Early Childhood Education

The new leadership of the Department of Education has announced that its Office for Civil Rights has "dismissed" 17 complaints and pending complaints "related to so-called 'book bans' " and said the idea that "local school districts' removal of age-inappropriate, sexually explicit, or obscene materials from their school libraries created a hostile environment for students" and constitutes a civil rights violation is "a meritless claim based upon a dubious legal theory." [Shelf Awareness]

The American Library Association (ALA) released the Top 10 Most Challenged Books List as part of the 2025 State of America’s Libraries Report that highlights the ways libraries continue to meet the needs of their communities amid challenges to intellectual freedom.

New data reported to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) shows that the majority of book censorship attempts are now originating from organized movements. Pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in school and public libraries. Parents only accounted for 16% of demands to censor books, while 5% of challenges were brought by individual library users. The 120 titles most frequently targeted for censorship during 2024 are all identified on partisan book rating sites which provide tools for activists to demand the censorship of library books.

Below are the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024:

1. “All Boys Aren't Blue,” by George M. Johnson

2. “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe

3. (TIE) “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison

3. (TIE) “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky

5. “Tricks,” by Ellen Hopkins

6. (TIE) “Looking for Alaska,” by John Green

6. (TIE) “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” by Jesse Andrews

8. (TIE) “Crank,” by Ellen Hopkins

8. (TIE) “Sold,” by Patricia McCormick

10. “Flamer,” by Mike Curato

Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.