Via ALA's website:
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. By focusing on efforts to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. Typically (but not always) held during the last week of September, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.
In a time of intense political polarization, library staff in every state are facing an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books. ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 1,247 demands to censor library books and resources in 2023. The number of titles targeted for censorship surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching the highest levels ever documented by OIF in more than 20 years of tracking: 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for removal from schools and libraries. This tops the previous high from 2022, when 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship. Titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of those targeted in censorship attempts.
The theme for Banned Books Week 2024 (September 22-28) is "Freed Between the Lines." We can find freedom in the pages of a book — but book bans and censorship threaten that freedom, along with many other rights and institutions. During Banned Books Week 2024 and beyond, let’s share our love of right to read and the freedom found in books. Let’s be Freed Between the Lines!
Challenged in Jessamine County Public Library, Kentucky in 2009 for the sex scenes contained in the graphic novels. When the challenged book was not found to meet the definition of obscene a librarian who disagreed with this ruling decided to remove the book herself. After about a year of violating both the Library Bill of Rights, and the ALA Code of Ethics, her actions were discovered and the employee lost her position at the library due to her actions. The novel remains in circulation today
Vaughn, who authored several award-winning series on this list, created this story which follows a pride of lions as they escape a zoo in Baghdad after American bombing of the city, and struggle to survive obliterated city . Themes include the effects of way on civilians and commentary on freedom. This novel has been challenged in cities across America, for the sexual imagery, yet remains in libraries around the country.
This book was banned in Keller, Texas in 2021, just after its release in 2020. This book examines the changes that happen to girls in puberty.
This story is a wonderful entry point to LGBTQ+ content, especially for those who are unfamiliar, and has been challenged for that very reason.
The challenges to this middle grade graphic novel — challenged in Dixfield, Maine, where Gender Queer has recently been pulled from shelves — include objecting to its language, sexual content, and drug references.
This story is a modern take on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. This graphic novel was challenged in 2021 at the Lincoln Parish Library in Louisiana along with 13 other books. The ban was not upheld and the books were returned to the children's section.
This graphic memoir is a collection of essays and personal mini-comics that span eight years of the author's young adult life. It was banned for containing LGBTQ+ content
This novel was challenged and ultimately banned from the Spring Branch school ISD in Texas. The protest originally began because of the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters, but was officially banned because of its “sexual content.”
Laura Dean was part of a list of challenged books used in non-mandatory, student-led book clubs in Texas' Leander Independent School District. Laura Dean and 5 other books were removed and 11 more books were suspended pending review.
This graphic novel was also challenged in Katy ISD alongside Class Act. Both novels were found to be appropriate for their district.
This graphic novel about the 1994 Rwandan massacre contains important lessons about the consequences of hate and intolerance. This book and 80 others were put under review by the Cumberland County Schools and two more books were removed from their collections.
V for Vendetta was part of a list of challenged books used in non-mandatory, student-led book clubs in Texas' Leander Independent School District. V for Vendetta and 5 other books were removed and 11 more books were suspended pending review.
This is the autobiographical story of the author and artist, born from a mother with a heroin use disorder, who ultimately lives with his grandparents, which explores the impact addiction can have on parent-child relationships across generations. In 2019 Hey, Kiddo was challenged for “inappropriate words, behaviors, sex, alcohol, drugs, stealing, infidelity, and murder”, for that reason the recommended reading age is 12 +. The novel remains on shelves today.
This novel was first challenged by a parent in the Northwood School District claiming that the content was “inappropriate” for any age level at school. Despite this protest, the book remains on the shelves at the school in the YA section.
With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Penelope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models, some world famous, some little known. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison or Josephine Bakerto Naziq al-Abid, the stories in this comic biography are sure to inspire the next generation of rebel ladies. This book is recommended for teens and adults. Brazen has been banned for containing LGBTQ themes.
This graphic novel on the internment of Japanese Americans following the attack on Pearl Harbor was banned in 2021 in the Central York County School District in Pennsylvania as part of a larger campaign against teaching about the racial history of America.
American Born Chinese was one of more than 20 books removed from general circulation by Mississippi Madison County School officials in their district's school libraries in April of 2022. Since then, students in Madison County must have parental permission to check out one of the restricted books in the district’s elementary, middle, and high school libraries
The title of this one should be a glaring hint that the book isn’t for children. However, nothing can stop the complaint train. The book depicts a couple, who upon sleeping together, realize they can freeze time. Though the book was challenged multiple times in 2016, the most memorable problem the comic had was with Apple. The tech giant banned the second issue of “Sex Criminals” from the Comixology app back in 2013, citing explicit content. However, the issue was available on other Apple-related sources.
