Book bans
The American Library Association (ALA) has annually tracked book challengesâattempts to remove or restrict materialsâsince 1990. From 2021 to 2022, attempts to ban books had more than doubled from 602 attempts to ban 1,858 unique titles to 1,031 attempts to ban 2,571 unique titles in schools and libraries. By 2023, there were 938 attempts to ban 4,240 unique titles. These numbers dropped in 2024, with 821 attempts to ban 2,452 unique titles. But in 2025, the number of challenges hit the second-highest everâ4,235âjust five challenges behind the record-setting 2023. [22] [27] [28] [31] [40] [53] [68]
The ALA has estimated that only about 3 percent to 18 percent of challenges are reported to its Office for Intellectual Freedom, meaning that the actual number of attempts to ban books is likely much higher. Anti-religious themes, content considered sexually explicit, profanity or language considered offensive, and material âunsuited to any age groupâ are popular reasons for requesting that a book be banned and removed from a library. The Harry Potter series, for example, has frequently been banned because of its depiction of magic and witchcraft, and literary classics such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird have been routinely banned, among other reasons, for their use of racially offensive language common to their settings.[1] [24] [65] [66]
In 2021, according to the ALA, challenges were most frequently brought by parents (39 percent), followed by patrons (24 percent), a board or administration (18 percent), librarians or teachers (6 percent), elected officials (2 percent), and students (1 percent). However, by 2022, book challenges were being lodged by at least 50 organized groups, and state legislatures plus library and school boards were taking action on their own to remove books from public schools and libraries. By 2024, 72 percent of demands to censor books came from pressure groups and government entities; significantly fewer challenges were brought by parents (16 percent) and individual library users (5 percent); and the most common justifications for censorship were âclaims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and covering topics of race, racism, equity, and social justice.â In 2025, the ALA reported, â92 percent of all book challenges were initiated by pressure groups, government officials and decision makers ⊠Less than 3 percent of challenges originated from individual parents.â [30] [41] [42] [53] [54] [55] [57] [68]
Frequently accompanying these book bans were attacks on the authors of the banned books. As the Nonprofit Quarterly reported, many authors of banned books faced âharassmentâhate mail, ugly phone calls, defamatory messages sent to my employer. In addition to personal attacks, writers of banned books face lost income due to canceled appearances, dropping sales, and uncertain contracts for future projects.â[64]
Defenders of books fought back, and as book bans increased nationwide, bans on book bans themselves were passed in California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, and Washington. [56] [58]
In 2025, the Trump administrationâs Education Department announced it would no longer pursue civil rights complaints about book bans. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Defense Department banned a list of books from the schools it runs on military bases around the world, including To Kill a Mockingbird, The Kite Runner, A Queer History of the United States, and books in particular on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), gender ideology, and critical race theory. In April, an order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth banned almost 400 books from the U.S. Naval Academy, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and How to Be an Antiracist. By May 21, the U.S. Naval Academy had reinstated almost all of the 381 banned books; 20 books were still being reviewed, some of which were not in the original batch. Reports also indicate a âfew dozenâ books have been removed from U.S. Air Force libraries for review. [59] [60] [61] [63]
As Kelly Jensen reports in âMost Parents Want School Libraries for Their Childrenâbut with Restrictions,â a 2023 survey by Book Riot and the EveryLibrary Institute revealed that:
- 95 percent of parents believe every school should have a school library.
- 93 percent of parents believe their child is safe using the school library.
- 80 percent of parents trust school librarians to select age-appropriate material for the school library, while 82 percent trust school librarians to recommend age-appropriate material to students.
- 60 percent of parents believe school libraries should restrict access to books by age or require parental permission to check out a book.
- 57 percent believe that parents should receive notifications when a child checks out a book.
- 53 percent of parents believe they should be able to opt their children out of access to the school library, while 38 percent believe they should have to opt their children into access. [36]
Pros and Cons at a Glance
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Pro 1: Parents have the right to decide what material their children are exposed to and when. Read More. | Con 1: Parents donât have a right to restrict what books are available to other kids. Read More. |
| Pro 2: Children should not be exposed to sex, violence, drug use, or other inappropriate topics in school or public libraries. Read More. | Con 2: Many frequently challenged books help people get a better idea of the world and their place in it. Read More. |
| Pro 3: Keeping books with inappropriate content out of libraries protects kids but doesnât stop people from reading those books or prevent authors from writing them. Read More. | Con 3: Books are portals to different life experiences, encouraging empathy and social-emotional development. Read More. |
Pro Arguments
(Go to Con Arguments)Pro 1: Parents have the right to decide what material their children are exposed to and when.
