The "Top 10" Most Challenged Books of 2023

Book Banning continues to impact young readers, their adult allies, and all of us who create books for kids and teens.

The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks challenges to books, and once again has released their "top 10" list of the most challenged books of the previous year. Here's the link to read up about the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023.

They write:

ALA documented 4,240 unique book titles targeted for censorship in 2023—a 65% surge over 2022 numbers—as well as 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources. Pressure groups focused on public libraries in addition to targeting school libraries. The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, accounting for about 46% of all book challenges in 2023.

Seven of the ten titles were challenged for including LGBTQIA2+ content, which is particularly painful.

What's important to keep in mind is that the authors, publishers, and teams involved in these ten books are not the only ones impacted. The chilling effect of book bans impacts so many more of us, and prevents so many more titles from being included in library collections, and from landing in the hands of readers who need that representation.

I share not to bum you out, but to remind you of the importance of the work we do, and how we need to recognize that a fight against some books is a fight we all have a stake in.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee