The Top Banned And Challenged Books Of The Last Two Decades

In BANNED BOOKS, BOOK LISTS
August 25, 2022
BOOKGLOW
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The top banned and challenged books of the last two decades celebrates Banned Books Week 2022, which takes place September 18-24. Documented by the ALA, the top banned and challenged books in libraries and schools of the last two decades from 2001 to 2021 include books that may surprise you, from Harry Potter to a family of penguins, with reasons ranging from Satanism to the mentioning of “dirty magazines.” Discover who is banning books in the US. This Banned Books Week 2022 read one or more of the top banned and challenged books of the last two decades.

The Top Banned And Challenged Books Of The Last Two Decades

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2001 and 2002

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: anti-family, occult/Satanism, religious viewpoint, violence in 2001; occult/Satanism, violence in 2002.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2003

Alice (series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: sexual content, offensive language, unsuited to age group.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2004

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2005

It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: abortion, homosexuality, nudity, religious viewpoint, sex education, unsuited to age group.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: anti-family, homosexuality, unsuited to age group in 2006; anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, sexism, unsuited to age group in 2007; anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group in 2008; homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group in 2010.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2009 and 2011

ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series) by Lauren Myracle

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: drugs, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group in 2009; offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group in 2011.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2012 and 2013

Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: offensive language, unsuited for age group in 2012; offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence in 2013.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2014

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying.”

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2015

Looking for Alaska by John Green

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2016

This One Summer written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and it was considered sexually explicit with mature themes.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2017

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: Originally published in 2007, this New York Times bestseller has resurfaced as a controversial book after Netflix aired a TV series by the same name. This YA novel was challenged and banned in multiple school districts because it discusses suicide.

#1 Banned and Challenged Book of 2018, 2019, and 2020

George by Alex Gino

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Reasons for being banned and challenged: LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community in 2020; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion” in 2020; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure” in 2019; believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones, and for mentioning “dirty magazines,” describing male anatomy, “creating confusion,” and including a transgender character in 2018.