Alabama

Albert L. Scott Library, Alabaster

In September 2022, a patron emailed Albert L. Scott Library to request the removal of all two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) materials from the children’s department. They spent a month exchanging messages with a librarian, who gently explained the role of the library in serving all patrons.

On October 16, the patron filed formal reconsideration requests for two 2SLGBTQIA+ picture books. They were If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It by Lil Miss Hot Mess and The Rainbow Parade by Emily Nelson. Their complaints were firmly religious. They stated: “I am personally compelled by Jesus’ emphasis to care for and protect children in Luke 17, where he warned us to not cause children to stumble.”

In November, the library board voted to retain both titles.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Huntsville-Madison County Public Library

On December 27, 2022, a visitor to Huntsville-Madison County Public Library accused library staff of promoting pornography and indoctrinating children. They then stole library copies of Sex Criminals, the adult comic book series by Matt Fraction.

The outcome of this incident is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Paine Elementary School, Trussville

On November 1, 2022, the parent of a Paine Elementary School second-grader emailed the principal to complain that The Bad Guys in The One?! (The Bad Guys 12) had given their child nightmares. They requested the graphic novel’s removal from the school library.

On November 8, they were given a reconsideration request to fill out. On their completed form, they said the purpose of the story was “to train young minds that when you feel worthless, there is a very dark place that you will not be rejected.” They also cited themes of “low self-esteem and worthlessness,” which they suggested would turn children to “self-harm and evil.”

The outcome of this challenge is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Arkansas

Crawford County Library System

On November 10, 2022, a married couple sent a letter to the Crawford County Justice Board denouncing inclusive children’s materials at Van Buren Public Library. The couple represented a local Christian conservative group, the River Valley City Elders. Specifically, they claimed their parental rights and religious liberties were being infringed upon by books promoting “alternative lifestyles.” These included any titles with positive two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) representation.

River Valley City Elders encouraged its members to attend the December 19 meeting of the Crawford County Quorum Court. There, the court moved to relocate all 2SLGBTQIA+ titles in the Crawford County Library System (CCLS) from children’s collections to separate sections, where minors must be accompanied by a guardian. The CCLS board president and a representative subsequently resigned.

One of the individuals from the original complaint was soon after elected to the board. In January 2023, they introduced an amendment to the collection development policy that would relegate decision-making powers from the director to the board. However, this amendment was repeatedly tabled throughout that spring.

Segregated 2SLGBTQIA+ books included:

• The ABC’s of LGBT+ by Ashley Mardell
• Ace of Hearts by Myriad Augustine
• Antique Bakery by Fumi Yoshinaga
• Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
• The Art of Running Away by Sabrina Kleckner
• The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller
• As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
• Baby & Solo by Lisabeth Posthuma
• The Big Book of Pride Flags by Jem Milton
• The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder
• Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
• Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson
• Bye Bye, Binary by Eric Geron
• Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
• Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier
• Chef’s Kiss: A Novel by T. J. Alexander
• Cinderelliot: A Scrumptious Fairytale by Mark Ceilley
• Code-Breaker and Mathematician Alan Turing by Heather Schwartz
• The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis
• Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff
• Don’t Cry for Me: A Novel by Daniel Black
• Ellen Outside the Lines by A. J. Sass
• The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island by Dana Alison Levy
• Fancy White Trash by Marjetta Geerling
• The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson
• Gay and Lesbian Parents by Julianna Fields
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• The Girl’s Guide to Relationships, Sexuality, and Consent: Tools to Help Teens Stay Safe, Empowered, and Confident by Leah Aguirre
• GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens by Kelly Huegel
• God Box by Alex Sanchez
• The Guncle: A Novel by Steven Rowley
• Hazel’s Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
• Hello Now by Jenny Valentine
• Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg
• I’ll Fix Anthony by Judith Viorst
• I’m Not Broken: A Memoir by Jesse Leon
• The Incredible Magic of Being by Kathryn Erskine
• The Journey to Max: An Adoption Story by Christopher Garcia-Halenar
• Kind Like Marsha: Learning from LGBTQ+ Leaders by Sarah Prager
• King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
• The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
• Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
• LGBTQ: The Survival Guide for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens by Kelly Madrone
• Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
• The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
• Love Is the Higher Law by David Levithan
• Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer
• Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle by Nina LaCour
• The Minor Third by Neil Patrick Harris
• The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
• Mommy, Mama, and Me by Lesléa Newman
• My Family, Your Family! by Kathryn Cole
• Noah’s Song by Jaclyn Osborn
• Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
• Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids about Gender Stereotypes by Elise Gravel
• Release by Patrick Ness
• Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
• Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 4 by Sho Harusono
• Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 6 by Sho Harusono
• Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan
• Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton
• Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman
• The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass
• This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson
• This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves
• The Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes
• Traffick by Ellen Hopkins
• Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
• Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen
• We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen-Fernlund
• What Color Is Your Hoodie?: Essays on Black Gay Identity by Jarrett Neal
• What Makes You Beautiful by Bridget Liang
• Wide Awake by David Levithan
• Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan
• With or Without You by Brian Farrey
• You and Me and Him by Kris Dinnison
• You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner
• Yuck, a Love Story by Don Gillmor

