get numerous details about who challenged a book, why they are complaining about the book, what happened during the challenge, and the current status of the book. In other cases, few details are supplied beyond the fact of the challenge and the reasons for the challenge. Sometimes OIF receives information as the challenge is happening, and sometimes OIF receives an online report years later. All of this can affect the total number of challenges reported in any given year and how we inform the public about those challenges. Thus the Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books list should be seen as a snapshot of the reports OIF receives and not an exhaustive report. The goal of the Office for Intellectual Freedom is to educate about individual censorship efforts and to inform the public that censorship is still a very serious problem. Despite the best efforts on the part of OIF to follow up on challenges and provide support to institutions dealing with challenges, surveys indicate up to 85% of book challenges receive no media attention and remain unreported.
The top ten most frequently challenged books of 2014 are:
1) 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”
2) Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”
3) 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”
4) The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”
5) It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it child pornography”
6) Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. Additional reasons:
7) The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence
8) 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”
9) A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group
10) Drama, by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: sexually explicit
(Out of 311 challenges as recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom)
Background Information from 2000 to 2009
Over this recent past decade, 5,099* challenges were reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom.
- 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"' and
- 361 challenges due to "homosexuality."
Further, 274 materials were challenged due to "occult" or "Satanic" themes, an additional 291 were challenged due to their "religious viewpoint," and 119 because they were "anti-family."
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.
1,639 of these challenges were in school libraries; 1,811 were in classrooms; 1,217 took place in public libraries. There were 114 challenges to materials used in college classes; and 30 to academic libraries. There are isolated cases of challenges to library materials made available in or by prisons, special libraries, community groups, and students. The vast majority of challenges were initiated by parents (2,535), with patrons and administrators to follow (516 and 489 respectively).
*We receive challenge reports after the top ten list has been published. This number reflects all the challenges we received since July 31, 2013 for the 2000-2009 time period.
Top Ten Challenged Books Lists by Year: 2001-2013
Find out if your favorite book has been banned or challenged by exploring the top ten lists of the 21st century below. For more information on how many books were challenged in a given year or for reasons why these books were challenged, please explore the top ten list by year.
2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001
2013
Out of 307 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- 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
Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence
2012
- 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
2011
Out of 326 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- 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
2010
Out of 348 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and 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, and violence - Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, and sexually explicit - Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, and sexually explicit - The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence - Lush, by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, and religious viewpoint - Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality and sexually explicit - Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint and violence
2009
Out of 460 challenges as reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- 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
2008
Out of 513 challenges as reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group - His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence - ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence - Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group - Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group - The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group
2007
Out of 420 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, sexism, and 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 and sexually explicit - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
2006
Out of 546 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-family, homosexuality, and unsuited to age group - Gossip Girls (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and 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, and unsuited to age group - The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: insensitivity, occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, and violence - Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
Reasons: homosexuality and offensive language - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Beloved, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and violence
2005
Out of 405 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- 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
2004
Out of 547 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- 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
2003
Out of 458 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- 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
Reason: homosexuality, nudity, sexual content, sex education - We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
Reason: offensive language, sexual content - King & King, by Linda de Haan
Reason: homosexuality - Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
Reason: occult/Satanism, offensive language
2002
Out of 515 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- 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
2001
Out of 448 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- 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 - I 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
The Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged books list is compiled with expert analysis by the Office for Intellectual Freedom staff. “Challenges” are documented requests to remove materials from schools or libraries. Removal would restrict access to this information by other library users. This list is not scientifically compiled. Rather, it is a snapshot of the reports we receive every day. In some cases we get numerous details about the challenger, the nature of the complaint, the backstory, and the current status of the book. And in some cases we get very little. Sometimes we receive information during the challenge event, sometimes many years later. These factors affect the total number of challenged books for any given year and how we inform the public.
Our goal is not to focus on the numbers, but to educate the community that censorship is still a very serious problem. Even with all of our efforts to follow up and provide support, surveys indicate that up to 85% of book challenges receive no media attention and remain unreported.
