(Columbia, SC) – Celebrate the freedom to read with Richland Library. We’re joining other libraries, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers and readers across the country to mark Banned Books Week, which runs September 18-24.
In 2021, 1,597 books were affected by censorship attempts. The titles may surprise you. Some are popular picks or even considered “must reads.” Here’s a look at the top 10 most challenged books in 2021:
- Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
- Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
- All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
- Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
- Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin
Concerns over profanity, drug use, violence, sexual references, religious viewpoints and suicide are the primary reasons that many of these books were challenged or banned.
According to the American Library Association, Banned Books Week has united the entire book community for more than 30 years in shared support of the freedom to seek, to publish, to read and to express ideas – even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
