List of ALA challenged books
The American Library Association publishes a list of the top 100 most-challenged books in public libraries. They release a new list every decade and have been tracking challenged books since 1990. I've made a copy of their lists here so that I can easily link to those books which I've read and reviewed (those with a blue or red link). As someone who learned that the best books are usually the ones other people think are dangerous, I also consult this list when choosing a new book to read.
The vast majority of the books on this list are challenged because parents think they are inappropriate for children or harmful to society. There is a lot of overlap between books which are highly awarded, like recipients of the Newbery Medal, and those which are challenged. The typical topics which parents find so repulsive that they want to ban the book even from other people include the standard American taboos:
- Descriptions of sex (particularly pre-marital)
- Accurate portrayals of embarrassing history (like racism and slavery)
- The mere existence of LGBTQ people
- Any form of occult that isn't explicitly Christian
- Death or dying (especially suicide and euthanasia)
- Swearing/cursing
Contents
Personal
I first became aware of challenged books from an episode of Family Ties which talked about the status of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Then, in high school, I remember talking about banned books with some friends, and my friend Eric mentioned that the bible was often banned which, as a Christian at the time, I was aghast. As I got more into reading as an adult, I began noticing that banned books are usually among the most interesting of the ones I've read, and now I actively seek out challenged books for reading.
Of the books in these lists, I've read about 32 of the entries, but more when you include entire challenged series.
1990-1999
- Scary Stories (series) by Alvin Schwartz
- Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- Forever... by Judy Blume
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
- Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
- It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
- Alice (series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
- Goosebumps (series) by R.L. Stine
- A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- Sex by Madonna
- Earth's Children (series) by Jean M. Auel
- The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
- In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
- The Witches by Roald Dahl
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
- The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
- Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
- The Goats by Brock Cole
- The Stupids (series) by Harry Allard
- Anastasia Krupnik (series) by Lois Lowry
- Final Exit by Derek Humphry
- Blubber by Judy Blume
- Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
- Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
- Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
- Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
- The Pigman by Paul Zindel
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
- Deenie by Judy Blume
- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
- Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
- Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
- Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
- Cujo by Stephen King
- James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
- A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
- Ordinary People by Judith Guest
- American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
- Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
- Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
- What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
- The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
- Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume
- Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
- Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
- Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
- Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
- Fade by Robert Cormier
- Guess What? by Mem Fox
- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Native Son by Richard Wright
- Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday
- Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
- On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
- The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
- Jack by A.M. Homes
- Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
- Family Secrets by Norma Klein
- Mommy Laid an Egg by Babette Cole
- Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
- Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
- The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
- Carrie by Stephen King
- The Dead Zone by Stephen King
- Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
- Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
- Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
- Private Parts by Howard Stern
- Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford
- Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
- Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
- Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
- Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
- Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
- Sex Education by Jenny Davis
- Jumper by Steven Gould
- Christine by Stephen King
- The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
- That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton
- Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
- The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain
- Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
2000-2009
- Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
- Alice (series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
- The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
- And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- Scary Stories (series) by Alvin Schwartz
- His Dark Materials (series) by Philip Pullman
- ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series) by Lauren Myracle
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
- It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
- Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- Forever... by Judy Blume
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- King and King by Linda de Haan
- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Gossip Girl (series) by Cecily von Ziegesar
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
- Killing Mr. Griffen by Lois Duncan
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
- The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
- We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
- What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
- Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
- Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
- The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
- Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- It's So Amazing by Robie Harris
- Arming America by Michael Bellasiles
- Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
- Life is Funny by E.R. Frank
- Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
- The Fighting Ground by Avi
- Blubber by Judy Blume
- Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
- Crazy Lady by Jane Leslie Conly
- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by Dav Pilkey
- Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan
- The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
- You Hear Me? by Betsy Franco
- The Facts Speak for Themselves by Brock Cole
- Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Green
- When Dad Killed Mom by Julius Lester
- Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
- Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
- Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Draw Me A Star by Eric Carle
- The Stupids (series) by Harry Allard
- The Terrorist by Caroline B. Cooney
- Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park
- The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
- A Time to Kill by John Grisham
- Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
- Junie B. Jones (series) by Barbara Park
- Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
- What's Happening to My Body Book by Lynda Madaras
- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
- Anastasia (series) by Lois Lowry
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- Crazy by Benjamin Lebert
- The Joy of Gay Sex by Dr. Charles Silverstein
- The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss
- A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
- Black Boy by Richard Wright
- Deal With It! by Esther Drill
- Detour for Emmy by Marilyn Reynolds
- So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Watkins
- Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
- Cut by Patricia McCormick
- Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissenger
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
- Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
- The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
- Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
- Goosebumps (series) by R.L. Stine
- Shade's Children by Garth Nix
- Grendel by John Gardner
- The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
- I Saw Esau by Iona Opte
- Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume
- America by E.R. Frank
2010-2019
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
- George by Alex Gino
- And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
- Drama by Raina Telgemeier
- Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
- Internet Girls (series) by Lauren Myracle
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings and Jessica Herthel
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Bone (series) by Jeff Smith
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
- Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
- A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss
- Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg
- Alice McKinley (series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
- It's Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
- Scary Stories (series) by Alvin Schwartz
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
- It's a Book by Lane Smith
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
- What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
- A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer
- Bad Kitty (series) by Nick Bruel
- Crank by Ellen Hopkins
- Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
- The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by Dav Pilkey
- This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
- This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
- A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Goosebumps (series) by R.L. Stine
- In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco
- Lush by Natasha Friend
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
- Bible by Various
- This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
- Gossip Girl (series) by Cecily von Ziegesar
- House of Night (series) by P.C. Cast
- My Mom's Having A Baby by Dori Hillestad Butler
- Neonomicon by Alan Moore
- The Dirty Cowboy by Amy Timberlake
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
- Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
- Draw Me a Star by Eric Carle
- Dreaming In Cuban by Cristina Garcia
- Fade by Lisa McMann
- The Family Book by Todd Parr
- Feed by M.T. Anderson
- Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
- Habibi by Craig Thompson
- House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
- Jacob's New Dress by Sarah Hoffman
- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
- Monster by Walter Dean Myers
- Nasreen's Secret School by Jeanette Winter
- Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
- Stuck in the Middle by Ariel Schrag
- The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal
- Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
- Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
- Awakening by Kate Chopin
- Burned by Ellen Hopkins
- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
- Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
- Glass by Ellen Hopkins
- Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesle´a Newman
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- Madeline and the Gypsies by Ludwig Bemelmans
- My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis
- Prince and Knight by Daniel Haack
- Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology by Amy Sonnie
- Skippyjon Jones (series) by Judith Schachner
- So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
- The Color of Earth (series) by Tong-hwa Kim
- The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
- The Walking Dead (series) by Robert Kirkman
- Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
- Uncle Bobby's Wedding by Sarah Brannen
- Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks