The most banned books in U.S. schools

Definition of “Ban” and Terminology Disputes

• Major argument centers on what “banned” means.
• One camp: a ban requires legal prohibition of owning/reading (cites authoritarian countries and truly forbidden works). Under this view, school non‑stocking or removal is just curation or “parental controls.”
• Other camp: in the context of schools, a ban is when books previously chosen by educators are removed or prohibited due to external pressure or law, including state rules that bar stocking or even bringing certain titles onto campus.
• PEN’s definition (removal or diminished access due to challenges or government pressure) is repeatedly cited; critics say the word remains misleading or inflammatory.

Targets and Motivations

• Many note the list is dominated by books on LGBTQ identities, racism, trauma, and school shootings.
• Several argue this is a deliberate movement to erase “visible queerness” from youth spaces, citing laws that single out “homosexuality” or LGBT content while ignoring equally graphic heterosexual works.
• Others insist the core concern is explicit sexual or suicidal content (e.g., “Gender Queer,” “Thirteen Reasons Why”) and that similar straight material would provoke the same reaction.

Age‑Appropriateness vs. Censorship

• Broad agreement that some content isn’t right for young children; fierce disagreement about blanket under‑18 bans.
• Suggested alternatives: age ranges, parental permission flags, case‑by‑case access, keeping controversial titles behind the desk instead of fully removing them.
• Critics argue many banned books are award‑winning YA works, not porn, and that a few parents effectively control what all children can access.

Parents, Librarians, and the State

• One side emphasizes librarians as trained experts in collection development; sees state‑level bans and parent lawsuits as politicized interference akin to censorship.
• The other side stresses that libraries are taxpayer‑funded; elected boards and parents should be able to override “ideological” librarian choices, just as they shape curricula.

Scale, Impact, and Chilling Effects

• Some say the numbers (e.g., ~147 bans for the top title across ~15,000 districts) show a small, overhyped issue, more symbolic than substantive in the internet era.
• Others warn about chilling effects (quiet removals, “do not buy” lists, state centralization of library control) and frame this as part of broader democratic backsliding and culture‑war campaigns over what children are allowed to see.