The number of challenges reported to books doubled between 2022 and 2021 as did the amount of challenge made to exclusive titles increased by 40% over 2021, according to the data published by the American Library Society’s Office of Intellectual Freedom Monday.
Each year, the ALA publishes data on the books that have been the most frequently questioned to be taken off the shelves of libraries at schools and in public libraries. While the organization claims it isn’t possible to monitor every case, and that a lot of them aren’t reported The data comes from many sources, including news articles and voluntary reports submitted by the Office of Intellectual Freedom.
The report this year contains an updated list of the 13 most controversial books of 2022. This is because there were the same amount of attempts to ban several of the titles. In total the ALA states that 2,571 distinct titles were challenged or banned.
Lessa Kananiopua Pelayo-Lozada who is the president of the American Library Association, says it was once the case that titles were censored when a parent or members of the community came across an item in the library that they did not like. However, the things have changed “Now we’re witnessing organized efforts by groups to block multiple titles across the country, without having actually read any of these titles.”
Pelayo-Lozada claims that despite large number of challenges the library association’s survey shows that a majority of Americans do not believe in prohibiting books.
Another year, Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe which was published in the year 2019, is top of the list of the ALA. Graphic memoirs follow Kobabe’s progress to gender identity as queer and nonbinary. The majority of the books included on this list have been attacked with accusations of containing LGBTQIA+ or sexually explicit material.
There are several books on the list this year that were released 2021-based, such as Flamer written by Mike Curato, Looking for Alaska by John Green, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Choosky, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, and Crank by Ellen Hopkins.
Eight titles remain on the list for several years.
The Most Challenged Books of 2022
Here are the books that ALA recorded as having the highest challenge by the year 2022 (there was a tie of four for the #10 spot):
1. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe -Content that is LGBTQIA+ which is said to contain sexually explicit content
2. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson -Content that is LGBTQIA+ that is claimed as sexually explicit
3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison — rape and incest, said as sexually explicit Content from EDI
4. Flamer by Mike Curato — LGBTQIAand content which is claimed as sexually explicit
5. Searching to Alaska from John Green — said to contain sexually explicit LGBTQIA+ content
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflowerby Stephen Choosky — claims to be sexually explicit, with LGBTQIA+ content drug, rape and profanity
7. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison — LGBTQIA+ content that is claimed to contain sexually explicit content
8. The Completely True The Diary of A Part-Time Indian from Sherman Alexie — claimed to be sexually explicit, profane, and sexually explicit.
9. Out Of Darkness By Ashley Hope Perezis said to contain sexually explicit material
10. Me as well as Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews — claimed to be sexually explicit, asexually explicit, and profane
10. This book has been deemed Gay Written by Juno Dawson — LGBTQIA+ material, sex education claims as sexually explicit
10. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas -was claimed to contain sexually explicit material
10. Crank by Ellen Hopkins — claimed to be sexually explicit, a drug
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