From the Quran to Harry Potter: The most challenged books in America

Every Wednesday, Alex Johnson delves into a unique collection of titles

A copy of Harry Potter burns during a protest in New Mexico – the pastor called it a ‘masterpiece of satanic deception’ (Getty)

Throughout the year, the American Library Association (ALA) receives reports from libraries and schools about attempts to ban books in communities across the country.

Since 1990, they have put together a list of the most challenged books and the reasons why people wanted to censor them.

The below list is the top 10 from 2016.

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green
2. Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
3. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
4. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
6. The Holy Bible
7. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
8. Habibi by Craig Thompson
9. Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter
10. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

And for 2017:

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
3. Drama by Raina Telgemeier
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5. George by Alex Gino
6. Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
8. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
9. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
10. I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings

The main reasons are “offensive language”, “sexually explicit” and “homosexuality”, although “poorly written” was one reason given for banning Fifty Shades of Grey and “religious viewpoint” for getting rid of the Bible.

EL James’s ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ was banned not for its sexually explicit content, but for its ‘poor writing’ (AFP/Getty)

These books are in good company. The ALA also puts together a list of classics that have been challenged – it is hard to name a 20th century major work which does not merit a mention on it.

Classics like ‘The Great Gatsby’ get an honourable mention (Amazon)

The Great Gatsby, by F Scott Fitzgerald? Check. The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger? Check. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck? Check.

Overall, polls indicated that people are becoming keener on banning books – one showed that while in 2011 only 18 per cent of those questioned were in favour of bans, that had risen to 28 per cent in 2015.

In particular, increasing numbers want to remove books that include witchcraft or sorcery, while a third do not think children should be able to get the Quran from their school library.

The ALA’s commitment to making book lists is impressive. As well as these annual lists, it has also put together lists of the most frequently challenged books by decade.

Here is the top 10 for 1990 to 1999:

1. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Forever by Judy Blume
8. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
9. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
10. The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

And for 2000-2009:

1. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
2. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
4. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
7. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by Alvin Schwartz
8. His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman
9. ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r series by Lauren Myracle
10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

‘A Book of Book Lists’ by Alex Johnson, £7.99, British Library Publishing

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