The Most Banned Books in the US

By the Public-Libraries.com Editorial Team · Updated September 22, 2026

“Banned” vs. “challenged” — what the words mean

The ALA draws a careful line. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict a book based on someone’s objection — an effort that may or may not succeed. A ban is a challenge that worked: the book is actually pulled from the shelf. There’s also restricted access, where a book stays but is moved to a locked shelf or age-gated. Because many challenges are never reported, the ALA says its counts are a floor, not a ceiling.

The latest ALA Top 10 Most Challenged Books

Here is the ALA’s most recent list (2025 data, published in spring 2026). Several titles tied, so the ranking runs to eleven:

According to the ALA, the books were targeted for the same broad reasons across the list: claims of being sexually explicit or “obscene” for minors, the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes, and content dealing with race, racism, and social justice.

Why the numbers are at record highs

For most of the 2000s and 2010s, the ALA logged roughly 270 unique titles challenged per year, usually from a single parent. That changed sharply after 2020. In 2023 the ALA recorded a record 4,240 unique titles challenged; in 2025, 4,235 titles were challenged — the second-highest ever — and a record share of challenges succeeded. The biggest shift is who is filing: in 2025 the ALA says roughly 92% of challenges came from organized pressure groups and government officials, not individual readers.

Famous books that get challenged again and again

Beyond any single year’s list, some titles have been challenged for decades. Recognizable examples from the ALA’s historical records include:

It’s even bigger in schools

The ALA tracks all library types; the free-expression group PEN America tracks public schools separately, and its numbers are even larger — it counted about 6,870 book bans across US public schools in the 2024–2025 school year, led by Florida, Texas, and Tennessee. The two groups use different methods, but both show censorship at levels without modern precedent.

Banned Books Week

Every year, libraries, bookstores, and readers mark Banned Books Week — coordinated by the ALA and a coalition of free-speech groups — to celebrate the freedom to read. It’s held in late September or early October (in 2026, October 4–10). Your local library is the best place to find challenged titles and read one for yourself; use our directory to find a public library near you.

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