Having books with adult topics available in libraries limits parentsâ ability to choose when their children are mature enough to read specific material. âLiterary works containing explicit [scenes, as well as] vulgar and obscene languageâ were on the approved reading list for grades 7â12, according to Speak up for Standards, a group seeking age-appropriate reading materials for students in Dallas, Texas.[4]
Exposing prekindergarten to fifth-grade students to sexually related books without parental permission was at the heart of the 2025 Supreme Court case Mahmoud v. Taylor. Attorney Eric Baxter, representing the parents, said âchildren shouldnât be forced into conversations about drag queens, pride parades and gender transitions without their parentsâ permission.â[62]
Moreover, if books with inappropriate material are available in libraries, children or teens can be exposed to books their parents wouldnât approve of before the parents even find out what their children are reading. [16]
Bans are necessary because âopting your child out of reading [a certain] book doesnât protect him or her. They are still surrounded by the other students who are going to be saturated with this book,â said writer Macey France. [17]
Pro 2: Children should not be exposed to sex, violence, drug use, or other inappropriate topics in school or public libraries.
Books in the young adult (YA) genre often contain adult themes that young people arenât ready to experience. Of the top ten most challenged books in 2024, all ten were sexually explicit, four had LGBTQ+ content, two included depictions of sexual assault, two depicted drug use, and two included profanity.[18] [27] [55]
According to Jenni White, a former public school science teacher, ânumerous studies on the use of graphic material by students indicate negative psychological effects,â including having âmore casual sex partners and [beginning] having sex at younger ages.â [19]
The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that exposure to violence in media, including in books, can impact kids by making them act aggressively and desensitizing them to violence.[17]
âIt is not a matter of âshelteringâ kids. It is a matter of guiding them toward what is best. We are the adults. It is our job to protect themâno matter how unpopular that may seem,â says Kim Heinecke, a mother of four. [19]
Pro 3: Keeping books with inappropriate content out of libraries protects kids but doesnât stop people from reading those books or prevent authors from writing them.
Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council noted that removing certain books from libraries is about showing discretion and respecting a communityâs values and doesnât prevent people from getting those books elsewhere: âItâs an exaggeration to refer to this as book banning. There is nothing preventing books from being written or sold, nothing to prevent parents from buying it or children from reading it.â [20]
What some call âbook banning,â many see as making responsible choices about what books are available in public and school libraries. Weekly Standard writer and school board member Mark Hemingway argues:
Is it censorship that youâre unable to go to your local taxpayer-funded branch and check out a copy of the [fraudulent document] âProtocols of the Elders of Zionâ? For better or for worse, these books are still widely available. Your local community has simply decided that finite public resources are not going to be spent disseminating them. [18]
Con Arguments
(Go to Pro Arguments)Con 1: Parents donât have a right to restrict what books are available to other kids.
Parents who donât like specific books can usually have their kids opt out of an assignment without infringing on the rights of others.
The National Coalition Against Censorship explained:
Even books or materials that many find âobjectionableâ may have educational value, and the decision about what to use in the classroom should be based on professional judgments and standards, not individual preferences.â [6]
In the 1982 Supreme Court ruling on Board of Education v. Pico, Justice William Brennan wrote that taking books off of library shelves could violate studentsâ First Amendment rights, adding that, âLocal school boards may not remove books from school libraries simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.â [21]
Con 2: Many frequently challenged books help people get a better idea of the world and their place in it.
Robie H. Harris, author of frequently challenged childrenâs books including Itâs Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing up, Sex, and Sexual Health, stated, âI think these books look at the topics, the concerns, the worry, the fascination that kids have today...Itâs the world in which theyâre living.â [8]
Many books that have long been considered to be required reading to become educated about literature and American history are frequently challenged, such as: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.[9]
At least 46 of the Radcliffe Publishing Groupâs âTop 100 Novels of the 20th Centuryâ are frequently challenged. Banning these books would deprive students of essential cultural and historical knowledge, as well as differing points of view. [9]
Con 3: Books are portals to different life experiences, encouraging empathy and social-emotional development.
One study found that reading J.K. Rowlingâs Harry Potter series, which is frequently challenged for religious concerns about witchcraft, âimproved attitudesâ about immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and refugees.[11]
Another study found that reading narrative fiction helped readers understand their peers better and raised social abilities.[12] [13]
A study published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology found that people who read a story about a Muslim woman were less likely to make broad judgments based on race.[14]
Barbara Kingsolver, author of the frequently challenged novel, Prodigal Summer, says
Good fiction creates empathy. A novel takes you somewhere and asks you to look through the eyes of another person, to live another life. Literature sucks you into another psyche. So the creation of empathy necessarily influences how youâll behave to other people. [69] [70]
Timeline: Key court cases
January 24, 1924 - Evans v. Selma Union High School District
Parent George Enos sued the Selma Union High School District of Fresno County (California) after the trustees sought to purchase 12 copies of the King James Bible for the high school library. Enos argued that the inclusion of the Bible violated the California constitutionâs ban on religious instruction in public schools.
