Banned Books Week

[Violentvixen]

Banned Books Week started yesterday.

Here's a nice table of the most challenged ones long term on Wikipedia but here are the top 10 most banned books of 2021 (goes from July-June, I assume to sync with the school year), from here and the site includes ones from previous years.

1. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
   Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images
2. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
3. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
4. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
   Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
5. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, violence, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda
6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references and use of a derogatory term
7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
   Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and degrading to women
8. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
   Reasons: Banned and challenged because it depicts child sexual abuse and was considered sexually explicit
9. This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
   Reasons: Banned, challenged, relocated, and restricted for providing sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content.
10. Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.

I feel pretty safe in saying that most of the titles that are banned/challenged in schools are books with themes most of us on here actively support. Here is a huge spreadsheet if you want to look up what is banned locally.

Vote in local elections. Keep people who want to do bans like these and enact educational gag orders like in Florida and Utah out of government.

 

[Violentvixen]

Since the original post got no responses I gave up on this for 2023 and 2024, but 2025 has been so politically horrifying this is worth highlighting again. Especially with the huge increase in organized bans from right wingers.

Oct 5-11th is Banned Books week for 2025. There are events for librarians but also for community members to learn how to fight back and what to say and do.

If you hear of a challenge at your local library, support your librarian and free and open access to library materials by contacting the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF). OIF estimates it learns of only 3-18% of book challenges.

 

[lincolnic]

I don't have a lot to add here -- I'm lucky to live in Brooklyn, where our libraries proudly promote banned books and are hosting a bunch of events about this during the week -- but wanted to say thanks for bringing this thread back, VV.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Stephen King Most Banned Author In U.S. Schools

According to a new report, Stephen King is now the author most likely to be censored by U.S. schools, with The Shining, Christine, The Stand, and On Writing among the 87 of his titles removed from shelves. What do you think?

theonion.com