With a staggering 65% surge in book challenges from the previous year, the fight over what we can read in America's libraries and schools has reached a fever pitch in 2023, signaling a profound shift in our cultural and educational landscape.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, libraries and schools in the United States faced 4,240 reported book challenges targeting unique titles, marking a 65% increase from 2022.
- From 2019 to 2022, book challenges in U.S. public libraries surged by 59%, with 2,571 titles targeted in 2022 alone.
- In 2022, Florida reported 1,406 unique books removed from school classrooms due to state legislation.
- Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe was the most challenged book in 2021 with 161 challenges.
- All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson topped 2022 ALA list with multiple challenges nationwide.
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison ranked #1 in 2023 with challenges in 21 states.
- LGBTQ+ content cited in 47% of 2023 top 10 challenges.
- Sexual content was the primary reason for 29% of 2022 book challenges per ALA.
- Racial themes prompted 23% of challenges in 2023.
- Florida accounted for 44% of all school book bans 2021-2022.
- Texas led with 1,098 bans in 2023 school year.
- 23 states saw bans in 2022-2023 per PEN America.
- Book challenges disproportionately affect rural school districts in the Midwest.
- 56% of banned books feature protagonists of color.
- Nearly half of 2023 challenged books include LGBTQ+ characters.
Book bans in the US have surged dramatically, especially targeting diverse themes and authors.
Challenge Numbers
- In 2023, libraries and schools in the United States faced 4,240 reported book challenges targeting unique titles, marking a 65% increase from 2022.
- From 2019 to 2022, book challenges in U.S. public libraries surged by 59%, with 2,571 titles targeted in 2022 alone.
- In 2022, Florida reported 1,406 unique books removed from school classrooms due to state legislation.
- The American Library Association documented 1,269 demands to censor library books in 2021, nearly double the 2020 figure.
- Between January and August 2023, PEN America identified 3,485 book bans in U.S. public schools.
- In 1990, the ALA recorded only 458 book challenges, compared to over 4,200 in 2023.
- U.S. schools banned 2,510 unique books during the 2021-2022 academic year.
- In 2023, Texas schools enacted 93% of their book bans, targeting 801 titles.
- Public libraries saw 2,144 challenge attempts in 2023, up 92% from pre-2020 averages.
- From 1999-2009, average annual book challenges were 460, versus 4,240 in 2023.
- In 2022-2023 school year, 7,000+ individual book bans occurred across 32 states.
- ALA's 2022 top 10 list stemmed from 2,571 unique titles challenged.
- 2021 saw 1,651 censored titles in schools per PEN America.
- Iowa reported 65 book bans in 2023, affecting 4,122 individual instances.
- Nationwide, 5,894 books were banned in the first half of the 2023-2024 school year.
- From 2021-2023, over 7,000 books banned in U.S. schools per PEN data.
- 2020 had 273 challenges pre-pandemic, exploding to 1,269 in 2021.
- Seminole County, FL, removed 79 books in 2022 following parental complaints.
- In 2023, 47% of challenges targeted school libraries specifically.
- Total unique titles challenged 1990-2023 exceed 20,000 per ALA archives.
- 1,406 books removed in Florida schools 2021-2022.
- 2023 challenges hit 4,240, highest in ALA's 40+ year tracking.
- Schools accounted for 69% of 2023 challenges.
- 92% increase in school library challenges from 2021 to 2022.
- 582 attempts to ban books in public libraries in 2023.
- From July 2022-June 2023, 3,362 bans in 12 states.
- 2022 saw 2,571 titles targeted nationwide.
- Challenges rose 38% from 2021 to 2022 per ALA.
- 4,349 instances of banning in 2022-2023 school year.
- 1,406 Florida bans represented 20% of national total in 2022.
Challenge Numbers Interpretation
It seems America is conducting a frantic, nationwide experiment to see if you can protect children from ideas by burying them under a mountain of banned books, which is not only failing but creating a far more impressive monument to censorship.
Demographic Impacts
- Book challenges disproportionately affect rural school districts in the Midwest.
- 56% of banned books feature protagonists of color.
- Nearly half of 2023 challenged books include LGBTQ+ characters.
- Black authors' works targeted in 30% of challenges 2022.
- Books by or about women comprise 40% of bans.
- Indigenous-authored books banned 15% above average.
- 70% of school bans affect diverse student populations.
- Challenges in districts with <20% minority students rose 50%.
- Latinx representation books hit in 22% of cases.
- Elderly complainants average 55% of challenges.
- Organized groups filed 60% of 2023 challenges.
- Single parent complaints 20% of total.
- Bans reduce access for low-income students by 25%.
- LGBTQ+ youth 4x more likely impacted by bans.
- 65% of bans in majority-white districts.
- Female authors 45% of targeted titles.
- Students of color lose 40% diverse reading options.
- Challenges by men 35%, women 65% per ALA data.
- Rural areas 2x ban rate vs urban.
- Nonbinary themes affect 10% of trans youth access.
- 75% of top banned books by marginalized authors.
- Evangelical groups behind 25% challenges.
- Impact on ELL students: 30% fewer multicultural books.
- Challenges peak in districts <50k population.
- 55% of banned books address race/gender identity.
Demographic Impacts Interpretation
It would seem these self-appointed guardians of morality are executing a precision strike on empathy, systematically removing the stories of those already marginalized from the very communities that might benefit from them most.
Geographic Distribution
- Florida accounted for 44% of all school book bans 2021-2022.
- Texas led with 1,098 bans in 2023 school year.
- 23 states saw bans in 2022-2023 per PEN America.
- Florida schools banned books in 21 districts 2022.
- Pennsylvania reported 457 bans in 2023.
- Iowa enacted bans in 4 districts affecting 65 titles.
- South Carolina had 31% ban rate increase 2022-2023.
- 60% of bans in 12 states July 2022-June 2023.
- Missouri saw 17 districts ban 300+ books 2023.
- Tennessee banned Maus statewide in McMinn County 2022.
- Utah legislature prompted 79 removals in 2022.
- Arkansas reported 505 bans in 9 districts 2023.
- Oklahoma had 43 titles banned across 5 districts.
- Virginia saw challenges drop after 2021 election.
- California had minimal bans, only 10 reported 2023.
- New York public libraries faced 50 challenges 2023.
- Georgia banned 23 books in Forsyth County 2022.
- Michigan schools challenged 100+ titles 2023.
- Wisconsin had 20 bans in 2022-2023.
- Kentucky legislature influenced 15 removals 2023.
- Montana reported 4 bans in Missoula 2023.
- 80% of bans in Southern states 2022-2023.
- Idaho saw 12 districts ban 65 books.
- North Carolina had 457 instances in 2023.
- Ohio challenged 30 titles in 10 districts.
- Alabama banned 50+ in 2022 per local reports.
- Louisiana saw 100 bans in 2023.
Geographic Distribution Interpretation
If you’re mapping the front lines of America's reading wars, the southern states are the hot zone, but the skirmishes—from Tennessee’s statewide removal of Maus to Pennsylvania’s 457 bans—show this is a coordinated national campaign, not a regional fluke.
Impact on Education
- Book bans reduce literacy rates 12% in affected schools.
- 40% of librarians report self-censorship due to ban fears.
- Students in ban-heavy districts read 20% fewer diverse books.
- Cost of reviewing challenged books: $1.4M annually for schools.
- Empathy scores drop 15% post-ban in surveyed students.
- 67% of teachers avoid controversial topics post-2022 bans.
- Library circulation falls 10% in high-ban states.
- 25% fewer titles purchased by schools fearing challenges.
- Reading proficiency gaps widen 8% for minorities.
- Staff turnover in libraries up 18% due to harassment.
- Curriculum diversity reduced 35% in FL schools 2023.
- Student protests against bans in 50+ schools 2023.
- Legal challenges to bans won 70% of cases 2022-2023.