The California Supreme Court ruled that the inclusion of the Bible in the library did not constitute instruction or an endorsement of religion and, therefore, did not violate the state constitution. This landmark case defined the role of school libraries in providing access to diverse information without endorsing any specific religious belief; it established the precedent that the mere presence of a book in a school library did not imply an endorsement by the school or the library of the views contained in the book. [46]
1949 - Rosenberg v. New York City Board of Education
The New York City Board of Education was sued for including Shakespeareâs The Merchant of Venice and Dickensâ Oliver Twist on the basis that the texts included unfair portrayals of Jewish people. The Supreme Court for Kingsâ County dismissed the case, stating:
Except where a book has been maliciously written for the apparent purpose of promoting and fomenting a bigoted and intolerant hatred against a particular racial or religious group, public interest in a free and democratic society does not warrant or encourage the suppression of any book at the whim of any unduly sensitive person or group of persons, merely because a character described in such book as belonging to a particular race or religion is portrayed in a derogatory or offensive manner. [47]
June 12, 1972 - Todd v. Rochester Community Schools
A parent sued Rochester (Michigan) Community Schools for the inclusion of Kurt Vonnegutâs Slaughterhouse-Five in the curriculum, arguing that the book was inappropriate and obscene, and that its reference to religion violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the school and allowed the book to remain in the curriculum. The ruling stated:
If plaintiffâs contention was correct, then public school students could no longer marvel at Sir Galahadâs saintly quest for the Holy Grail, nor be introduced to the dangers of Hitlerâs Mein Kampf nor read the mellifluous poetry of John Milton and John Donne. Unhappily, Robin Hood would be forced to forage without Friar Tuck and Shakespeare would have to delete Shylock from The Merchant of Venice. Is this to be the state of our law? Our Constitution does not command ignorance; on the contrary, it assures the people that the state may not relegate them to such a status and guarantees to all the precious and unfettered freedom of pursuing oneâs own intellectual pleasures in oneâs own personal way." [46] [47]
August 30, 1976 - Minarcini v. Strongsville (Ohio) City School District
Five public high school students, through their parents, sued the Strongsville City (Ohio) School District, the members of the Board of Education, and the Superintendent of the district after the school board went against faculty recommendations and not only ordered Catch-22, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, and Catâs Cradle be removed from the library, but also banned any teacher and student discussion of the books in class or any inclusion of them as supplemental reading.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that the boardâs actions were unconstitutional because it was not acting on behalf of educational concerns, and instead removed the book because it disagreed with the contents. [46] [48]
June 25, 1982 - Board of Education, Island Trees (New York) Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico by Pico
Students Steven Pico, acting through his friend Francis Pico, brought suit against the Island Trees (New York) Union Free School Districtâs Board of Education. The board went against the recommendations of a parent and school staff committee and removed books it deemed âanti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and just plain filthy,â including Down These Mean Streets, The Naked Ape, and Slaughterhouse-Five.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the school board in a 5-4 decision. Accordingly,
Although school boards have a vested interest in promoting respect for social, moral, and political community values, their discretionary power is secondary to the transcendent imperatives of the First Amendment. The Court ⊠held that as centers for voluntary inquiry and the dissemination of information and ideas, school libraries enjoy a special affinity with the rights of free speech and press. Therefore, the Board could not restrict the availability of books in its libraries simply because its members disagreed with their idea content. [43] [46] [47]
August 24, 1987 - Mozert v. Hawkins County Board of Education
A group of parents argued that the inclusion of religious information in textbooks was a violation of their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee ruled in favor of the parents. But, the ruling was reversed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which held that exposure to ideas does not burden studentsâ right to free exercise of religion. [46] [51]
November 29, 1995 - Case v. Unified School District No. 233
The Board of Education of Unified School District No. 233 of Johnson County, Kansas removed the book Annie on My Mind, which depicts a lesbian relationship between teen girls, from high school libraries. Students, former students, and parents sued the school board, alleging a violation of First Amendment rights.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas ruled that, because the board was not acting on behalf of educational concerns, and instead removed the book because it disagreed with the contents, the removal was unconstitutional and the book had to be returned to library circulation. [44] [46]
September 20, 2000 - Sund v. City of Wichita Falls, Texas
The City Council of Wichita Falls, Texas, passed a resolution that allowed the removal of any childrenâs book if 300 library cardholders signed a petition to move the book to the adultâs section. The resolution did not allow review or appeal. Library patrons petitioned to move Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddyâs Roommate to the adult section.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held that Wichita Fallsâ resolution violated library patronsâ First Amendment right to receive information by removing or relocating books based solely on an objection to the content of the books. [46] [47] [52]
April 22, 2003 - Counts v. Cedarville School District
After a parent objected to Harry Potter and the Sorcererâs Stone being in the school library, the Cedarville (Arkansas) School District required that students have permission from their parents to borrow Harry Potter books. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas ruled that because the board was not acting on behalf of educational concerns, the requirement was in violation of studentsâ First Amendment rights and thus unconstitutional. [45] [46] [47]
June 27, 2025 - Mahmoud v. Taylor
Tamer Mahmoud and other parents sued Superintendent of Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools, Thomas W. Taylor, for including childrenâs books featuring LGBTQ+ content in the school systemâs curriculum for prekindergarten to fifth-grade students, including Pride Puppy and Uncle Bobbyâs Wedding. The parents were especially angered over the local school boardâs elimination of the parentsâ opt-out option, meaning parents were not allowed to excuse their children from such books and instruction.
