LibGuides: Curriculum Materials Collection (CMC): Banned Books

Censorship by the Numbers

A record 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship in 2023, a 65% increase over the 2,571 unique titles targeted in 2022 and a staggering 128% increase over 2021 numbers.

47% of the books targeted for censorship were titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals.

Censorship by the Numbers

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023
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What can you do?

Action Toolkit
Book Resumes
Book Resumes are downloadable PDFs that describe a book’s plot, provide reviews and awards, and link to media and resources.
Free Downloads
Read a Banned Book!
Talking Points

More Resources

Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools
Banning of Native Voices/Books
Book Banned Data
PEN America Index of School Book Bans – 2022-2023
A searchable index of each documented book ban in the school year
Top 10 Most Challenged Books and Frequently Challenged Books Archive
An archive of censorship attempts in libraries since 1990.
Unite Against Book Bans

How To Talk About Book Bans

READING is a foundational skill, critical to future learning, and to exercising our democratic freedoms.
WE CAN TRUST individuals to make their own decisions about what they read and believe.
PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT to guide their children’s reading and education, but parents should not be making decisions for other parents’ children. A small group of parents should not dictate what books other people’s children are allowed to read.
BOOKS ARE TOOLS for understanding complex issues. Limiting young people’s access to books does not protect them from life’s complex and challenging issues.
YOUNG PEOPLE deserve to see themselves reflected in a library’s books.
REMOVING AND BANNING BOOKS from public libraries is a slippery slope to government censorship and the erosion of our country’s commitment to freedom of expression.
PLEASE REJECT any efforts to ban books and allow individuals and parents to make the decision about what they can read and believe.

Read a Banned Book!

Top 10 Most Challenged Books and Frequently Challenged Books Archive

A challenge is when someone asks that a book be removed. Historically, the book remains on the shelf (available) until a review or hearing takes place.
A ban is when a challenge is successful and a book is removed from the shelf.

A sample of Challenged and Banned Books available in the LMU Library:

