Book bans are on the rise. What are the most banned books and why?
Banned books are not new, but they have gained new relevance in an escalating culture war that puts books centering racism, sexuality and gender identity at risk in public schools and libraries.
A dramatic uptick in challenged books over the past year, an escalation of censorship tactics, and the coordinated harassment of teachers and librarians has regularly put book banning efforts in news headlines.
Would-be book banners argue that readers can still purchase books they can no longer access through public libraries, but that is only true for those with the financial resources to do so. For many, particularly children and young adults, schools and public libraries are the only means to access literature.
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Banned books in the news
James Patterson's responds to book removal: Martin County, Florida school district officials removed Patterson's young adult series "Maximum Ride" from its elementary school library. Patterson tweeted about the incident, urging fans who found "mindless book banning troubling or confusing" to write to Florida governor DeSantis, who has been aggressively waging the culture war. "If you are going to ban this book, then no kids under 12 should go to any Marvel movies," Patterson said in an interview.
House Republicans introduce "Parents Bill of Rights": Republicans across the country have focused on educational issues as they lay the groundwork for the 2024 presidential and congressional elections, from DeSantis blocking a high school course on Black history to bills restricting LGBTQ education. The Parents Bill of Rights would require all curriculums to be made public, including any materials in a school library or classroom, and follows outcries from parents who are unhappy that lessons and books about racism, sexual orientation and gender are being taught in schools.
'Moms for Liberty' seeks to restrict books in Iowa: Five Iowa moms, all members of the conservative "Moms for Liberty" group, made their case to Iowa lawmakers in February about their efforts to remove or limit "inappropriate" books in schools. At a Moms for Liberty event, Gov. Kim Reynolds promised to end "indoctrination" in public schools and to back legislation that would give parents more oversight into which books are made available to students.
Education Department investigates removal of LGBTQ books from Texas schools: The removal of LGBTQ-themed books from the library of the Granbury, Texas, school district is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's civil rights division following a complaint by the American Civil Liberties Union.
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What is a book ban?
When a book is successfully “banned,” that means a book has been removed from school curriculums and/or public libraries because a person or group has objected to its content.
An attempt to get a book removed is called a challenge. Most public schools and libraries have boards made up of elected officials (or people appointed by elected officials) who have the power to remove books from the schools and libraries they oversee.
Why it matters: A book ban is significant because it restricts others’ access to books, and the ideas contained within those books, based on another person’s often ideologically or politically motivated objection.
Are book bans on the rise in the U.S.?
Yes. The American Library Association (ALA) keeps track of challenges and bans across the country, and the most recent data is alarming. In 2021, the ALA recorded 729 book challenges targeting 1,597 titles. That’s more than double 2020’s figures and the highest number since the organization began recording data in 2000.
The actual numbers are likely much higher: Some challenges are never reported by libraries, and books preemptively pulled by librarians out of fear for their jobs are not included.
What are the most banned books?
A recent analysis by PEN America found that many challenged books focus on communities of color, the history of racism in America and LGBTQ characters. In fact, one in three books restricted by school districts in the past year featured LGBTQ themes or characters.
Here are the 10 most challenged books of 2021, according to the ALA:
- “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe
- “Lawn Boy,” by Jonathan Evison
- “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson
- “Out of Darkness,” by Ashley Hope Perez
- “The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas
- “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie
- “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” by Jesse Andrews
- “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison
- “This Book Is Gay,” by Juno Dawson
- “Beyond Magenta,” by Susan Kuklin
Many books that were historically banned ended up becoming literary classics that are still taught in modern classrooms. Accordingly to the ALA, frequently banned classics include:
- "To Kill a Mockingbird," by Harper Lee
- "The Catcher in the Rye," by JD Salinger
- "The Grapes of Wrath," by John Steinbeck
- "The Color Purple," by Alice Walker
- "1984," by George Orwell
- "Brave New World," by Aldous Huxley
- "Native Son," by Richard Wright
- "Slaughterhouse-Five," by Kurt Vonnegut
- "A Separate Peace," by John Knowles
- "The Lord of the Flies," by William Golding
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Who bans books in the U.S.?
Book banning made major headlines last year when the McMinn County School Board in Tennessee voted 10-0 to remove Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic memoir “Maus,” about his parents’ experience of the holocaust, from its curriculum.
Since then, there’s been a largely conservative push to remove certain titles from schools and libraries, in some cases with politicians leading the charge, including:
Glenn Youngkin: During his successful run for Virginia governor last fall, the Republican candidate ran a controversial ad featuring a mother who objected to her teenage son being assigned Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” in English class. In April, now Governor Youngkin signed a bill requiring Virginia schools to notify parents when their children are assigned books that contain sexually explicit content.
Henry McMaster: The Republican South Carolina governor supported a school board's decision to remove "Gender Queer,” calling the book “obscene.”
Ron DeSantis: The Republican Florida governor also criticized “Gender Queer” and this year signed into law a bill requiring schools to make all books and materials more transparent so parents can “blow the whistle.”
What’s being done to combat book banning?
American Library Association: Every year, the ALA and libraries across the country celebrate Banned Books Week. This year’s Banned Books Week runs Oct. 1-7.
Foundation 451: A fundraiser in Florida to buy challenged books and distribute them to students spawned thousands in donations and has morphed into a nonprofit organization. The organization has distributed books at about a dozen events, setting up tables at festivals, churches and local businesses.
Nashville Public Library: This Southern library protested banned books this year with a limited edition library card with the special message: "I read banned books." The bright yellow cards are part of the library's Freedom to Read campaign celebrating the "right to read."
Margaret Atwood: Author of the frequently banned dystopian feminist novel “The Handmaid’s Tale,” promoted the auction of a specially commissioned unburnable edition of her book made of Cinefoil by unsuccessfully attempting to incinerate a prototype with a flamethrower. The stunt brought in $130,000, with proceeds going to PEN America.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Banned books: Which titles are being targeted and why