The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The lists are based on information from media stories and voluntary challenge reports sent to OIF from communities across the United States.
Explore the annual Top Ten Most Challenged Books lists:
2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000-2009 background | Before 1990
The Top Ten lists are only a snapshot of book challenges. Surveys indicate that 82-97% of book challenges – documented requests to remove materials from schools or libraries – remain unreported and receive no media.
Sometimes OIF receives information as the challenge is happening; other times OIF receives an online report years later. This affects the total number of challenges reported in any given year. Thus the Top Ten Most Challenged Books list should not be viewed as an exhaustive report.
Top Ten Most Challenged Books
Top Ten for 2017
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 354 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2017. Of the 416 books challenged or banned in 2017, the Top 10 Most Challenged Books are:
Top Ten for 2016
Out of 323 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
Top Ten for 2015
Out of 275 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
View the 2015 book challenge infographic
- Looking for Alaska, by John Green
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group - Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and other (“poorly written,” “concerns that a group of teenagers will want to try it”) - I Am Jazz, by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
Reasons: inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group - Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kuklin
Reasons: anti-family, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“wants to remove from collection to ward off complaints”) - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
Reasons: offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“profanity and atheism”) - The Holy Bible
Reasons: religious viewpoint - Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel
Reasons: violence and other (“graphic images”) - Habibi, by Craig Thompson
Reasons: nudity, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group - Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan, by Jeanette Winter
Reasons: religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, and violence - Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan
Reasons: homosexuality and other (“condones public displays of affection”)
Top Ten for 2014
Out of 311 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
View the 2014 book challenge infographic
- 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” - Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions” - 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” - The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues” - It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reasons: nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it is child pornography” - Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Reasons: anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group - The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence - 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” - A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group - Drama, by Raina Telgemeier
Reason: sexually explicit
Top Ten for 2013
Out of 307 challenges recorded 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
Reason: political viewpoint, racism, violence
Top Ten for 2012
Out of 464 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- 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
Top Ten for 2011
Out of 326 challenges recorded 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
Top Ten for 2010
Out of 348 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, 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, violence - Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit - Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit - The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence - Lush, by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint - Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit - Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint, violence
Top Ten for 2009
Out of 460 challenges recorded by 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
Top Ten for 2008
Out of 513 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group - His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, violence - ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, violence - Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group - Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: homosexuality, unsuited to age group - The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Top Ten for 2007
Out of 420 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, sexism, 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, sexually explicit - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Top Ten for 2006
Out of 546 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-family, homosexuality, unsuited to age group - Gossip Girls (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, 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, unsuited to age group - The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: insensitivity, occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence - Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Beloved, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, violence
Top Ten for 2005
Out of 405 challenges recorded by 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
Top Ten for 2004
Out of 547 challenges recorded by 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
Top Ten for 2003
Out of 458 challenges recorded by 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
Reasons: homosexuality, nudity, sexual content, sex education - We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexual content - King & King, by Linda de Haan
Reason: homosexuality - Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
Reasons: occult/Satanism, offensive language
Top Ten for 2002
Out of 515 challenges recorded by 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
Top Ten for 2001
Out of 448 challenges recorded by 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
Background Information from 2000 to 2009
View the 2000-2009 book challenge infographic
From 2000 to 2009, 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"'
- 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 lists have been published. This number reflects all the challenges we received since July 31, 2013 for the 2000-2009 time period.
Before 1990
OIF has only been collecting data about banned banned books since 1990, so we do not have any lists of frequently challenged books or authors before that date.