American Library Association kicks off National Library Week with the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024 and the State of America’s Libraries Report

New data ties majority of library censorship to organized campaigns

CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) today released the highly anticipated Top 10 Most Challenged Books List as part of the 2025 State of America’s Libraries Report that highlights the ways libraries continue to meet the needs of their communities amid challenges to intellectual freedom.

New data reported to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) shows that the majority of book censorship attempts are now originating from organized movements. Pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in school and public libraries. Parents only accounted for 16% of demands to censor books, while 5% of challenges were brought by individual library users. The 120 titles most frequently targeted for censorship during 2024 are all identified on partisan book rating sites which provide tools for activists to demand the censorship of library books.

“As the organized attempts to censor materials in libraries persist, we must continue to unite and protect the freedom to read and support our library workers, especially at a time when our nation’s libraries are facing threats to funding and library professionals are facing threats to their livelihood,” said ALA President Cindy Hohl.

“The movement to ban books is not a movement of parents, but a movement of partisans who seek to limit our freedom to read and make different choices about things that matter,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, Director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “All who care about libraries and personal liberty must stand together and join the movement to halt this assault on the freedom to read."

Below are the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024:

1. “All Boys Aren't Blue,” by George M. Johnson

2. “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe

3. (TIE) “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison

3. (TIE) “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky

5. “Tricks,” by Ellen Hopkins

6. (TIE) “Looking for Alaska,” by John Green

6. (TIE) “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” by Jesse Andrews

8. (TIE) “Crank,” by Ellen Hopkins

8. (TIE) “Sold,” by Patricia McCormick

10. “Flamer,” by Mike Curato

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.

Reports sent to ALA documented 821 attempts to censor library books and other materials in 2024 across all library types, a decrease from 2023 when 1,247 attempts were reported. In 2024, ALA recorded the third highest number of book challenges since tracking began in 1990.

ALA cites the following factors contributing to the decrease in documented censorship from 2023:

Underreporting – Many book challenges are not publicly reported or covered by the press; therefore, ALA’s year-end data only represents a snapshot of censorship in America. In many cases, reporting censorship poses significant risk to a library worker’s professional livelihood and personal safety.

Censorship by Exclusion – This occurs when library workers are prohibited from purchasing books, or required to place books in restricted or less accessible areas of the library due to fear of controversy. Example:

The board of supervisors of King George County Schools (VA) has given outsized influence to a 76-year old preacher, who is the father of one board member and father-in-law of another. Following his requests, the board placed restrictions on access to more than 100 titles in school libraries. Restricted titles are under lock and key at the middle school and behind the librarian’s desk in the high school. Parental permission is required for a student to check out any restricted title. The board also assumed oversight of all books selected for purchase by school library workers.

Legislative restrictions – Several states have passed laws restricting the type of materials available in libraries and schools based on the ideas or topics addressed in the materials. This impairs young readers’ freedom to read and the ability of parents to guide their students’ reading free from political or religious interference. In Florida, Iowa, and Missouri, new state laws requiring school districts to restrict or remove library materials that are broadly deemed to include “sexual content” or controversial themes has resulted in the removal of books with literary or educational merit from school libraries that include LGBTQ+ characters or themes, or the removal of books about race or racism and featuring characters of color.

Total number of books challenged the last 10 years:

2024: 5,813

2023: 9,021

2022: 6,863

2021: 3,916

2020: 278

2019: 334

2018: 258

2017: 304

2016: 241

2015: 233

The National Library Week theme is “Drawn to the Library,” to draw communities into the library. The week highlights the importance of libraries of all kinds to the communities they serve.

ALA is also pleased to announce the theme for Banned Books Week 2025, “Censorship Is So 1984.” With the escalation in attempts to ban books in libraries, schools, and bookstores around the country, George Orwell’s cautionary tale “1984” serves a prescient warning about the dangers of censorship. This year’s theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, and that censorship has no place in contemporary society. Banned Books Week will take place from October 5-11, 2025.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.