Books Banned in Multiple

84 banned books

BANNED 15 challenges

A Clockwork Orange

by Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess' dystopian novel tied for #8 on ALA's 2025 most-challenged books list, decades after its first censorshi...

ViolenceSexual ContentLanguage
BANNED 15 challenges

A Court of Thorns and Roses

by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas' BookTok phenomenon became the #1 NYT series. The author is now the 3rd most-banned author in America....

Sexual ContentViolence
BANNED 15 challenges

A Farewell to Arms

by Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway's WWI novel remains challenged despite being a literary classic....

Sexual ContentProfanityAnti-war
BANNED 15 challenges

A Stolen Life

by Jaycee Dugard

Jaycee Dugard's memoir of her 18-year abduction became a powerful account of resilience....

Kidnapping/CaptivitySexual Abuse
BANNED 15 challenges

All Boys Aren't Blue

by George M. Johnson

George M. Johnson's #1 ALA 2024 banned book and memoir-manifesto became key in contemporary censorship conversations....

LGBTQ+ ContentSexual Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

by Judy Blume

Judy Blume's classic has ~3 bans and a 2023 film. A perennial challenge target....

MenstruationSexualityReligious Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Beloved

by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about an enslaved woman became a cornerstone of American literature....

ViolenceSlavery Depiction
BANNED 15 challenges

Bone, Complete Edition

by Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith's ALA top 100 epic graphic novel has ~5 bans despite being beloved....

Cartoon ViolenceMild Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Brave New World

by Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley's 1932 dystopian masterpiece about a future controlled through pleasure has never gone out of print....

Sexual ContentDrug Use
BANNED 15 challenges

Captain Underpants and the Epic Adventure

by Dav Pilkey

Dav Pilkey's #2 ALA 2010-2019 series has ~10 bans for toilet humor....

Potty HumorProfanity
BANNED 15 challenges

Crank

by Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins' novel in verse about a teenager's descent into crystal meth addiction became a #1 NYT bestseller....

Drug UseSexual Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Daddy's Roommate

by Michael Willhoite

Michael Willhoite's #2 ALA 1990-1999 book pioneered LGBTQ+ children's literature....

LGBTQ+ FamilyGay Representation
BANNED 15 challenges

Drama: A Graphic Novel

by Raina Telgemeier

Raina Telgemeier's Stonewall Honor graphic novel has 57 documented bans....

LGBTQ+ ContentStonewall Honor
BANNED 15 challenges

Eleanor & Park

by Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Rowell's #1 NYT YA romance has ~30 documented bans....

Sexual ContentLGBT Themes
BANNED 15 challenges

Flamer

by Mike Curato

Mike Curato's Lambda Award-winning graphic novel ranked #5 ALA 2023 and #10 ALA 2024....

LGBTQ+ ContentSexual Orientation
BANNED 15 challenges

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

by J.K. Rowling

The first book in the seven-book Harry Potter series follows young wizard Harry Potter as he discovers his magical herit...

Witchcraft & Occult ContentSatanism Fears
BANNED 15 challenges

Identical

by Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins' novel about twin sisters and trauma tied for #8 on ALA's 2025 most-challenged books list....

IncestSexual AbuseDrug Use
BANNED 15 challenges

Lawn Boy

by Jonathan Evison

Jonathan Evison's Alex Award winner became a major political controversy and ban target....

LGBTQ+ ContentSexual Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Looking for Alaska

by John Green

John Green's debut YA novel tied for #8 on ALA's 2025 most-challenged books list and remains one of the most frequently ...

Sexual ContentDrug UseProfanity
BANNED 15 challenges

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

by Jesse Andrews

Jesse Andrews' novel about friendship and cancer ranks #6 ALA 2024 and #11 ALA 2023....

ProfanitySexual Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Milk and Honey

by Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur's #1 NYT bestselling poetry collection about love, loss, and healing reached millions. Now it's Instagram poet...

Sexual ContentSuggestive Imagery
BANNED 15 challenges

My Sister's Keeper

by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult's major film has ~5 bans. She's the most-banned author 2023-24....

Medical EthicsMature Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Nineteen Minutes

by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult's novel about the aftermath of a school shooting explores multiple perspectives. Was the #1 most-banned boo...

School Shooting ViolenceProfanity
BANNED 15 challenges

Out of Darkness

by Ashley Hope Pérez

Ashley Hope Pérez's Printz Honor novel about a 1937 school explosion and young love became intensely targeted....

Sexual ContentSchool Explosion
BANNED 15 challenges

Push

by Sapphire

Sapphire's brutal novel about a teenage girl surviving incest and abuse became the film Precious....

IncestChild AbuseSexual Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Saga, Volume One

by Brian K. Vaughan

Brian K. Vaughan's Eisner-winning graphic novel has ~5 bans....

Sexual ContentViolenceLanguage
BANNED 15 challenges

Sex is a Funny Word

by Cory Silverberg

Cory Silverberg's ALA top 100 2010-2019 book has ~10 bans for sex education content....

Sexual EducationAge Inappropriate
BANNED 15 challenges

Slaughterhouse-Five

by Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut's semi-autobiographical anti-war novel about the firebombing of Dresden ranks among the greatest American ...

ProfanitySexual ContentAnti-war Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Sold

by Patricia McCormick

Patricia McCormick's novel about a girl trafficked into sexual exploitation ranked #1 on ALA's 2025 most-challenged book...

Human TraffickingChild Sexual Abuse
BANNED 15 challenges

Speak

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson's novel about a high school girl navigating trauma has sold over 3.5 million copies and been trans...

Sexual ContentSexual Assault Depiction
BANNED 15 challenges

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi

#1 NYT antiracism text that became a major school ban target across America....

Racial ContentPolitical Content
BANNED 15 challenges

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie's National Book Award winner was #1 ALA 2010-2019 challenge target....

ProfanitySexual ContentDrug Use
BANNED 15 challenges

The Bluest Eye

by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison's debut novel about a young Black girl in 1940s Ohio became one of the most-banned books in America despit...

Sexual ContentRacial Content
BANNED 15 challenges

The Color Purple

by Alice Walker

Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Black women's lives and freedom became a film and Broadway musical....

Sexual ContentViolenceLanguage
BANNED 15 challenges

The Handmaid's Tale

by Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel about a theocratic regime that subjugates women has become a cultural touchstone. Now ...

Sexual ContentViolencePolitical Content
BANNED 15 challenges

The Hate U Give

by Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas' YA novel about witnessing police brutality became a major film and cultural touchstone....

Police BrutalityRacial ContentProfanity
BANNED 15 challenges

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

This literary bestseller tells the story of Amir and Hassan, childhood friends in Afghanistan. Became a Broadway play an...

Sexual ContentViolence
BANNED 15 challenges

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky

Stephen Chbosky's coming-of-age novel placed #2 on ALA's 2025 most-challenged books list and remains a frequent censorsh...

Drug UseSexual ContentMental Health
BANNED 15 challenges

The Walking Dead Deluxe, Vol. 1

by Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman's TV franchise graphic novel has ~5 bans for violence....

ViolenceGraphic Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Thirteen Reasons Why

by Jay Asher

Jay Asher's novel about a student who leaves behind tapes about her suicide became a controversial Netflix series....

Suicide ContentMental Health Themes
BANNED 15 challenges

This Book Is Gay

by Juno Dawson

Juno Dawson's #3 ALA 2023 banned book is a sex education guide for LGBTQ+ teens being aggressively challenged....

LGBTQ+ ContentSex Education
BANNED 15 challenges

Tricks

by Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins' novel in verse about teens in the sex trade became the #1 most-banned book of 2022-23....

ProstitutionDrug UseSexual Content
BANNED 15 challenges

Twilight

by Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer's massive franchise has ~10 bans despite 6M readership....

Sexual ContentSupernatural Elements
BANNED 15 challenges

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

Sara Gruen's #1 NYT bestseller about life in a Depression-era circus became a film and Broadway show....

Sexual ContentViolence
BANNED 15 challenges

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch

by Gregory Maguire

Gregory Maguire's Wicked became a #1 NYT bestseller and Broadway megahit. It's received 17 new bans in 2024-25....

Mature ContentLGBTQ+ Themes
BANNED 10 challenges

A Child Called It

by Dave Pelzer

Dave Pelzer's memoir about surviving severe child abuse became a #1 NYT bestseller despite ongoing challenges....

Child Abuse DepictionProfanity
BANNED 10 challenges

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Benjamin Alire Saenz's acclaimed YA novel about two boys discovering love became a beloved classic....

LGBTQ+ ContentGay Romance
BANNED 10 challenges

Darius the Great Is Not Okay

by Adib Khorram

Adib Khorram's debut YA novel about a gay Persian teen became an instant classic....

LGBTQ+ ContentGay Teen Protagonist
BANNED 10 challenges

Define Normal

by Julie Anne Peters

Julie Anne Peters' YA novel about a gay teen and his friendship became a groundbreaking work of representation....

LGBTQ+ ContentMental Health
BANNED 10 challenges

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery

by Russell Freedman

Russell Freedman's Newbery Medal biography of Eleanor Roosevelt inspired generations....

Women's RightsHistorical Content
BANNED 10 challenges

Flowers for Algernon

by Daniel Keyes

Daniel Keyes' Nebula and Hugo Award-winning novel about a man with intellectual disability who undergoes an experimental...

Intellectual DisabilityMature Themes
BANNED 10 challenges

Forever

by Judy Blume

Judy Blume's 1975 YA novel about teenage sexuality has been challenged for 50 years....

Sexual ContentTeen Sexuality
BANNED 10 challenges

Fortune

by Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts' contemporary fiction exploring themes of ambition and relationships....

Adult ContentSexual Content
BANNED 10 challenges

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

by Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel's award-winning graphic memoir became a Tony Award-winning musical....

