Banned Books Week (September 22-28) celebrates the freedom to read and draws attention to attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. The Gustavus Library endorses the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement affirming that “the freedom to read is essential to our democracy” and that librarians should “make available the widest diversity of views and expressions.”
Visit our Banned Books Week Display at the Research Help Desk on the main floor of the Library – we encourage you to borrow any of them!
Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023
- Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit - All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto: by George M. Johnson
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit - This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, rape, drugs, profanity - Flamer by Mike Curato
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Challenged for: rape, incest, claimed to be sexually explicit, EDI content - 7/8. (tie) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity - 7/8. (tie) Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs, rape, LGBTQIA+ content - Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit, sex education, LGBTQIA+ content - Sold by Patricia McCormick
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit, rape