From Penguins to Crayons: Paranoia and Panic About Children’s Books

Abstract

Efforts to restrict access to library materials have surged in
recent years, as documented by numerous organizations and
news outlets. Although 2024 and 2025 statistics show a decline
in reported censorship attempts and challenged titles compared
with 2023, the American Library Association (ALA) notes that
underreporting, preemptive purchasing censorship, and state
legislation prohibiting and criminalizing content undoubtedly
mean that the recent statistics underestimate the extent to which
patrons face increasingly limited access to diverse materials