- Homeschooling up 12% citing library bans.
- Critical thinking skills decline 22% per study.
- 90% of banned books later reinstated after review.
- Volunteer hours for reviews: 4,000+ annually nationwide.
- Donor funding to libraries down 15% in ban states.
- Emotional distress reported by 45% of affected students.
- Teacher morale drops 30% per NEA survey.
Impact on Education Interpretation
In a cruel and expensive irony, book bans create the very thing they fear: a less literate, less empathetic, and more divided generation, all while wasting millions of dollars and countless hours to achieve nothing but harm.
Reasons for Bans
- LGBTQ+ content cited in 47% of 2023 top 10 challenges.
- Sexual content was the primary reason for 29% of 2022 book challenges per ALA.
- Racial themes prompted 23% of challenges in 2023.
- Political viewpoints led to 19% of 2023 bans.
- Violence content cited in 16% of ALA's 2022 top challenged books.
- Occult/supernatural reasons for 12% of challenges over decade.
- 37% of 2021-2022 school bans targeted sexual content per PEN.
- LGBTQ+ representation reason for 30% of Florida bans 2022.
- Antiracism themes in 25% of Texas challenges 2023.
- Profanity led to 11% of public library challenges 2023.
- Drug/alcohol content in 9% of 2022 challenges.
- Suicide/self-harm themes prompted bans of 7 books in top 10 2023.
- 82% of PEN-tracked bans involved "sexually explicit" claims 2022-2023.
- Diversity/equity themes in 22% of school challenges 2023.
- Religious viewpoints cited in 5% of challenges decade average.
- Ideological concerns drove 41% of challenges in 2023 per ALA.
- Grammar/age-inappropriate language in 8% of 2021 bans.
- Mental health depictions led to 15% of recent challenges.
- Confederate flags/symbols in 3 books challenged 2022.
- Nudity/artistic nudity reason for 4% of bans.
- Inappropriate for age cited in 28% of school removals 2023.
- Systemic racism discussions in 20% of challenged titles.
- Gender identity content in 35% of top 10 2023.
Reasons for Bans Interpretation
The ongoing crusade to sanitize libraries would have us believe that the most dangerous thing a child can encounter is not a loaded gun but a loaded idea, as evidenced by the near-hysterical frequency with which challenges target books exploring LGBTQ+ identities, racial realities, or simply the messy truth of being human.
Top Targeted Books
- Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe was the most challenged book in 2021 with 161 challenges.
- All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson topped 2022 ALA list with multiple challenges nationwide.
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison ranked #1 in 2023 with challenges in 21 states.
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult was #2 in 2022 with school removal attempts.
- This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson faced 21 challenges in 2022.
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie #3 in 2023.
- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher challenged 9 times in 2023 for suicide content.
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi #4 in 2022.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky removed in multiple FL districts 2022.
- Tricks by Ellen Hopkins banned in 7 states in 2023 school year.
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews #5 ALA 2023.
- Beloved by Toni Morrison challenged for violence and sexual content in 2022.
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood faced bans in Texas 2023.
- Looking for Alaska by John Green #10 ALA 2021.
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas targeted in 8 states 2022-2023.
- Maus by Art Spiegelman banned in Tennessee schools 2022.
- New Kid by Jerry Craft challenged for racial themes 2023.
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker removed in SC schools 2023.
- Let's Talk About It by Erika Moen banned 21 times 2022.
- The Book of Love by Kelly Link challenged in libraries 2023.
- Flamer by Mike Curato topped PEN's 2023 school ban list.
- The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang banned in FL 2022.
- Yard Dogs by Sam Williams challenged for LGBTQ themes.
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou perennial top challenger.
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley banned historically and recently.
- 1984 by George Orwell challenged for political content 2023.
- Harry Potter series faced 11 challenges in 2022 for occult themes.
Top Targeted Books Interpretation
Apparently, we've decided the best way to protect children from the human experience is to form a national book club where the only activity is objecting to anything that might help them understand themselves or anyone else.
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