Banned Books Week acknowledges the fight against censorship and celebrates the freedom to read by highlighting the most challenged and banned books over the last year. The American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom tracks the attempts to restrict access to books across the country.
Challenge: A book is considered challenged when attempts are made to remove or restrict the book.
Ban: Banning means the book has been removed from shelves and access has been restricted.
Scroll through to learn more about book bans and to access the Top 10 Challenged Books of 2022.
(There are more than 10 in the Top 10 because of ties in the number of challenges.)
Read "This Book is Gay" as a physical book or as an eBook.
Read "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" as an eBook or listen to an eAudiobook.
Read "Crank" as a physical book or listen to an eAudiobook.
Listen to "A Court of Mist and Fury" as an eAudiobook.
Listen to "Out of Darkness" as an eAudiobook.
Note: In previous years this book has been banned and challenged also due to allegations of sexual misconduct by the author.
Read "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" as a physical book or an eBook.
Read "Lawn Boy" as an eBook or listen to an eAudiobook.
Read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" as a physical book.
Read "Looking for Alaska" as a physical book or an eBook.
Request "Flamer" from Interlibrary Loan.
Read "The Bluest Eye" as a physical book, an eBook, or listen to an eAudiobook.
Read "All Boys Aren't Blue" as a physical book, an eBook, or listen to an eAudiobook.
Read "Gender Queer" as an eBook.
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