Banned Books Week is September 27th through October 3rd. It is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. Every year the Office for Intellectual Freedom, a part of the American Library Association, compiles a list of the 10 most challenged books of the that year. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 377 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2019. Of the 566 books that were targeted, here are the most challenged, along with the reasons cited for censoring the books:
- George by Alex Gino DB82273
- Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin DB78523
- A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller print/braille book
- Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth
- Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
- I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas DB85028 and print/braille book
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood DB24695 and BR11911
- Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
- Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling 7 books in the series, in all formats
- And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson illustrated by Henry Cole DB92109 and print/braille book
For more information visit bannedbooksweek.org and ala.org/advocacy/bbooks