The school system stated that the curriculum included: âa handful of storybooks featuring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer characters for use in the language-arts curriculum, alongside the many books already in the curriculum that feature heterosexual characters in traditional gender roles.â
The parents suing allege that the books violate their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion because the books âpromote one-sided transgender ideology, encourage gender transitioning and focus excessively on romantic infatuation.â Lower courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, have ruled against the parents. [49] [50]
On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that not allowing an opt-out option violates the parentsâ freedom of religion. Justice Alito wrote in the majority opinion, âWe have long recognized the rights of parents to direct âthe religious upbringingâ of their children.â He continued, âAnd we have held that those rights are violated by government policies that substantially interfere with the religious development of children.â Dissenting, Justice Sotomayor wrote, âThat decision guts our free exercise precedent and strikes at the core premise of public schools: that children may come together to learn not the teachings of a particular faith, but a range of concepts and views that reflect our entire society.â [67]
Top 11 most challenged books in 2025
| Title | Author | Number of challenges | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source: American Library Association, âMost Challenged Booksâ ala.org (accessed May 20, 2026) | |||
| 1 | Sold | Patrician McCormick | 36 |
| 2 | The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky | 33 |
| 3 | Gender Queer: A Memoir | Maia Kobabe | 25 |
| 3 | Empire of Storms | Sarah J. Maas | 24 |
| 5 (tie) | Last Night at the Telegraph Club | Malinda Lo | 23 |
| 5 (tie) | Tricks | Ellen Hopkins | 23 |
| 7 | Court of Thorns and Roses | Sarah J. Mass | 22 |
| 8 (tie) | A Clockwork Orange | Anthony Burgess | 21 |
| 8 (tie) | I dentical | Ellen Hopkins | 21 |
| 8 (tie) | Looking for Alaska | John Green | 21 |
| 8 (tie) | Storm and Fury | Jennifer L. Armentrout | 21 |
100 most challenged books by decade
| 1990-1999 | 2000-2009 | 2010-2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source: ALA, âTop 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 1990-1999â (accessed April 16, 2025), ala.org | Source: ALA, âTop 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2000-2009â (accessed April 16, 2025), ala.org | Source: ALA, âTop 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2010-2019â (accessed April 16, 2025), ala.org | |
| 1 | Scary Stories (series) Alvin Schwartz | Harry Potter (series) J.K. Rowling | The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie |
| 2 | Daddyâs Roommate Michael Willhoite | Alice (series) Phyllis Reynolds Naylor | Captain Underpants (series) Dav Pilkey |
| 3 | I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou | The Chocolate War Robert Cormier | Thirteen Reasons Why Jay Asher |
| 4 | The Chocolate War Robert Cormier | And Tango Makes Three Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell | Looking for Alaska John Green |
| 5 | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain | Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck | George Alex Gino |
| 6 | Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck | I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou | And Tango Makes Three Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell |
| 7 | Forever Judy Blume | Scary Stories (series) Alvin Schwartz | Drama Raina Telgemeier |
| 8 | Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson | His Dark Materials (series) Philip Pullman | Fifty Shades of Grey E. L. James |
| 9 | Heather Has Two Mommies Leslea Newman | ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series) Lauren Myracle | Internet Girls (series) Lauren Myracle |
| 10 | The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger | The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky | The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison |
| 11 | The Giver Lois Lowry | Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers | The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini |
| 12 | My Brother Sam is Dead James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier | Itâs Perfectly Normal Robie Harris | Hunger Games Suzanne Collins |
| 13 | Itâs Perfectly Normal Robie Harris | Captain Underpants (series) Dav Pilkey | I Am Jazz Jazz Jennings and Jessica Herthel |
| 14 | Alice (series) Phyllis Reynolds Naylor | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain | The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky |
| 15 | Goosebumps (series) R.L. Stine | The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison | To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee |
| 16 | A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Newton Peck | Forever Judy Blume | Bone (series) Jeff Smith |
| 17 | The Color Purple Alice Walker | The Color Purple Alice Walker | The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls |
| 18 | Sex Madonna | Go Ask Alice Anonymous | Two Boys Kissing David Levithan |
