Banned Books Week: 2016’s ‘Top 10’

Each year, the last week in September is observed as Banned Books Week, an annual expression of support for “the freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.”
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In honor of Banned Books Week, here are the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books” during 2016, out of 323 challenges recorded by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. (The ALA defines a challenge as “an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group,” while a banning is “the removal of those materials.”)

1. This One Summer written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki. (Challenged because it includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and it was considered sexually explicit with mature themes)

2. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier. (Challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint)

3. George written by Alex Gino. (Challenged because it includes a transgender child, and the “sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels”)

4. I Am Jazz written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas (Challenged because it portrays a transgender child and because of language, sex education, and offensive viewpoints)

5. Two Boys Kissing written by David Levithan (Challenged because its cover has an image of two boys kissing, and it was considered to include sexually explicit LGBT content)

6. Looking for Alaska written by John Green (Challenged for a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to “sexual experimentation”)

7. Big Hard Sex Criminals written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky (Challenged because it was considered sexually explicit)

8. Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread written by Chuck Palahniuk (Challenged for profanity, sexual explicitness, and being “disgusting and all around offensive”)

9. Little Bill (series) written by Bill Cosby and and illustrated by Varnette P. Honeywood (Challenged because of criminal sexual allegations against the author)

10. Eleanor & Park written by Rainbow Rowell (Challenged for offensive language)

The ALA composes this list from public challenges reported in the media, as well as censorship reports submitted to the office through its challenge reporting form.

The ALA notes that while it records “hundreds of challenges” every year, “only about 10% of books are removed from the location where the challenge took place, thanks to local literary champions such as librarians, students, and patrons” who speak out for the freedom to read.