Banned Books Week 2020 has begun! Normally scheduled for the last week in September, this week is set aside annually to celebrate the freedom to seek and share ideas through reading. By highlighting books that have been frequently challenged or marked for censorship in schools, libraries, and elsewhere, Banned Books Week emphasizes the importance of the freedom to read! To celebrate this special week, the library has put together a reading list of some of the most banned/challenged books in the United States in 2019 according to the American Library Association.
Challenged Books
Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2019
(Source of information and captions: www.ala.org)
Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure.”
Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased.
Reasons: Challenged and vandalized for LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is “designed to pollute the morals of its readers,” and for not including a content warning.
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.”
Reasons: Challenged and restricted for featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content; for being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint.
Reasons: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged.”
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones.”
Reasons: Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals.”
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.
Reason: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content.
Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: By the Decade
1990 – 1999 | 2000 – 2009 | 2010 – 2019
Please click here for more information about Banned Books Week!
Thanks for reading!
-George, FTPL
