This list of the most commonly challenged books in the United States refers to books sought to be removed or otherwise restricted from public access, typically from a
library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...
or a school curriculum. This list is primarily based on U.S. data gathered by the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...
's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), which gathers data from media reports, and from reports from librarians and teachers.
As of 2020, the top ten reasons books were challenged and banned books included sexual content (92.5% percent of books on the list); offensive language (61.5%); unsuited to age group (49%); religious viewpoint (26%); LGBTQIA+ content (23.5%); violence (19%); racism (16.5%); drugs, alcohol, and smoking (12.5%); "anti-family" content (7%); and political viewpoint (6.5%).
List
Since 2001, the American Library Association has posed the top ten most frequently challenged books per year on their website.
Using th
Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century ALA has also noted banned and challenged classics.
The list is sorted alphabetically by default. Included is each book's rank in the ALA's lists of top 100 challenged books by decade (if applicable).
Note: The ALA
Office for Intellectual Freedom
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
(OIF) does not claim comprehensiveness in recording challenges. Research suggests that for each challenge reported there are as many as four or five which go unreported.
See also
*
2020–22 book banning in the United States
*
List of books banned by governments
Banned books are books or other printed works such as essays or plays which are prohibited by law or to which free access is not permitted by other means. The practice of banning books is a form of censorship, from political, legal, relig ...
References
External links
Banned & Challenged Booksat the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...
website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Most Commonly Challenged Books In The United States
Book censorship in the United States
Lists of controversial books
Books