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The most challenged book of the 21st century.
Most Challenged Books of the 21st Century
According to reports issued by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), the following books are the most challenged books of the 21st century. Some of these books are less than ten years old. Other books, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, have been around for ages.
| Book | Author | Why It Was Challenged | Read an Excerpt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter Series | JK Rowling | Religious Viewpoint | Excerpt from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone |
| The Chocolate War | Robert Cormier | Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence | Excerpt from The Chocolate War |
| Olive's Ocean | Kevin Henkes | Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language | Excerpt from Olive's Ocean |
| The Golden Compass | Philip Pullman | Religious Viewpoint | Excerpt from The Golden Compass |
| The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Mark Twain | Racism | Excerpt from Huckleberry Finn |
| The Color Purple | Alice Walker | Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language | Excerpt from The Color Purple |
| TTYL | Lauren Myracle | Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group | Excerpt from TTYL |
| I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Maya Angelou | Sexually Explicit | Excerpt from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings |
| It's Perfectly Normal | Robie Harris | Sex Education, Sexually Explicit | Excerpt from It's Perfectly Normal |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky | Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group | Excerpt from The Perks of Being a Wallflower |
Most Challenged Books of the 1990s
Censors were busy in the 1990s. Between 1990 and 2000, they made more than 10,000 attempts to have books banned from libraries and schools. According to reports issued by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), the following ten novels were the most frequently challenged books of the 1990s.
| Book | Author | Why It Was Challenged | Read an Excerpt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scary Stories Series | Alvin Schwartz | Unsuited to Age Group, Religious Viewpoint | Excerpt from Scary Stories |
| Daddy's Roommate | Michael Willhoite | Religious Viewpoint, Homosexuality, Anti-Family | Excerpt from Daddy's Roommate |
| I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Maya Angelou | Sexually Explicit | Excerpt from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings |
| The Chocolate War | Robert Cormier | Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence | Excerpt from The Chocolate War |
| The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Mark Twain | Racism | Excerpt from Huckleberry Finn |
| Of Mice and Men | John Steinbeck | Offensive Language, Violence, Racism | Excerpt from Of Mice and Men |
| Harry Potter Series | JK Rowling | Religious Viewpoint | Excerpt from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone |
| Forever | Judy Blume | Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group | Excerpt from Forever |
| Bridge to Terabithia | Katherine Paterson | Religious Viewpoint | Excerpt from Bridge to Terabithia |
| Alice Series | Phyllis Reynolds Naylor | Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group | Excerpt from Alice Alone |
Other Frequently Challenged Books
These books get an honorable mention because they have appeared numerous times on past lists. All of them are still on the American Library Association's list of the 100 most challenged books.
| Book | Author | Why It Was Challenged | Read an Excerpt |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Catcher in the Rye | JD Salinger | Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint | Excerpt from The Catcher in the Rye |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Racism | Excerpt from To Kill a Mockingbird |
| The Giver | Lois Lowry | Violence, Religious Viewpoint | Excerpt from The Giver |
| A Day No Pigs Would Die | Robert Newton Peck | Violence, Offensive Language | Excerpt from A Day No Pigs Would Die |
| Lord of the Flies | William Golding | Offensive Language | Excerpt from Lord of the Flies |