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones; Renée Watson; Nikkolas Smith
Publication Date: 2021
In this picture book, a student is asked to trace her family lineage for a school project, but her roots are obscured by slavery and she can go back only three generations. Her grandmother then tells her the story of her ancestors in Africa, and how they survived the Middle Passage and slavery. The 1619 Project began as a special issue of The New York Times Magazine. Texas and Florida have prohibited the 1619 Project from being taught in schools.
1984 by George Orwell
Publication Date: 1949
The most banned book of all time in America.
Banned and challenged for social and political themes, as well as for sexual content. Additionally, in 1981, the book was challenged in Jackson County, Florida, for being pro-communism.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Publication Date: 2007
Banned and challenged for profanity and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Publication Date: 1884
Racism, racial slurs
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds; Brendan Kiely
Publication Date: 2015
Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”
All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
Publication Date: 2020
Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
Publication Date: 2005
Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content
Anne Frank's Diary: the Graphic Adaptation by Frank, Anne; Folman, Ari; Polonsky, David
Publication Date: 2018
Moms for Liberty leader said that the graphic novel violated Florida state standards on Holocaust education. One scene in the illustrated version shows "the protagonist walking in a park, enchanted by female nude statues, and later proposing to a friend that they show each other their breasts," The Associated Press (2023).
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Publication Date: 1970
Banned and challenged for talking about menstration, puberty, and skepticism of organized religion
Arming America: The origins of a national gun culture by Michael A. Bellesiles
Publication Date: 2000
Claimed to be inaccurate, political viewpoint
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
Publication Date: 1965
For its controversial views on violence, race, and politics.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Publication Date: 1987
Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Publication Date: 1945
Sexual content and race relations
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
Publication Date: 1972
Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Publication Date: 1970
Banned and challenged for depiction of sexual abuse, EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) content, and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Publication Date: 1932
Insensitivity, nudity, racism, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Publication Date: 1977
Occult/Satanism, offensive language
Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship by Irene Latham; Charles Waters
Publication Date: 2018
This collection of poems, intended for children 8 to 12 years old, explores how children experience race in school, out in the world and with their peers. A website that rates books based on content it considers objectionable said the book might not be appropriate for young people because it contains “controversial racial commentary.” (Banned, pending investigation, Florida 2023)
Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People by Dav Pilkey
Publication Date: 2006
Series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot was challenged for including a same-sex couple
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Publication Date: 1951
Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Publication Date: 1974
Nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Publication Date: 1982
Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
Publication Date: 1996
"rough, objectionable language" and a drawing of a naked woman
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Publication Date: 2003
Offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“profanity and atheism”)
The Diary of a Young Girl by Otto M. Frank (Editor); Anne Frank
Publication Date: 1947
Banned or challenged for sexual content and/or tragic nature. One complaint from an Alabama school in 1983 wanted to reject it because it was "a real downer."
Drama: A Graphic Novel by Raina Telgemeier
Publication Date: 2012
Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals”
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Publication Date: 2013
Challenged for offensive language
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Publication Date: 1953
A book about censorship, was censored by the publisher (1967-1979) without the author's knowledge! Fahrenheit 451 was subject to expurgation by its publisher, Ballantine Books, with the release of the "Bal-Hi Edition" aimed at high school students. Among the changes made by the publisher were the censorship of the words "hell", "damn", and "abortion"; the modification of seventy-five passages; and the changing of two incidents.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Publication Date: 2012
Language, sexual content, mortality.
Flamer by Curato, Mike
Publication Date: 2020
LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
Publication Date: 2019
Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
George by Alex Gino
Publication Date: 2015
Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Publication Date: 1993
The book mentions sex, infanticide, suicide, starvation, and euthanasia.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Publication Date: 1995
Religious viewpoint
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Publication Date: 1985
Banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones”
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
Publication Date: 1999
Banned for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Publication Date: 2017
Banned and challenged for profanity, violence, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
Publication Date: 2015
Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content
The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
Publication Date: 2021
Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Her poem was taken from the elementary section and moved to the middle school section of the school's library after a parent filed a complaint. In their complaint form, the parent described Gorman's book as "not educational," and claimed that it contained indirect "hate messages." Miami-Dade County Public Schools countered that the book had not been banned but simply moved to the middle school section of the school's "media center," as it is "better suited" for middle school students.
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
Publication Date: 1963
“Encourages children to use violence against their fathers.”
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Publication Date: 1984
Depicts controversial topics such as domestic violence, racism, and suicide.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Publication Date: 2008
Anti-ethnic, anti-family, insensitivity, offensive language, occult/satanic, violence. Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel
Publication Date: 2014
Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged”
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Publication Date: 1969
Sexually explicit
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
Publication Date: 1970
Nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Publication Date: 1952
Profanity and images of violence and sexuality
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Publication Date: 1961
Contains the word "ass." Mentions snuff, tobacco and whiskey.
Junie B. Jones #1: Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park
Publication Date: 1992
Reasons cited, "poor social values taught by the books, and Junie B. Jones not being considered a good role model due to her mouthiness, bad spelling, and grammar."
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Publication Date: 2003
This critically acclaimed, multigenerational novel was challenged and banned because it includes sexual violence and was thought to “lead to terrorism” and “promote Islam.”
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
Publication Date: 2018
Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
Publication Date: 1993
Sexual references, violence, and profanity
Let's Talk about It: The teen's guide to sex, relationships, and being a human by Erika Moen; Matthew Nolan
Publication Date: 2021
Claimed to be sexually explicit, sex education, LGBTQIA+ content
The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
Publication Date: 2005
Parent said these picture books "promote" another religion besides Christianity and take place in violent settings of Afghanistan and Iraq
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Publication Date: 1981
Promoted “anti-parent material” and encourages disobedience in children
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Call Number: CMC YA Fic (Gre)
Publication Date: 2006
Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Publication Date: 1999
Profanity, racism
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Publication Date: 2012
Banned and challenged for profanity and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña; Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Publication Date: 2021
Milo, the main character in this book, creates stories and pictures about the people around him as he travels to visit his mother in prison. A book-rating website raised concerns about “Milo Imagines the World” because it refers to incarceration and includes an illustration of two women getting married. (Banned, pending investigation, Florida 2023)
My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
Publication Date: 1974
Violence and profanity ( “‘dammit,’ ‘damn you,’ and ‘bastard")
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Publication Date: 2002
Drugs, claimed to be inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Publication Date: 1937
Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
Publication Date: 2015
Banned and challenged for depictions of abuse and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
Publication Date: 1967
Banned and challenged for portrayal of gang violence, underage smoking and drinking, strong language, slang usage, and exposé on family dysfunction.
Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Publication Date: 1970
One of many textbooks removed from classrooms in Tucson Unified School District in 2012 because of the Mexican American Studies ban. Arizona (HB 2281) prohibited any course deemed to “promote the overthrow of the United States government or promote resentment toward a race or class of people,” or any classes that “advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.”
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Chbosky, Stephen
Publication Date: 2012
Banned and challenged for depiction of sexual abuse, LGBTQIA+ content, drug use, profanity, and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Publication Date: 2000
Gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Publication Date: 1977
Offensive language
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & her family's fight for desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
Publication Date: 2014
Challenged in 2021: "There’s no safe way to teach 'Separate Is Never Equal,' a 2014 picture book about a landmark legal case that integrated the southern California schools in the 1940s. The book should be banned, because it features contemporaneous quotes uttered by White segregationists in court." This book (and others) make students ‘feel discomfort’ because they’re White. Section 51, part 6 of the Tennessee law (HB 580) makes lesson plans illegal if students “feel discomfort, guilt, or anguish.”
Sex Is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg; Fiona Smyth
Publication Date: 2015
Challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate”
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Publication Date: 1969
Banned and challenged for obscene language, depictions of sexual acts, lack of patriotism, and mentions of homosexuality
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Publication Date: 2008
Claimed to be sexually explicit, rape
Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano; Marietta Collins; Ann Hazzard; Jennifer Zivoin
Publication Date: 2018
Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Publication Date: 1999
Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi; Jason Reynolds
Publication Date: 2020
Banned and challenged because of author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Publication Date: 1937
Challenged for sexual explicitness and language
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Publication Date: 2007
Banned, challenged, and restricted for addressing teen suicide
This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson; David Levithan
Publication Date: 2021
Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, providing sexual education, and because it was claimed to be sexually explicit
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Publication Date: 1960
Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Publication Date: 2017
Claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs, rape, LGBTQIA+ content
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Publication Date: 2005
Religious viewpoint, violence
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Publication Date: 1962
Religious viewpoint, occult

