What are the most controversial books in Kansas?

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Some books weren't accepted with open arms in the Sunflower State last year, garnering pushback from some Kansas residents in attempts to censor the texts.

27 News reached out to the American Library Association (ALA) to learn which books are stirring the most controversy in Kansas. The organization recently released information gathered by its Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) which details what books experienced the most challenges in 2023.

Kansas censorship attempts

Raymond Garcia, a spokesman for the ALA, informed 27 News the OIF data was put together using confidential reports and information from media coverage. He says the majority of censorship attempt cases in Kansas are considered confidential.

"Most censorship attempts go unreported," Garcia said in a written statement. "A challenge may result in access to a title being retained, restricted, or revoked at the institution where it was challenged."

A total of 26 attempts were made to restrict access to books in Kansas with 63 book titles challenged during those attempts, according to data from the OIF. Information provided to 27 News shows which books were included in those challenges.

Three books, "I Am Jazz," "Red, White & Royal Blue," and "Melissa (previously published as "George")" each received two challenges apiece while the other titles named in the list received one challenge each. Some of these books, such as "Gender Queer: A Memoir" and "All Boys Aren't Blue" were included in the ALA's recent 'Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2023' article. The full list of named book titles that received challenge attempts can be found in the document below.

PEN America, another organization that monitors censorship attempts and book bans in the U.S., included Kansas among 39 other states that tried to ban books in schools during the 2021 to 2022 academic year. In its most recent report, the organization identified seven instances of book bans for Kansas during the 2022-2023 school year.

• "Come Back to Me" by Mila Gray
• "Run Away With Me" by Mila Gray
• "Stay With Me" by Mila Gray
• "It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover
• "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas
• "A Court of Silver Flames" by Sarah J. Maas
• "Empire of Storms" by Sarah J. Maas

Each of the above books were formally challenged in the Gardner-Edgerton School District USD 231 in March 2023. The books are banned from the district's libraries and classrooms, according to PEN America's findings. Shortly after these books were banned, a student made a formal request the district ban the Holy Bible.

Political action on Kansas book bans

The Kansas Legislature also looked at the issue of book bans this year. Senator Cindy Holscher, a Democrat from Overland Park, introduced Senate Bill 358 on Thursday, Jan. 18. If passed, the bill would prohibit school districts and local libraries from prohibiting, banning or restricting books or other media unless certain requirements are met.

Under this bill, book bans would be prohibited on the basis of partisan or doctrinal disapproval and be prevented on the origin, background or view of the person who wrote the book or piece of media under consideration. Book bans would still be able to happen under this bill if the signed request for the ban acquired at least 5% support among qualified electors in the school district. However, anyone requesting the ban would need to read it to completion and provide a detailed list of reasons for the ban or restriction to take place.

National book bans and challenges

PEN America released its own findings for the school year running from 2022-2023 regarding reported nationwide book bans. In it, the organization found more than 3,300 instances of book bans, up 33% from the 2021-2022 school year, impacting around 1,500 books. Florida and Texas had the most reported book bans during the 2022-2023 school year with Florida coming in first at 1,406.

The national OIF study by the ALA found more than 4,200 books were targeted for censorship including more than 1,200 demands to censor library books, materials and resources last year. A majority of 2023's censorship attempts targeted books dealing with topics related to the LGBTQ community or race.

Both PEN America and the ALA identified their own top ten lists of books that experienced the most pushback in the U.S. for 2023. The ALA's list consists of book challenges while PEN America recorded book bans. Their findings, along with the number of challenges and bans each organization reported, can be found in the lists below:

• ALA Top 10 Most Challenged Books for 2023
  • "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe - 106
  • "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson - 82
  • "This Book Is Gay" by Juno Dawson - 71
  • "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky - 68
  • "Flamer" by Mike Curato - 67
  • "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison - 62
  • "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" by Jesse Andres - 56
  • "Tricks" by Ellen Hopkins -56
  • "Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human" by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan - 55
  • "Sold" by Patricia McCormick -53
• PEN America Most Banned Books for 2022-2023 School Year
  • "Tricks" by Ellen Hopkins - 33
  • "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison - 29
  • "Looking for Alaska" by John Green - 27
  • "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas - 27
  • "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe - 26
  • "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky - 25
  • "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher - 24
  • "Sold" by Patricia McCormick - 24
  • "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins - 23
  • "Identical" by Ellen Hopkins - 22
  • "Empire of Storms" by Sarah J. Maas - 22

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