The Office for Intellectual Freedom creates a report each year on book challenges from librarians, teachers, concerned individuals, and press reports. Before you look at the list, can you guess which book series has been challenged in multiple years for “offensive language,” “unsuited to age group,” and “violence”, and is in the #1 spot again in the new list for 2013?

Challenged Books List of 2013

Out of 307 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom…

1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
   Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence
2. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
   Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
   Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
5. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
   Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
6. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl, by Tanya Lee Stone
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
   Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
9. Bless Me Ultima, by RudolfoAnaya
   Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
10. Bone (series), by Jeff Smith
    Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence

 Click here to see the detailed lists from 2001 through 2013.   (Scroll down on the page!)

Do you have policies in place for dealing with book challenges? For additional definitions and resources to assist you in this area, go to http://www.ala.org/bbooks/challengedmaterials. First you will see definitions, then scroll to the bottom to gather additional resources including information on how to report a book challenge.

Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials