Book bans and attempted bans remain at record highs

NEW YORK — Book bans and attempted bans remain at record highs, according to the American Library Assn. And efforts to have titles removed have never been more coordinated or politicized.

The ALA last week issued its annual list of the books most challenged at the country’s libraries, part of the association’s State of America’s Libraries Report. Patricia McCormick’s “Sold,” a 2006 novel about sex trafficking in India, topped the list for 2025. Others targeted include Stephen Chbosky’s high school novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir “Gender Queer” and Sarah J. Maas’ romantasy favorite “Empire of Storms.”

The ALA usually features 10 books but this year has 11, with four tied for eighth place: Anthony Burgess’ dystopian classic “A Clockwork Orange,” Ellen Hopkins’ sibling drama “Identical,” John Green’s boarding school narrative “Looking for Alaska” and Jennifer L. Armentrout’s paranormal romance “Storm and Fury.”

Objections include LGBTQ+ themes (“Gender Queer,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”), sexual violence (“Sold” and “A Clockwork Orange”) and use of alcohol and cigarettes (“Looking for Alaska”). Overall, the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded challenges to 4,235 works, topped only by 4,240 in 2023 since the association began keeping track more than 30 years ago.

The association defines a challenge as “an attempt to have a library resource removed, or access to it restricted, based on the objections of a person or group.”

“Libraries exist to make space for every story and every lived experience ... We reaffirm that libraries are places for knowledge, for access, and for all.” ALA President Sam Helmick said in a statement.

The ALA compiles its survey through media accounts and submissions from libraries. The actual numbers are probably much higher because many incidents are never reported, the association said.

For decades, challenges to a given book came from a parent or another member of a local community. But in recent years, the ALA has found, the trend has shifted sharply to government officials and such conservative activists as Moms for Liberty, who advocate “parental choice” in deciding what schools and libraries should make available.

Florida, Texas and Utah are among the many states that have called for books to be banned or passed restrictive legislation. Last year, more than 90% of challenges arose from activists and government officials, according to the ALA, compared with 72% in 2024.

Italie writes for the Associated Press.