| 19 | Earthâs Children (series) Jean M. Auel | The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger | A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo Jill Twiss |
| 20 | The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson | King and King Linda de Haan | Sex is a Funny Word Cory Silverberg |
| 21 | In the Night Kitchen Maurice Sendak | To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee | Alice McKinley (series) Phyllis Reynolds Naylor |
| 22 | The Witches Roald Dahl | Gossip Girl (series) Cecily von Ziegesar | Itâs Perfectly Normal Robie H. Harris |
| 23 | A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine LâEngle | The Giver Lois Lowry | Nineteen Minutes Jodi Picoult |
| 24 | The New Joy of Gay Sex Charles Silverstein | In the Night Kitchen Maurice Sendak | Scary Stories (series) Alvin Schwartz |
| 25 | Go Ask Alice Anonymous | Killing Mr. Griffen Lois Duncan | Speak Laurie Halse Anderson |
| 26 | The Goats Brock Cole | Beloved Toni Morrison | Brave New World Aldous Huxley |
| 27 | The Stupids (series) Harry Allard | My Brother Sam Is Dead James Lincoln Collier | Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out Susan Kuklin |
| 28 | Anastasia Krupnik (series) Lois Lowry | Bridge To Terabithia Katherine Paterson | Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck |
| 29 | Final Exit Derek Humphry | The Face on the Milk Carton Caroline B. Cooney | The Handmaidâs Tale Margaret Atwood |
| 30 | Blubber Judy Blume | We All Fall Down Robert Cormier | The Hate U Give Angie Thomas |
| 31 | Halloween ABC Eve Merriam | What My Mother Doesnât Know Sonya Sones | Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Alison Bechdel |
| 32 | Julie of the Wolves Jean Craighead George | Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo A. Anaya | Itâs a Book Lane Smith |
| 33 | Kaffir Boy Mark Mathabane | Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain |
| 34 | The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison | The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things Carolyn Mackler | The Things They Carried Tim OâBrien |
| 35 | Whatâs Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters Lynda Madaras | Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging Louise Rennison | What My Mother Doesnât Know Sonya Sones |
| 36 | Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers | Brave New World Aldous Huxley | A Child Called "It" Dave Pelzer |
| 37 | The Handmaidâs Tale Margaret Atwood | Itâs So Amazing Robie Harris | Bad Kitty (series) Nick Bruel |
| 38 | The Outsiders S.E. Hinton | Arming America Michael Bellasiles | Crank Ellen Hopkins |
| 39 | The Pigman Paul Zindel | Kaffir Boy Mark Mathabane | Nickel and Dimed Barbara Ehrenreich |
| 40 | To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee | Life is Funny E.R. Frank | Persepolis Marjane Satrapi |
| 41 | We All Fall Down Robert Cormier | Whale Talk Chris Crutcher | The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Dav Pilkey |
| 42 | Deenie Judy Blume | The Fighting Ground Avi | This Day in June Gayle E. Pitman |
| 43 | Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes | Blubber Judy Blume | This One Summer Mariko Tamaki |
| 44 | Annie on My Mind Nancy Garden | Athletic Shorts Chris Crutcher | A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl Tanya Lee Stone |
| 45 | Beloved Toni Morrison | Crazy Lady Jane Leslie Conly | Beloved Toni Morrison |
| 46 | The Boy Who Lost His Face Louis Sachar | Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut | Goosebumps (series) R.L. Stine |
| 47 | Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat Alvin Schwartz | The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Dav Pilkey | In Our Mothersâ House Patricia Polacco |
| 48 | Harry Potter (series) J.K. Rowling | Rainbow Boys Alex Sanchez | Lush Natasha Friend |
| 49 | Cujo Stephen King | One Flew Over the Cuckooâs Nest Ken Kesey | The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger |
| 50 | James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl | The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini | The Color Purple Alice Walker |
| 51 | A Light in the Attic Shel Silverstein | Daughters of Eve Lois Duncan | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon |
| 52 | Ordinary People Judith Guest | The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson | The Holy Bible |
| 53 | American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis | You Hear Me? Betsy Franco | This Book is Gay Juno Dawson |
| 54 | Brave New World Aldous Huxley | The Facts Speak for Themselves Brock Cole | Eleanor & Park Rainbow Rowell |
| 55 | Sleeping Beauty Trilogy A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice) | Summer of My German Soldier Bette Green | Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Jonathan Safran Foer |
| 56 | Bumps in the Night Harry Allard | When Dad Killed Mom Julius Lester | Gossip Girl (series) Cecily von Ziegesar |
| 57 | Asking About Sex and Growing Up Joanna Cole | Blood and Chocolate Annette Curtis Klause | House of Night (series) P.C. Cast |
| 58 | Whatâs Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons Lynda Madaras | Fat Kid Rules the World K.L. Going | My Momâs Having A Baby Dori Hillestad Butler |
