ALA releases challenged books list

The American Library Association said 4,235 unique book titles were challenged in 2025, the second-highest total it has ever recorded. (ala.org) The group released the figures on April 20 as part of its 2026 State of America’s Libraries report and its annual list of the most challenged books. The only higher year in American Library Association records was 2023, with 4,240 unique titles challenged. (ala.org) The American Library Association said it documented 713 attempts to censor library materials and services in 2025, including 487 efforts aimed at books. It said 5,668 books were ultimately banned from libraries, or 66% of the total challenged, and another 920 faced restrictions such as relocation or parental-permission rules. (ala.org) The association said 92% of book challenges in 2025 came from pressure groups, government officials, and other decision-makers, up from 72% in 2024. It said fewer than 3% came from individual parents. (ala.org) The American Library Association said 1,671 of the titles challenged in 2025 — about 40% — reflected the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and people of color. It said the most common objections cited claims of obscenity for minors, LGBTQIA+ characters or themes, and books about race, racism, equity, and social justice. (ala.org) The list of the most challenged books shows how those campaigns played out title by title. Patricia McCormick’s *Sold* ranked first with 36 challenges, followed by Stephen Chbosky’s *The Perks of Being a Wallflower* with 33 and Maia Kobabe’s *Gender Queer* with 25. (ala.org) Other books on the 2025 list included Sarah J. Maas’s *Empire of Storms* and *A Court of Thorns and Roses*, Malinda Lo’s *Last Night at the Telegraph Club*, Ellen Hopkins’s *Tricks* and *Identical*, Anthony Burgess’s *A Clockwork Orange*, John Green’s *Looking for Alaska*, and Jennifer L. Armentrout’s *Storm and Fury*. The American Library Association released a Top 11 list because four books tied for the No. 8 spot. (ala.org) The group says its counts come from confidential reports filed by library workers and community members, plus news coverage from around the United States. It also says the totals are a snapshot, because many challenges are never reported to the association or covered by the press. (ala.org) The American Library Association says the current wave of censorship efforts began in 2021 and has stayed far above the 2001-2020 annual average of 273 unique titles challenged. The 2025 figure landed just five titles below the 2023 peak. (ala.org) Supporters of restrictions have argued that some books are not age-appropriate for children, while the American Library Association says removals based on objections to identity, viewpoint, or subject matter amount to censorship. The group released the new list during National Library Week, which ran April 19 through April 25 this year. (ala.org)