Author Keiji Nakazawa was only 7 years old when most of his family was killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. He recounted his childhood experiences in graphic novel “Barefoot Gen”, not leaving out any gruesome details or illustrations. The book did not sit well with some citizens of the Japanese city of Matsue, and they challenged its presence in schools and libraries. The book was in and out of circulation multiple times, yet ultimately remained on shelves, with schools offering proper educational support for students. Nakazawa’s widow has said that the author’s opinion was “that he must share with children accounts of the miseries of the war and the atomic bombing to prevent a recurrence.”
This graphic novel was challenged in Katy ISD. The complaint states this book will make students “brainwashed to believe that one race is superior than the other.” A book review found the book to be appropriate for their district.
This graphic novel was also challenged in Katy ISD alongside Class Act. Both novels were found to be appropriate for their district.
Published in 2005, this groundbreaking novel was challenged by Montgomery County Memorial Library System alongside 15 other books that contained gay positive themes. Depicting the coming of age story of a young queer man growing up in the south during the 1960s, this graphic novel explores important themes such as racism, gay identity, and homophobia during a revolutionary time. The book remains on the shelves in Montgomery County Public Library, but was reclassified and is now in the Adult section.
This award winning graphic novel is about an Afro-Puerto Rican teen who gets killed by an off-duty police officer in Harlem. It was banned in 2021 from Indian County Schools in Florida for pushing a political agenda and is on the list of most banned graphic novels since 2000 by Book Riot
The Magic Fish was banned in Floria, Texas, and Tennesee for LGBTQ+ themes, violence, and having a gay protagonist.
Complaints about this series include being “unsuitable to age group,” alongside being inappropriate because of drinking and smoking.
The Prince and the Dressmaker explores issues of identity, acceptance, and inclusion--in particular, the titular Prince's secret identity as Lady Crystallia explores the relationship between fashion, identity, and gender expression. It was part of a list of 22 books removed permanently from Idaho's Nampa School Board for allegedly containing "pornography."
Saga reached the 6th spot for the ALA’s Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books in 2014 due to the challenge from an Oregon Public Library as well as the exclusion from the Apple App Store for containing “sexually explicit content” and “anti-family values”. Both of these organizations voted to retain the novel.
All volumes of this comic series have been challenged since its launch in 1989 despite winning nine Eisner awards, three Harvey Awards, and being the first graphic novel to win a literary award in 1991 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story. Most challenges protest the inclusion of this series in the teen section of the library but other protests have arose for “offensive language” and “anti-family values” . In response to this Gaiman said “I suspect that having a reputation as adult material that’s unsuited for teens will probably do more to get teens to read Sandman than having the books ready and waiting on the YA shelves”
Y: The Last Man was part of a list of challenged books used in non-mandatory, student-led book clubs in Texas' Leander Independent School District. Y: The Last Man and 5 other books were removed and 11 more books were suspended pending review.
This graphic adaptation of Atwood's popular novel was part of a list of challenged books used in non-mandatory, student-led book clubs in Texas' Leander Independent School District. A Handmaid's Tale: A Graphic Novel and 5 other books were removed and 11 more books were suspended pending review.
After receiving a Hugo award in 1988 and also being made into a major motion picture, this novel requires little introduction. Since its release in 1986, Watchmen paved the way and garnered respect for the graphic novel genre as a whole. It was first challenged in 2001, Harrisburg, Virginia, however few details about the challenge are available. What is known is that the challenge was unsuccessful and Watchmen remains in circulation at the Harrisburg High School. In response to challenged books Moore said “They shouldn’t hand over that responsibility to an outside body, and along with it, hand over the responsibility of all those other parents who have been finding it quite easy to take an actual personal interest in what their children are reading and to monitor their reading habits themselves.”
This Graphic Memoir depicts growing up during the Iranian revolution. In March 2013 the Chicago Public School administrators pulled the book from shelves for “graphic language and images not appropriate for general use.” But later decided it was appropriate for students above 8th grade. In Smithville, TX a parent protested the “newly-introduced Islamic Literature available to students” with little regard for the literary value of the memoir. The memoir has been challenged in schools across the country, with some schools deciding to ban the book and others voted to keep it in circulation.
The multiple award–winning graphic novel has fielded challenges and bans due to queer characters, drug use, and profanity and — in an argument that still rages on — the belief it is sexually explicit.
This graphic novel has received multiple challenges from Virginia, New Jersey, and Florida due to the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters, and imagery taken out of context. Most of these bans have not been upheld due to the novels literary worth. This graphic novels explores non-binary gender identity in a way that benefits both those who identify as non-binary and those who wish to understand nonbinary identity, and has been awarded the 2020 Alex Award, and Stonewall award