Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books by
Spotlighting dozens of titles that have been challenged since 2015 and that are written for young children through teens, this book provides librarians the information and guidance they need to defend challenged books with an informed response.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkahban
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Banned books are those that would be completely removed from libraries, schools, and book stores. Thanks to the First Amendment, no book is currently banned in the United States, but the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom receives reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban and challenge books. Challenges are attempts to have the books or their contents restricted by removal or censorship.
On this site you will find a list of the ten most challenged books according to the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom for each year along with links to records in Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System's catalog.
Why does the ALA create these lists? As stated on the ALA's website, "The American Library Association promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them." With these lists, it celebrates the freedom to read, puts attention on both banned and challenged books, and highlights persecuted individuals.
