The top five books that extremists tried most to ban in 2023 were LGBTQ+, and two additional titles in the top 10 had LGBTQ+ themes, according to a report from the American Library Association.
The top five books that extremists tried most to ban in 2023 were LGBTQ+, and two additional titles in the top 10 had LGBTQ+ themes, according to a report from the American Library Association.
Also, several of the books are by or about people of color, according to the report listing the 10 most challenged books of 2023.
“In looking at the titles of the most challenged books from last year, it’s obvious that the pressure groups are targeting books about LGBTQIA+ people and people of color,” American Library Association President Emily Drabinski said in a press release. “At ALA, we are fighting for the freedom to choose what you want to read. Shining a light on the harmful workings of these pressure groups is one of the actions we must take to protect our right to read.”
The top 10 list was released Monday during National Library Week:
- “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe; reasons: LGBTQ+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
- “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson; reasons: LGBTQ+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
- “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson; reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit
- “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQ+ content, rape, drugs, profanity
- “Flamer” by Mike Curato; reasons: LGBTQ+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
- “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison; reasons: rape, incest, claimed to be sexually explicit, equity, diversity, and inclusion content
- “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs, rape, LGBTQ+ content
- “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity
- “Let’s Talk About It” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, sex education, LGBTQ+ content
- “Sold” by Patricia McCormick; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, rape
‘All Boys Aren’t Blue,’ black-queer memoir, banned from libraries
“These are books that contain the ideas, the opinions, and the voices that censors want to silence — stories by and about LGBTQ+ persons and people of color,” Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the American Library Association’s director of the office for intellectual freedom, said in the release.
“Each challenge, each demand to censor these books is an attack on our freedom to read, our right to live the life we choose, and an attack on libraries as community institutions that reflect the rich diversity of our nation,” she said. “When we tolerate censorship, we risk losing all of this. During National Library Week, we should all take action to protect and preserve libraries and our rights.”
Attempts at book banning took a giant leap in 2023 with 4,240 titles targeted in schools and libraries nationwide — a 65% increase from 2022’s record of 2,571, according to the ALA.
Monday was the second anniversary of Right to Read Day, a day of action launched by the association’s Unite Against Book Bans initiative, which takes place the Monday of National Library Week.
This year’s theme is “Don’t Let Censorship Eclipse Your Freedom to Read,” and anyone who supports the right to read is encouraged to take action by contacting Congress.
The Top 10 books in the association’s report are featured in Unite Against Book Bans’ Book Résumé resource. Launched in February, these resumes support librarians, educators, parents, students, and other community advocates when they defend books from censorship.
Created in collaboration with the publishing industry and library workers, each book resume summarizes the book’s significance and educational value, including a synopsis, reviews from professional journals, awards, accolades and more.
Where possible, the book resume includes information about how a title has been successfully retained in school districts and libraries after a demand to ban it.
