What is a banned book?

Talk to you kids about banned books!

"A banned book is a book that people are not allowed to read because someone thinks it might not be good for kids or even adults. Sometimes, people might not agree with what the book says or how it talks about things. For example, a book might talk about ideas or stories that some people think aren't right for certain ages, so they ask for it to be taken away from libraries or schools.

But it’s important to remember that everyone has different opinions, and some people might think a book is great while others might not. That’s why some books get banned!"

As a librarian it is my job to provide access to information. Censorship is directly at odds with that goal. It is the job of the parents to "protect" their children from what they deem inappropriate.

This quote from pen.org talks about banned books: 

"Books are under profound attack in the United States. In the 2023-2024 school year, PEN America counted more than 10,000 book bans in public schools. And everywhere, it is the books that have long fought for a place on the shelf that are being targeted. Books by authors of color, by LGBTQ+ authors, by women. Books about racism, sexuality, gender, history. PEN America pushes back against censorship and the intolerance and exclusion that undergird it." 

Here is a detailed breakdown of book ban statistics in America. 

2023-2024:

PEN America found that over 10,000 books were banned in US schools, a significant increase from the previous year. 

2022-2023:

PEN America tracked 3,362 instances of book bans, affecting at least 1,557 unique titles. 

Since 2021:

Over 2,823 unique book titles have been banned in public schools across the country. 

2022:

In April 2022, PEN America found that 1,586 book bans targeting 1,145 unique books had occurred in the past nine months. 

Definition of a book ban:

PEN America defines a book ban as "any action taken against a book based on its content...that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished". 

Examples of challenged books:

Some commonly challenged books include "1984" by George Orwell, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, and "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker. 

Challenges at public libraries:

In 2023, 46.2% of all book challenges occurred at public libraries, with the number of titles targeted for censorship increasing by 92%.