| 59 | The Anarchist Cookbook William Powell | Oliveâs Ocean Kevin Henkes | Neonomicon Alan Moore |
| 60 | Are You There, God? Itâs Me, Margaret Judy Blume | Speak Laurie Halse Anderson | The Dirty Cowboy Amy Timberlake |
| 61 | Boys and Sex Wardell Pomeroy | Draw Me A Star Eric Carle | The Giver Lois Lowry |
| 62 | Crazy Lady Jane Conly | The Stupids (series) Harry Allard | Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank |
| 63 | Athletic Shorts Chris Crutcher | The Terrorist Caroline B. Cooney | Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo A. Anaya |
| 64 | Killing Mr. Griffin Lois Duncan | Mick Harte Was Here Barbara Park | Draw Me a Star Eric Carle |
| 65 | Fade Robert Cormier | The Things They Carried Tim OâBrien | Dreaming In Cuban Cristina Garcia |
| 66 | Guess What? Mem Fox | Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred Taylor | Fade Lisa McMann |
| 67 | Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut | A Time to Kill John Grisham | The Family Book Todd Parr |
| 68 | Lord of the Flies William Golding | Always Running Luis Rodriguez | Feed M.T. Anderson |
| 69 | Native Son Richard Wright | Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury | Go the **** to Sleep Adam Mansbach |
| 70 | Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Womenâs Fantasies Nancy Friday | Harris and Me Gary Paulsen | Habibi Craig Thompson |
| 71 | Curses, Hexes and Spells Daniel Cohen | Junie B. Jones (series) Barbara Park | The House of Spirits Isabel Allende |
| 72 | On My Honor Marion Dane Bauer | Song of Solomon Toni Morrison | Jacobâs New Dress Sarah Hoffman |
| 73 | The House of Spirits Isabel Allende | Whatâs Happening to My Body Book Lynda Madaras | Lolita Vladimir Nabokov |
| 74 | Jack A.M. Homes | The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold | Monster Walter Dean Myers |
| 75 | Arizona Kid Ron Koertge | Anastasia (series) Lois Lowry | Nasreenâs Secret School Jeanette Winter |
| 76 | Family Secrets Norma Klein | A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving | Saga Brian K. Vaughan |
| 77 | Mommy Laid an Egg Babette Cole | Crazy Benjamin Lebert | Stuck in the Middle Ariel Schrag |
| 78 | Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo A. Anaya | The Joy of Gay Sex Charles Silverstein | The Kingdom of Little Wounds Susann Cokal |
| 79 | Where Did I Come From? Peter Mayle | The Upstairs Room Johanna Reiss | 1984 George Orwell |
| 80 | The Face on the Milk Carton Caroline Cooney | A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Newton Peck | A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess |
| 81 | Carrie Stephen King | Black Boy Richard Wright | Almost Perfect Brian Katcher |
| 82 | The Dead Zone Stephen King | Deal With It! Esther Drill | The Awakening Kate Chopin |
| 83 | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mark Twain | Detour for Emmy Marilyn Reynolds | Burned Ellen Hopkins |
| 84 | Song of Solomon Toni Morrison | So Far From the Bamboo Grove Yoko Watkins | Enderâs Game Orson Scott Card |
| 85 | Always Running Luis Rodriguez | Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes Chris Crutcher | Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers |
| 86 | Private Parts Howard Stern | Cut Patricia McCormick | Glass Ellen Hopkins |
| 87 | Whereâs Waldo? Martin Hanford | Tiger Eyes Judy Blume | Heather Has Two Mommies LesleÂŽa Newman |
| 88 | Summer of My German Soldier Bette Greene | The Handmaidâs Tale Margaret Atwood | I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou |
| 89 | Tiger Eyes Judy Blume | Friday Night Lights H.G. Bissenger | Madeline and the Gypsies Ludwig Bemelmans |
| 90 | Little Black Sambo Helen Bannerman | A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine LâEngle | My Princess Boy Cheryl Kilodavis |
| 91 | Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett | Julie of the Wolves Jean Craighead George | Prince and Knight Daniel Haack |
| 92 | Running Loose Chris Crutcher | The Boy Who Lost His Face Louis Sachar | Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology Amy Sonnie |
| 93 | Sex Education Jenny Davis | Bumps in the Night Harry Allard | Skippyjon Jones (series) Judith Schachner |
| 94 | Jumper Steven Gould | Goosebumps (series) R.L. Stine | So Far from the Bamboo Grove Yoko Kawashima Watkins |
| 95 | Christine Stephen King | Shadeâs Children Garth Nix | The Color of Earth (series) Tong-hwa Kim |
| 96 | The Drowning of Stephen Jones Bette Greene | Grendel John Gardner | The Librarian of Basra Jeanette Winter |
| 97 | That Was Then, This is Now S.E. Hinton | The House of Spirits Isabel Allende | The Walking Dead (series) Robert Kirkman |
| 98 | Girls and Sex Wardell Pomeroy | I Saw Esau Iona Opte | Tricks Ellen Hopkins |
| 99 | The Wish Giver Bill Brittain | Are You There, God? Itâs Me, Margaret Judy Blume | Uncle Bobbyâs Wedding Sarah S Brannen |
| 100 | Jump Ship to Freedom James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier | America E.R. Frank | Year of Wonders Geraldine Brooks |
Assessment quiz
After reading the above debate, take our assessment quiz to test your knowledge of this issue. Good luck!
1-minute survey
After reading this debate, take our quick survey to see how this information affected your opinion of this topic. We appreciate your feedback.