Books about Censorship

Jacob's Missing Book by Hoffman, Sarah; Hoffman, Ian; Case, Chris
Call Number: On Order
Publication Date: 2024
Noah is confused about Emily's family, so he asks her―who's Pop and who's Dad? Jacob knows just how to explain, but how can he? The penguin book isn't in the library anymore! As the day goes on, everyone is still talking about the mysterious missing book. Ms. Reeves tries to explain why the book is no longer in the library and what all the fuss is about. In the meantime, Jacob hatches a plan to tell the story about Emily's family. This book cleverly weaves two critical societal issues into one story ― book banning in schools and LGBTQ+ rights. And, who is caught in the middle of all this? Kids who are eager to see themselves and their families in books, feel safe with their experiences, and understand that they are loved and supported.
The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale by Khalil, Aya; Semirdzhyan, Anait
Call Number: On Order (July 2024)
Publication Date: 2023
Upon learning that the books with kids who look like her have been banned by her school district, Kanzi descends into fear and helplessness. But her classmates support her, and together-with their teacher's help-they hatch a plan to hold a bake sale and use the proceeds to buy diverse books to donate to libraries. The event is a big success; the entire school participates, and the local TV station covers it in the evening news.
Banned Book by Jonah Winter; Gary Kelley
Call Number: On Order
Publication Date: 2023
"The words were dangerous." For as long as people have been expressing their opinions in writing, there have been those in positions of power who have succeeded in censoring those thoughts. In this timely and provocative parable, a book is first subjected to redaction, then removal from a library. What becomes of a banned book? Is it really just landfill fodder in the end? Readers must decide for themselves.
Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom To Read
Publication Date: 2014
The author details incidents of book bannings from 387 B.C. to 2014. This guide provides a framework for understanding censorship and the protections guaranteed to us through the First Amendment. Interpretations of the uniquely American notion of freedom of expression and our freedom to read what we choose are supplemented by straightforward, easily accessible information that will inspire further exploration.
Attack of the Black Rectangles by King, A. S.
Publication Date: 2022
When Mac first opens his classroom copy of Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic and finds some words blacked out, he thinks it must be a mistake. But then when he and his friends discover what the missing words are, he's outraged. Someone in his school is trying to prevent kids from reading the full story. But who? Even though his unreliable dad tells him to not get so emotional about a book (or anything else), Mac has been raised by his mom and grandad to call out things that are wrong. He and his friends head to the principal's office to protest the censorship... but her response doesn't take them seriously. So many adults want Mac to keep his words to himself. Mac's about to see the power of letting them out.
Books under Fire: A hit list of banned and challenged children's books by Pat R. Scales
Publication Date: 2021
In our polarized environment, the censorship and outright banning of children's books which some deem to be controversial or objectionable remains a major concern for libraries. Intellectual freedom champion Scales returns to the fray with a new edition of her matchless guide, updating the focus to titles published since 2015 which have been the target of challenges. School and public librarians, LIS students, and classroom educators will find the assistance and support they need to defend these challenged books with an informed response while ensuring access to young book lovers. For each of the dozens of titles covered, readers will find a book summary; a report of the specific challenges; quotes from reviews, plus a list of awards and accolades; talking points for discussing the book's issues and themes; links to the book's website, additional resources about the book, and suggested further reading; and read-alikes that have been challenged for similar reasons.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Publication Date: 1953
A book about censorship, was censored by the publisher (1967-1979) without the author's knowledge! Fahrenheit 451 was subject to expurgation by its publisher, Ballantine Books, with the release of the "Bal-Hi Edition" aimed at high school students. Among the changes made by the publisher were the censorship of the words "hell", "damn", and "abortion"; the modification of seventy-five passages; and the changing of two incidents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451#Expurgation