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Banned and Challenged Books

This guide provides an overview and resources related to banned and challenged books.

Featured Banned Books

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Gender Queer: a Memoir

#1 Most Challenged Book of 2021 (According to the ALA)

Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity.

Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images,

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Lawn Boy

#2 Most Challenged Book of 2021 (According to the ALA)

The story of a young man determined to achieve the American dream of happiness and prosperity--who just so happens to find himself along the way.

Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit. 

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All Boys Aren't Blue

#3 Most Challenged Book of 2021 (According to the ALA)

Covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. 

Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit. 

Out of Darkness

#4 Most Challenged Book of 2021 (According to the ALA)

A riveting novel about segregation, love, family, and the forces that destroy people.

Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit. 

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part -Time Indian

#6 Most Challenged Book of 2021 (According to the ALA)

The story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation.

Banned for acknowledging issues such as poverty, alcoholism, and sexuality.

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This Book is Gay

#9 Most Challenged Book of 2021 (According to the ALA)

This candid exploration of sexuality includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums.

Banned, challenged, and restricted for providing sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content. 

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This One Summer

A gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of her teen age--a story of renewal and revelation.

Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations.

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Sex Is a Funny Word

A comic book for kids that includes children and families of all makeups, orientations, and gender identities.

Challenged because it addresses sex education and is believed to lead children to "want to have sex or ask questions about sex"

And Tango Makes Three

The bestselling, heartwarming true story of two penguins who create a nontraditional family. 

Challenged because it features a same-sex relationship between two penguins and "promotes the homosexual agenda." The book has been labeled as anti-family, and as having a political and religious viewpoint unsuited for certain age groups. 

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The Kite Runner

Traces the unlikely friendship of a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant's son in a tale that spans the final days of Afghanistan's monarchy through the atrocities of the present day.

Challenged and banned because it includes sexual violence and was thought to "lead to terrorism" and "promote Islam."

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

A novel about an orphaned boy who discovers he is a wizard and attends a magical boarding school.

Banned for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use "nefarious means" to attain goals. 

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower

A cult-favorite coming-of-age story that takes a sometimes heartbreaking, often hysterical, and always honest look at high school in all its glory. 

Banned and challenged for drugs, alcohol, smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit scenes, and being unsuited for certain age groups.

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Beloved

The story of Sethe, an escaped slave who has risked death in order to wrench herself from a living death; who has lost a husband and buried a child; who has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad.

Banned for being sexually explicit, containing a religious viewpoint, and containing violence. 

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The Color Purple

The story of a young African American girl named Celie who overcomes years of abuse and oppression to find her voice and establish her independence.

Banned for containing offensive language, sexually explicit scenes, and for being unsuitable for certain age groups. 

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The Hunger Games

A dystopian novel about a teenage girl named Katniss Everdeen who volunteers to compete in a brutal competition where she must fight to the death.

Challenged and banned for being anti-family, insensitive, containing offensive language, referencing the occult, and having violent scenes.

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Speak

A novel about a girl who chooses not to speak rather than give voice to the truth, Speak has garnered rapt attention from readers and educators.

Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and be biased against male students. Also, the book discusses sexual assault and includes profanity. 

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Drama

A graphic novel about Callie, the set designer for her drama department's stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget.

Challenged and banned because it includes LGBT characters and was considered "confusing."

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Thirteen Reasons Why

 

When high school student Clay Jensen receives a box in the mail containing 13 tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a night listening to Hannah recount the events leading up to her death.

Challenged and banned because it discusses suicide. 

Twilight

A suspenseful love story between a teenage girl and a vampire that sparked a "literary phenomenon" and redefined romance for a generation.

Banned for having a religious viewpoint, sexually explicit scenes, and for being unsuitable for certain age groups. 

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The Glass Castle

A remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. 

Banned for having offensive language and sexually explicit scenes. 

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Persepolis

A wise, funny, and heartbreaking graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

Challenged for containing gambling, offensive language, and political viewpoints.

Featured Books on Book Censorship

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Banned in the U. S. A.

Examines the landscape of book censorship in American schools and libraries.

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Book Banning and Other Forms of Censorship

A look at how and why schools, special-interest groups, and governments suppress information.

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Banned Books

 Does banning books take away our liberties, attempt to erase history, and impose an agenda?

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Beyond Banned Books

Practical guidance on safeguarding intellectual freedom related to library displays, programming, and other librarian-created content.

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True Stories of Censorship Battles in America's Libraries

Librarians present their stories of dealing with challenges to library materials.

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Not in Front of the Children

Explores the fascinating history of "indecency" laws and other restrictions aimed at protecting youth. 

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Defending Frequently Challenged Young Adult Books

Provides the information necessary to defend challenged books with an informed response.

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Defending the First

Provides a collection of new perspectives on the First Amendment in legal and communication contexts.