You might not think a best-selling book for kids called “Captain Underpants” would be terribly objectionable, but, as it turns out, it tops the 2013 list of books most challenged in schools and libraries in 2013. Why? Reasons cited by challengers: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence.
It’s Banned Books Week, an annual event to celebrate the freedom to read — including material considered unpopular and/or radical — and to focus on the dangers of censorship. Various events are being held across the country to highlight those books that have been challenged by parents, teachers and others and removed or restricted in public libraries and schools.
The annual week is sponsored by a range of organizations in the book community, including the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the National Council of Teachers of English.
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedommonitors attempts to ban or restrict books and maintains lists of the most challenged. Here are the top 10 lists from 2001 to 2013:
2013
Out of 307 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence - The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group - A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl, by Tanya Lee Stone
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit - Looking for Alaska, by John Green
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit - Bone (series), by Jeff Smith
Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence
2012
Out of 464 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey.
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.
Reasons: Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group - Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher.
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group - Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James.
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit - And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.
Reasons: Homosexuality, unsuited for age group - The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.
Reasons: Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit - Looking for Alaska, by John Green.
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group - Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: Unsuited for age group, violence - The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit - Beloved, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence
2011
Out of 326 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group - The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group - The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence - My Mom’s Having A Baby! A Kid’s Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group - Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint - Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit - What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit - Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit - To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language; racism
2010
Out of 348 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence - Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, and sexually explicit - Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, and sexually explicit - The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence - Lush, by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, and religious viewpoint - Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality and sexually explicit - Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint and violence
2009
Out of 460 challenges as reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: drugs, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality - The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: anti-family, drugs, homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group - To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language, racism, unsuited to age group - Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence - The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
2008
Out of 513 challenges as reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group - His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence - ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence - Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group - Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group - The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group
2007
Out of 420 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, sexism, and unsuited to age group - The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, violence - Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit - The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
Reason: religious viewpoint - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Reason: racism - The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit - ttyl, by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Reason: sexually explicit - It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reasons: sex education and sexually explicit - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
2006
Out of 546 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-family, homosexuality, and unsuited to age group - Gossip Girls (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group - Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: offensive language and sexually explicit - The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: anti-family, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: insensitivity, occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, and violence - Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
Reasons: homosexuality and offensive language - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - Beloved, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group - The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and violence
2005
Out of 405 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health, by Robie H. Harris
Reasons: abortion, homosexuality, nudity, religious viewpoint, sex education, unsuited to age group - Forever, by Judy Blume
Reasons: offensive language, sexual content - The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger
Reasons: sexual content, offensive language, unsuited to age group - The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: sexual content, offensive language - Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
Reasons: racism, offensive language - Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
Reason: sexual content - What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexual content, being unsuited to age group - Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: anti-family content, unsuited to age group, violence - Crazy Lady!, by Jane Leslie Conly
Reason: offensive language - It’s So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families, by Robie H. Harris
Reasons: sex education, sexual content
2004
Out of 547 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence - Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
Reasons: offensive language, racism, violence - Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture, by Michael A. Bellesiles
Reasons: inaccurate, political viewpoint - Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit - What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group, sexually explicit - In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
Reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit - King & King, by Linda deHaan
Reason: homosexuality - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
Reasons: offensive language, racism, violence
2003
Out of 458 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: sexual content, offensive language, unsuited to age group - Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
Reasons: occult/Satanism - Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
Reason: offensive language - Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture, by Michael Bellesiles
Reason: inaccuracy - Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
Reason: drugs, offensive language, racism, sexual content, violence - Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
Reason: drugs - It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reason: homosexuality, nudity, sexual content, sex education - We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
Reason: offensive language, sexual content - King & King, by Linda de Haan
Reason: homosexuality - Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
Reason: occult/Satanism, offensive language
2002
Out of 515 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling
Reasons: occult/Satanism, violence - Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence - Taming the Star Runner, by S.E. Hinton
Reason: offensive language - Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Reason: offensive language - Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
Reasons: occult/Satanism, offensive language, violence - Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor
Reason: offensive language - Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
Reasons: unsuited to age group, violence
2001
Out of 448 challenges reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom
- Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling
Reasons: anti-family, occult/Satanism, religious viewpoint, violence - Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
Reasons: offensive language, racism, unsuited to age group, violence - The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit - Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene
Reasons: offensive language, racism, sexually explicit - The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group - Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit - Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
Reason: offensive language - Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