LGBTQ+ ContentSexual Content
BANNED 10 challenges

Go Ask Alice

by Anonymous

A controversial diary-format novel about a girl's descent into drug abuse, reportedly based on a real diary....

Drug UseProfanitySexual Content
BANNED 10 challenges

Heather Has Two Mommies

by Lesléa Newman

The pioneering 1989 picture book that first represented gay families to children became an instant ban target....

Gay Family RepresentationLGBTQ+ Content
BANNED 10 challenges

Hidden Figures

by Margot Lee Shetterly

Margot Lee Shetterly's nonfiction bestseller about Black women mathematicians became a major film....

Race ContentWomen Scientists
BANNED 10 challenges

I Am Jazz

by Jazz Jennings & Jessica Herthel

Jazz Jennings' picture book became one of the most-banned children's books in America....

Transgender ChildGender Identity
BANNED 10 challenges

In Cold Blood

by Truman Capote

Truman Capote's literary true-crime classic about a quadruple murder became the template for modern true crime....

ViolenceTrue Crime Content
BANNED 10 challenges

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

by Harriet Jacobs

Harriet Jacobs' 1861 memoir of slavery and resistance remains powerful and remains challenged....

Slavery DepictionSexual Abuse
BANNED 10 challenges

It's Kind of a Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini

Ned Vizzini's darkly comic novel about teen depression and hospitalization became a film and beloved YA classic....

Mental HealthSuicide IdeationDrug Use
BANNED 10 challenges

Just Listen

by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen's novel about a girl recovering from assault became a trusted resource for trauma survivors....

Sexual AssaultProfanity
BANNED 10 challenges

Killing Mr. Griffin

by Lois Duncan

Lois Duncan's YA thriller about students who go too far has been challenged despite its morally clear ending....

ViolenceMurder Plot
BANNED 10 challenges

Persepolis

by Marjane Satrapi

Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir about living under the Iranian Revolution became an acclaimed film....

Political ContentCultural Critique
BANNED 10 challenges

The Giver of Stars

by Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah's novel about women's friendships and liberation has been challenged in conservative districts....

InfidelityFemale Sexuality
BANNED 10 challenges

Two Boys Kissing

by David Levithan

David Levithan's ALA-ranked YA novel about gay relationships was #10 ALA 2024....

LGBTQ+ ContentGay Kiss Depiction
BANNED 10 challenges

Watchmen

by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Eisner Award-winning graphic novel is considered a masterpiece....

ViolenceSexual ContentGraphic Novel Format
BANNED 10 challenges

Wicked: The Grimmerie

by Gregory Maguire

Gregory Maguire's companion to Wicked explores the world of Oz more deeply....

Mature ContentAdaptation Themes
BANNED 8 challenges

A Court of Silver Flames

by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas' ACOTAR spinoff....

Sexual ContentViolence
BANNED 8 challenges

Annie on My Mind

by Nancy Garden

Nancy Garden's 1982 YA novel was one of the first to center lesbian teens....

Lesbian ContentYA LGBTQ+
BANNED 8 challenges

Asking for It

by Lillie Weiss

A YA exploring consent and responsibility....

Sexual AssaultVictim-Blaming
BANNED 8 challenges

Bridge to Terabithia

by Katherine Paterson

Katherine Paterson's Newbery Medal classic about friendship and loss....

DeathFantasy Elements
BANNED 8 challenges

The Absolute True Diary part 3

by Sherman Alexie

Continuing Alexie's acclaimed series....

Native American Content
BANNED 8 challenges

Out of Reach

by Carrie Arcos

Carrie Arcos' novel about a runaway teen....

Drug UseHomelessness
BANNED 8 challenges

Rage

by Stephen King

Stephen King's controversial school shooting novel....

School ViolenceGun Violence
BANNED 8 challenges

Silenced

by Debbie Nathan

Debbie Nathan's controversial examination of recovered memory cases....

Recovered MemoryControversial Content
BANNED 8 challenges

Stamped: From the Beginning

by Jason Reynolds

The expanded Stamped project....

Race ContentHistory
BANNED 8 challenges

Big Nate Diaries

by Lincoln Peirce

Lincoln Peirce's middle-grade comic novel....

Potty HumorSchool Authority
BANNED 8 challenges

The Book of F

by Jonathan Safran Foer

Abstract experimental fiction....

Adult Content
BANNED 8 challenges

The Middle School Story

by James Patterson

Middle-grade fiction that addresses contemporary concerns....

Bathroom Gender Issues
BANNED 8 challenges

The Things They Carried

by Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien's masterpiece blending fiction and truth about the Vietnam War....

War ViolenceProfanitySexual Content
BANNED 8 challenges

We Are Still Here

by Traci Sorell

Traci Sorell's Native American history book for children....

Native American Rights
BANNED 8 challenges

What We Don't Talk About

by Mickey Smith

A contemporary YA addressing difficult topics....

Race ContentMental Health
BANNED 8 challenges

Wintergirls

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson's unflinching look at anorexia....

Eating DisordersSelf-Harm