• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech40 Under 40

Banned Books Week: These Are the Top 10 Most Challenged Books at Schools, Bookstores, and Libraries

By
Rachel King
Rachel King
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Rachel King
Rachel King
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 25, 2017, 11:37 AM ET

The First Amendment had quite a weekend as President Donald Trump picked a fight with players and teams in the NFL and the NBA over athletes who use the national anthem as a time for peaceful protest.

Thee president has since seen a backlash from players and team owners alike, but such debate over the freedom of speech and protest is quite an opener for the 2017 Banned Books Week, a national event sponsored by nearly a dozen organizations including the American Library Association, the Association of American Publishers, and the Freedom to Read Foundation.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Since launching in 1982, approximately 11,300 books have been challenged to be banned at schools, bookstores, and libraries nationwide, according to the American Library Association. Looking at the most recent list of the top 10 out of 323 challenges reported to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom in 2016, many of these titles fall in the young adult and children’s book genres. (That might not be surprising for avid YA readers as even five of Judy Blume’s beloved works fall on the ALA’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 1990–1999.)

#BannedBooksWeek By the Numbers: Stats to celebrate the most frequently challenged and banned books https://t.co/POuZHFRpUkpic.twitter.com/JiMxkPSIwI

— American Libraries (@amlibraries) September 25, 2017

Following in Blume’s esteemed footsteps are popular YA writers such as Rainbow Rowell and John Green, both of whom saw their work land on the 2016 list for “offensive language” and “a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to ‘sexual experimentation,'” respectively.

Here’s a rundown of the top 10 on the 2016 list:

  • This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
  • Drama by Raina Telgemeier
  • George by Alex Gino
  • I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
  • Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
  • Looking for Alaska by John Green
  • Big Hard Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction
  • Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread by Chuck Palahniuk
  • Little Bill (series) by Bill Cosby
  • Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Banned Books Week, themed “Our Right to Read,” runs from September 24 to 30.

About the Author
By Rachel King
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

InnovationBrainstorm AI
Rivian CEO says buying an EV isn’t a political choice, pointing out that R1 buyers are split evenly between Republicans and Democrats
By Jason MaDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago
Larry Ellison
Big TechMarkets
Oracle earnings may not be enough to assuage debt, AI deal fears
By Carmen Reinicke and BloombergDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago
Curly haired woman in a black dress speaking.
AIBrainstorm AI
Actress Natasha Lyonne dropped out of NYU and watched movies instead. Now, she’s helping to shape the future of AI
By Amanda GerutDecember 10, 2025
4 hours ago
Jeff Williams, former Apple CEO
C-SuiteDisney
Jeff Williams, who retired from Apple after 27 years, less than a month ago, just got called up by Disney to join its board of directors
By Dave SmithDecember 10, 2025
4 hours ago
AIBrainstorm AI
Young people are ‘growing up fluent in AI’ and that’s helping them stand apart from their older peers, says Gen Z founder Kiara Nirghin
By Angelica AngDecember 10, 2025
6 hours ago
RetailGrocery
Instacart may be jacking up your grocery prices using AI, study shows—a practice called ‘smart rounding’
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewDecember 10, 2025
6 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Politics
Exclusive: U.S. businesses are getting throttled by the drop in tourism from Canada: ‘I can count the number of Canadian visitors on one hand’
By Dave SmithDecember 10, 2025
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Fodder for a recession’: Top economist Mark Zandi warns about so many Americans ‘already living on the financial edge’ in a K-shaped economy 
By Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
At 18, doctors gave him three hours to live. He played video games from his hospital bed—and now, he’s built a $10 million-a-year video game studio
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Be careful what you wish for’: Top economist warns any additional interest rate cuts after today would signal the economy is slipping into danger
By Eva RoytburgDecember 10, 2025
5 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
14 days ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
Jamie Dimon taps Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Ford CEO Jim Farley to advise JPMorgan's $1.5 trillion national security initiative
By Nino PaoliDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.