Celebrate the freedom to read with Richland Library. They’ve joined other libraries, booksellers, journalists, teachers and readers across the country to mark Banned Books Week, which runs October 1-7.
In 2022, 2,571 unique titles were affected by censorship attempts. The titles may surprise you. Some are popular picks or even considered “must reads.” Here’s a look at the top 13 most challenged books in 2022:
- Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
- All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- Flamer by Mike Curato
- (tie) Looking for Alaska by John Green
5.(tie) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
7.Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
8.The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
9.Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
10.(tie) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
10.(tie) Crank by Ellen Hopkins
10.(tie) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
10. (tie) This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
Profanity, drug use, violence, sexual references, LGBTQIA+ content, and EDI content are some of the primary reasons that many of these books were challenged or banned.
According to the American Library Association, Banned Books Week has united the entire book community for more than 30 years in shared support of the freedom to seek, publish, read and express ideas.