October 1st-7th 2023 is Banned Books Week!
Created in 1982, Banned Books Week is an annual celebration of the freedom to read and a time to uplift frequently challenged book titles. The theme this year is "Let Freedom Read!" Banned Books Week is an important time for libraries, schools, and other places of learning across the country to uplift the right to intellectual freedom and the right to the freedom to read.
For 2022, there were thirteen titles in the list of the top ten frequently challenged books, including ties for fifth and tenth place:
- Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
- The number one banned or challenged book in 2022!
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
- All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- Reasons: rape, incest, claimed to be sexually explicit, EDI content
- Flamer by Mike Curato
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
- (Tied for 5th) Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
- (Tied for 5th) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit, rapes, drugs, profanity
- Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity
- Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
- Reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit
- (Tied for 10th) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
- Reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit
- (Tied for 10th) Crank by Ellen Hopkins
- Reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs
- (Tied for 10th) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
- Reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs
- (Tied for 10th) This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit
If you want to learn more about the most frequently challenged book titles, the American Library Association (ALA) website's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) collects thorough data and reports which you can view here. This includes information on the top ten challenged books, censorship data across the U.S., free downloads to advertise Banned Books Week, and more!
Teens interested in getting involved with advocacy for the freedom to read are invited to join Brooklyn Public Library's Intellectual Freedom Teen Council (IFTC), a "virtual space where teens from across the country can connect with a peer-support network and discuss book challenges, censorship, and intellectual freedom." This opportunity is open to teens across the country!
Do you want to read any of the above titles and more? Check out our Books Unbanned initiative. Young adults ages 13-21 across the country may apply for a free Brooklyn Public Library e-card and get access to thousands of free titles to read online. Teens who prefer listening instead of reading can also get involved by listening to our free Borrowed and Banned podcast, which covers students, librarians, and educators on the frontlines protecting our intellectual freedom.
Teens are also invited to BPL's many Banned Books Week programs, which you can view here.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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