ALA Announces Top Ten Most Challenged Books for 2012

Posted on April 16, 2013

The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom has released a list of the most banned books in 2012. Scholastic's Captain Underpants series topped the list.

The Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) says a total of 464 challenges were reported in 2012. This is 138 more challenged books than in 2011. A challenged is described as an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library.

Top Ten Most Challenged Books for 2012

Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James.
And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
Looking for Alaska by John Green.
Scary Stories (series) by Alvin Schwartz
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Beloved by Toni Morrison