US Edition
American Library Association’s challenged books list: The 11 titles targeted the most in 2025 for removal
The American Library Association said 4,235 titles were challenged in 2025, with 92% of complaints coming from groups or government officials.
- On Monday, the American Library Association reported that 92% of book challenges in 2025 originated from groups or government officials rather than individual parents.
- Sarah Lamdan, executive director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, stated these campaigns are not spontaneous but organized initiatives by political actors to suppress stories of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals.
- Activists challenged 7,884 books and 4,235 unique titles in 2025, with 40% reflecting LGBTQIA+ experiences and perspectives of Black and Indigenous people; 98% of challenges covered multiple books.
- About 5,668 challenged books were subsequently banned, while an additional 920 titles faced restrictions, marking the highest censorship rate recorded between 1990 and 2025.
- While conservative activists such as Moms for Liberty advocate 'parental choice,' high-profile lawsuits by publishers like Penguin Random House contest removal decisions, exposing the gap between that rhetoric and the 92% of challenges initiated by officials.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The American Library Association has counted 5668 forbidden books for 2025 in US libraries.
Book ban battles pivot as challenges to more titles come from outside groups
Book challenges neared a record high in 2025, showing an increase in pressure from political groups and officials as opposed to parents, as well as new targets in the challenged titles. The American Library Association (ALA) found 4,235 unique titles were challenged in 2025, barely missing the 2023 record of 4,240, with the “Top 11 Most Challenged Books” [...]
Fox 10 Phoenix
American Library Association’s challenged books list: The 11 titles targeted the most in 2025 for removal
A new ranking by the American Library Association (ALA) lists the 11 books that people or activists tried to have removed from or restricted in libraries, schools, or universities last year. The list also reflects a dramatic change in who is making the requests for books to be pulled from the shelves.
‘Gender Queer’ once again lands on the most challenged books list for 2025
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe was the third most challenged book in libraries in 2025, according to the American Library Association. The graphic novel, which was published by Oni Press in 2019, has appeared on the list for five of the last seven years. It topped the list in 2021-2023, and was the second most challenged book in 2024. An annotated edition is due out next month. No other graphic novels were on the list for 2025, a year that saw the …
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