Freed Between the Lines
“This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials. Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.”
- Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom
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!
When we ban books, we're closing off readers to people, places, and perspectives. But when we stand up for stories, we unleash the power that lies inside every book. We liberate the array of voices that need to be heard and the scenes that need to be seen.
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles lists of challenged books as reported in the media and submitted by librarians and teachers across the country. SCCLD proudly has all of the Most Challenged Books of 2023 on our shelves. Check out any of these titles here:
-
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
Number of Challenges: 106
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit -
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
Number of challenges: 82
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit -
This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
Number of challenges: 71
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit -
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Number of challenges: 68
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, rape, drugs, profanity -
Flamer by Mike Curato
Number of challenges: 67
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit -
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Number of challenges: 62
Challenged for: rape, incest, claimed to be sexually explicit, EDI content - (tied with #8) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Number of challenges: 56
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity - (tied with #7) Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Number of challenges: 56
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
Number of challenges: 55
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit, sex education, LGBTQIA+ content -
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Number of challenges: 53
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit, rape
