College of DuPage Library

Think the days of people trying to limit what you can read are over?

Think again. Each year, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom puts together a list of the 10 most challenged books in this country. A challenge is defined as a request that a library remove a book from its shelves. In 2013 alone, the Office of Intellectual Freedom reports 307 books were challenged.

Want to know more? Check out the American Library Association's graphics depicting reasons for book challenges, the people most likely to challenge a book, and types of institutions most likely to receive a challenge from 1990-1999 and 2000-2009.

One Challenge Highlighted

In Fall 2013, parents in a Minnesota school district protested the choice of Eleanor and Park as the High School Summer Read project, objecting to the language, plot, and theme of the book.

• Read the Parents Action League website to hear their description their objections to the book.
• Read an interview about the actions with the author of Eleanor and Park, Rainbow Rowell.
• See the response of the Children's Literature Network
• Read the newspaper article summarizing the result of the challenge.

Curious to see for yourself? Read the book.

Other Resources:

• The American Library Association lists the most challenged banned books from 2000-2013.
• You can also check out the Banned Books Week Youtube channel of people reading banned books.
• Check out challenged books across the country.