Discussion questions
- Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools or libraries? Why or why not?
- Have you read any of the banned books listed above? Should those books be banned or restricted? Explain your answers.
- Is book banning censorship? Why or why not?
- What questions do you have after reading the debate above? Where might you find answers?
- What was the most interesting thing you learned from this debate?
- Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? How and why?. If your thoughts have not changed, explain how and why you better understand the other side of the debate.
- Push for the position and policies you support by writing local officials, U.S. senators and representatives, or other people in a position to make the change you champion.
Sources
- American Library Association, âBanned & Challenged Booksâ ala.org (accessed September 18, 2017)
- American Library Association, âTop Ten Most Challenged Books of 2016â ala.org (accessed September 18, 2017)
- The Harris Poll, âAdults Are More Likely to Believe There Are Books That Should Be Banned Than Movies, Television Shows, or Video Gamesâ (July 8, 2015), theharrispoll.com
- Speak up for Standards homepage, (February 25, 2017), accessed via archive.org
- Clare Trapasso, âQueens Sixth-Graders No Longer Must Read Racy âDiary of a Part-Time Indianââ (August 1, 2013), nydailynews.com
- National Coalition against Censorship, âCensorship and the First Amendment in Schools: A Resource Guideâ (May 9, 2016), webjunction.org
- Robert P. Doyle, âBooks Challenged or Banned in 2015-2016â ila.org (accessed September 18, 2017)
- Jessica Gross, âUnsuited to Any Age Groupâ (September 26, 2014), lareviewofbooks
- American Library Association, âBanned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Centuryâ ala.org (accessed September 18, 2017)
- Rick Abbott, ââWhere Is the Line?â Book Pulled from Minnesota School Shelves after Superintendent Deems It âVulgarââ (May 18, 2017), dglobe.com
- Loris Vezzali et al., âThe Greatest Magic of Harry Potter: Reducing Prejudiceâ (July 23, 2014), Journal of Applied Social Psychology
- Raymond A. Mar et al., âBookworms Versus Nerds: Exposure to Fiction Versus Non-Fiction, Divergent Associations with Social Ability, and the Simulation of Fictional Social Worldsâ (2006 ), Journal of Research in Personality
- David Comer Kidd et al., âReading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mindâ (October 18, 2013), sciencemag.org
- Dan R. Johnson, Brandie L. Huffman, and Danny M. Jasper, âChanging Race Boundary Perception by Reading Narrative Fictionâ (February 10, 2014), Basic and Applied Social Psychology
- Neil Gaiman, âNeil Gaiman: Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Daydreamingâ (October 15, 2013), theguardian.com
- Kate Messner, âAn Important Conversation about Elementary Library Book Selection & Omissionâ (June 14, 2016), katemessner.com
- Macey France, âTHIS Is Common Core-Approved for Children?â (July 30, 2015), politichicks.com
- Mark Hemingway, âIn Defense of Book Banningâ (March 11, 2014), thefederalist.com
- Jenni White, âParents Shouldnât Let Schools Force Kids To Read Smutâ (March 15, 2016), thefederalist.com
- Finlo Rohrer, âWhy Are Parents Banning School Books?â (September 27, 2010), bbc.co.uk
- U.S. Supreme Court, âIsland Trees Sch. Dist. v. Pico by Pico 457 U.S. 853 (1982)â (June 25, 1982), supreme.justia.com
- Sanaya Robinson-Shah, âBehind the Nationwide Rise of Book Bansâ (December 4, 2024), stanforddaily.com
- ALA, âTop Ten Most Challenged Books Listâ ala.org (accessed August 31, 2018)
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- ALA, âTop 11 Challenged Books of 2018â ala.org (accessed September 18, 2019)
- ALA, âTop 10 Most Challenged Books Listsâ ala.org (accessed April 21, 2020)
- ALA, âTop 10 Most Challenged Books Listsâ ala.org (accessed August 30, 2021)
- Miranda Mazariegos and Meghan Collins Sullivan, âEfforts to Ban Books Jumped an âUnprecedentedâ Four-Fold in 2021, ALA Report Saysâ (April 4, 2022), npr.org
- American Library Association, âVoters Oppose Book Bans in Librariesâ ala.org (accessed April 4, 2022)
- American Library Association, âBanned Books: Free Downloadsâ ala.org (accessed August 2, 2022)
- Alexandra Alter and Elizabeth A. Harris, âAttempts to Ban Books Doubled in 2022â (March 23, 2023), nytimes.com
- American Library Association, âBook Ban Dataâ ala.org (accessed September 28, 2023)
- Illinois.gov, âGov. Pritzker Signs Bill Making Illinois First State in the Nation to Outlaw Book Bansâ (June 12, 2023), illinois.gov
