Skip to main content

The ALA Reports that the Most Banned Book of 2013 was "Captain Underpants"

The puerto-rico-censorship[1]American Library Association released their annual State of the American Library report today, and according to the report the never-ending battle to ban books continues unabated in 2013.

In addition to a broad summary of the problems faced by libraries, the report also includes a list of the library books reported as being the most-challenged books in 2013, and it was compiled by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. The list includes perennial favorites like Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary, Captain Underpants, and 50 Shades of Grey.

These titles, as well as others, will likely be featured when Banned Book Week comes around again in September. Here’s the "Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books List" for 2013:

  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 Rudolfo Anaya
    • Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
  10. Bone (series), by Jeff Smith
    • Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence

Similar Articles


Comments


Banned Book Week | michelledevilliersartandstories September 21, 2014 um 4:01 pm

[…] The ALA Reports that the Most Banned Book of 2013 was “Captain Underpants” […]


Write a Comment