"Let Freedom Read"
Every year, Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. The books featured:
- Have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools.
- Are based on information from media stories and voluntary challenge reports sent to OIF from communities across the United States.
- American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022.
- A record 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship, a 38% increase over the 1,858 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2021. 58% of the reported book challenges targeted books and materials in school libraries, classroom libraries or school curricula; 41% of book challenges targeted materials in public libraries.
- Most targeted books were by or about Black or LGBTQIA+ persons.
Banned Books Available at Murphy Library
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, violence, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references and use of a derogatory term
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Banned and challenged because it depicts child sexual abuse and was considered sexually explicit
Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin
Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.
Melissa by Alex Gino
Reasons: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
Reasons: 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
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Reasons: 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
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students
And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson illustrated by Henry Cole
Reason: challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content
Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Reasons: banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Reasons: banned, challenged, and restricted for addressing teen suicide
Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ characters and themes
I Am Jazz written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
This autobiographical picture book co-written by the 13-year-old protagonist was challenged because it addresses gender identity.
Looking for Alaska written by John Green
Reasons: challenged for a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to “sexual experimentation”
Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel
Reasons: violence and other (“graphic images”)
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”)
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones”
Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Reasons: 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”
Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth
Reasons: challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate”
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Reasons: Nudity; Disturbing imagery
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Reasons: Challenged for language and sexual explicitness
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Twilight (Series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group
His Dark Materials Trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reason: religious viewpoint
The Holy Bible
Reason: Religious viewpoint
The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan
Reasons: challenged because its cover has an image of two boys kissing, and it was considered to include sexually explicit LGBT content
Most challenged:
Top Ten Most Challenged Books in 2022
Gender Queer: a Memoir by Call Number: Curriculum Children's (2nd Floor, North) ; GN KobISBN: 1549304003Publication Date: 2019-05-28Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images
All Boys Aren't Blue by ISBN: 0374312710Publication Date: 2020-04-28Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
The Bluest Eye by ISBN: 9781606866801Publication Date: 2010-04-13Reasons: Banned and challenged because it depicts child sexual abuse and was considered sexually explicit
Flamer by ISBN: 9781627796415Publication Date: 2020-09-01Reasons: Banned and Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
Looking for Alaska by Call Number: Curriculum Children's (2nd Floor, North) ; GreISBN: 9780142402511Publication Date: 2006-12-28Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by ISBN: 9781982110994Publication Date: 2019-09-24Reasons: Banned and challenged for depiction of sexual abuse, LGBTQIA+ content, drug use, profanity, and was claimed to be sexually explicit
Lawn Boy by Call Number: Curriculum Children's (2nd Floor, North) ; PauISBN: 1616209232Publication Date: 2019-03-19Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Call Number: Curriculum Children's (2nd Floor, North) ; AleISBN: 9780316013697Publication Date: 2009-04-01Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references and use of a derogatory term
Out of Darkness by Call Number: Curriculum Children's (2nd Floor, North) ; PerISBN: 0823445038Publication Date: 2019-09-10Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
A Court of Mist and Fury by ISBN: 9781635575583Publication Date: 2020-06-02Reasons: Challenged for being sexually explicit
Crank by Call Number: Curriculum Children's (2nd Floor, North) ; HopISBN: 0689865198Publication Date: 2004-10-01Reasons: Challenged and banned for drug use, claimed to be sexually explicit
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Revised Edition) by ISBN: 1419719602Publication Date: 2015-04-21Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and degrading to women
This Book Is Gay by ISBN: 1728254329Publication Date: 2021-09-07Reasons: Banned, challenged, relocated, and restricted for providing sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content.