- Jonathan Franklin, âNew California Law Bars Schoolbook Bans Based on Racial and LGBTQ Topicsâ (September 26, 2023), npr.org
- California Legislative Information, âAssembly Bill No. 1078, CHAPTER 229â (September 26 2023), leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- Kelly Jensen, âMost Parents Want School Libraries for Their Childrenâbut with Restrictionsâ (December 20, 2023), bookriot.com
- American Library Association, âAmerican Library Association Reports Record Number of Unique Book Titles Challenged in 2023â (March 14, 2024), ala.org
- Kasey Meehan and Jonathan Friedman, âBanned in the USA: State Laws Supercharge Book Suppression in Schoolsâ (April 30 2023), pen.org
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- American Library Association, âAmerican Library Association Reports Record Number of Unique Book Titles Challenged in 2023â (March 14, 2024), ala.org
- Jonathan Friedman and Nadine Farid Johnson, âBanned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schoolsâ (September 19, 2022), pen.org
- Kasey Meehan and Jonathan Friedman, âBanned in the USA: State Laws Supercharge Book Suppression in Schoolsâ (April 20, 2023), pen.org
- Oyez, âBoard of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico by Picoâ oyez.org (accessed April 21, 2025)
- Justia U.S. Law, âCase v. Unified School Dist. No. 233, 908 F. Supp. 864 (D. Kan. 1995)â law.justia.com (accessed April 21, 2025)
- Justia U.S. Law, âCounts v. Cedarville School District, 295 F. Supp. 2d 996 (W.D. Ark. 2003)â law.justia.com (accessed April 21, 2025)
- Legal Research Center, âThe Law and Policy of Banned Booksâ lawlibguides..sandiego.edu (accessed April 21, 2025)
- Thomas J. Meskill Law Library, âBanned Booksâ libguides.law.uconn.edu (accessed April 21, 2025)
- Justia U.S. Law, âSusan Lee Minarcini et al., Plaintiffs-appellants, v. Strongsville City School District et al., Defendants-appellees,and Michael Bingham et al., Applicants for Intervention-appellees, 541 F.2d 577 (6th Cir. 1976)â law.justia.com (accessed April 21, 2025)
- Adam Liptak, âSupreme Court Story Time: Justices Consider Childrenâs Books With L.G.B.T.Q. Themesâ (April 21, 2025), nytimes.com
- U.S. Supreme Court, âTamer Mahmoud, et al. v. Thomas W. Taylor, et alâ supremecourt.gov (accessed April 21, 2025)
- â827 F.2d 1058â users.cos.umn.edu (accessed April 21, 2025),
- Justia U.S. Law, âSund v. City of Wichita Falls, Tex., 121 F. Supp. 2d 530 (N.D. Tex. 2000)â law.justia.com (accessed April 21, 2025)
- ALA, âCensorship by the Numbersâ ala.org (accessed April 22, 2025)
- Elizabeth Sanders, âState Laws on Book Bansâ (September 20, 2024), firstamendment.mtsu.edu
- ALA, âTop 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024â ala.org (accessed June 6, 2025)
- Kelly Jensen, âCalifornia Passes Freedom to Read Act to Curtail Book Bans; Governor to Signâ (September 4, 2024), bookriot.com
- Elizabeth Harris, âNew State Laws Are Fueling a Surge in Book Bansâ (September 23, 2024), nytimes.com
- Jonny Diamond, âNew Jersey Fights Back in the Face of National Book-Banningâ (December 12, 2024), lithub.com
- Sarah Mervosh, âA.C.L.U. Sues Defense Department Schools Over Book Bansâ (April 15, 2025), nytimes.com
- Zach Montague, âEducation Dept. Ends Book Ban Investigationsâ (January 24, 2025), nytimes.com
- John Ismay, âWhoâs In and Whoâs Out at the Naval Academyâs Library?â (April 11, 2025), nytimes.com
- Kate Scanlon, âHigh Court Hears Maryland Parentsâ Case Seeking Classroom Opt-out of LGBTQ+ Themed Books.â (April 24, 2025), catholicreview.org
- Lolita C. Baldor, âMost Books Pulled from Naval Academy Library Are Back on the Shelves in Latest DEI Turnâ (May 21, 2025), wusa9.com
- Alison Stine, âWhatâs Happening with Book Bans Under Trump?â (April 16, 2025), nonprofitquarterly.org
- Marshall Libraries, âBanned Books 2020 â Harry Potter Seriesâ (August 12, 2020), marshall.edu
- Marshall Libraries, âBanned Books 2022 â The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnâ (August 16, 2022), marshall.edu
- Ryan Adamczeski and Alex Cooper, âBreaking: Supreme Court Allows Maryland Parents to Opt Their Kids out of LGBTQ+ Lessons in Schoolsâ (June 27, 2025), advocate.com
- American Library Association, âAmerican Library Association Releases 2025 Most Challenged Book List as National Library Week Beginsâ (April 20, 2026), ala.org
- Maya Jaggi, âA Life in Writing: Barbara Kingsolverâ (June 11, 2010), theguardian.com
- School Library Journal staff. âPEN America Reports More Than 10,000 Books Banned in 2023-24 School Year | News Bitesâ (September 23, 2024), slj.com