Below is the Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books, as compiled annually by the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom. OIF collects reports on book challenges from librarians, teachers, concerned individuals and press reports.
A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness.
In 2012, OIF received 464 reports on attempts to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves. This is an increase from 2011 totals, which stood at 326 attempts.
1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey; reasons: offensive language, unsuited for age group
2. “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie; reasons: offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
3. “Thirteen Reasons Why,” by Jay Asher; reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group
4. “Fifty Shades of Grey,” by E. L. James; reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit
5. “And Tango Makes Three,” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson; reasons: homosexuality, unsuited for age group
6. “The Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseini; reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
7. “Looking for Alaska,” by John Green; reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
8. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz; reasons: unsuited for age group, violence
9. “The Glass Castle,” by Jeanette Walls; reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit
10. “Beloved,” by Toni Morrison; reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence
[Via The Times and Democrat]