Reported in: Talk Business & Politics, December 20, 2022, and January 18, 2023; River Valley City Elders December 22, 2022; KNWA, January 18, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

California

Huntington Beach Public Library

In November 2022, two patrons called Huntington Beach Public Library to express outrage over a children’s title they deemed pedophilic. It was The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Lil Miss Hot Mess. They were informed of the official material reconsideration process by staff and provided with request forms to complete.

For several weeks, these individuals attempted to stoke outrage within the community by posting the picture book—which encourages young readers to celebrate who they are—on numerous Facebook forums.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Los Angeles Public Library

In October 2022, a paraprofessional at Los Angeles Public Library messaged collection management about a manga catalogued in the teen collection. They complained that My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi contained graphic sexual images that were inappropriate for young adult readers.

No action was taken. Instead, their supervisor told them that, if they had concerns about the collection, they could fill out a formal reconsideration request on their own time.

The same month, a patron objected to The Twelve Days of Springtime: A School Counting Book by Deborah Lee Rose. They said that the children’s picture book depicted an Asian child dressed in stereotypical fashion and picking their nose on every page. This outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Mt. Shasta High School

In October 2022, parents of Mt. Shasta High Schoolers challenged two titles from the freshman English curriculum. These included The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

No formal actions were taken.

Reported in: Action News Now, October 28, 2022.

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, Orange County

In September 2022, the parent of a Valencia High School student emailed the principal regarding a slideshow for Banned Books Week, which incorporated official slides from the American Library Association. The parent was concerned about the threat of “grooming” by materials representing two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) identities. The outcome of this complaint is unknown.

On October 21, a Yorba Linda High School student checked out This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson. The next week, their parent contacted the administration to share that they would not be returning the book. They insisted that teenagers should not have access to it. This outcome is also unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Santa Clara City Library

Between December 2022 and January 2023, Santa Clara City Library staff found religious pamphlets tucked inside Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin and other books. Specifically, the titles targeted discuss sex education, feminism, racial equality, and two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) identities.

During this period, library staff also caught a patron removing 2SLGBTQIA+ materials from displays, hiding them, and leaving religious texts in their places.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Siskiyou County Library

On November 28, 2022, a patron of Siskiyou County Library submitted a material reconsideration request for It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris. The patron requested the title’s removal on account of “graphic/explicit sexual images and written, detailed descriptions [of] oral and anal sex in a book intended for children and teens.”

This outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Colorado

Academy District 20, Colorado Springs

In October 2022, the board president for Academy District 20 (D20) made a video encouraging guardians to look for controversial materials in district libraries. Over the previous two years, Moms for Liberty members using BookLooks.org had escalated book challenge efforts throughout the district.

The D20 board ultimately rejected requests to remove two antiracist books, which complainants called biased, from the library of Chinook Trail Middle School. The titles were How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation by Maureen Johnson and We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson.

“If you are worried about access to information, you’re searching in the wrong space,” said the superintendent. “If you really want to go down that path, attacking school libraries is not going to change the access of information you don’t want your child to have.”

Reported in: Colorado Springs Independent, December 8, 2022.

Garfield County Public Library District

In June 2022, a patron of Garfield County Public Library District began attending monthly board meetings to informally challenge books. In November, they completed a formal reconsideration request for one volume of Finder by Ayano Yamane.

In December, this patron filed additional challenges to Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe and This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson. Notably, both center two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) identities. The complainant mistakenly cited challenge data from the Office for Intellectual Freedom as evidence of objectionable content.

All titles underwent committee review. Ultimately, Gender Queer and This Book Is Gay were retained. The outcome of the challenge to Finder is unknown.

Reported in: Sopris Sun, November 23, 2022; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Jeffco Public Schools, Jefferson County

On November 9, 2022, a member of the Jefferson County parental rights group, Jeffco Kids First, reported online that the group had gotten The Breakaways by Cathy G. Johnson removed from at least one local elementary school.

Further details are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Connecticut

Acton Public Library, Old Saybrook

During the first week of June 2022, Acton Public Library staff noticed that several young adult nonfiction titles had gone missing from a Pride Month display. They had not been checked out.

It took two days to recover the materials, which were found hidden behind other books throughout the stacks. The individual responsible was not identified.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Darien Public Schools

At the Darien Public Schools board meeting on October 25, 2022, the parent of a second grader challenged Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. The Stonewall Book Award-winning title had recently been read to their child’s class. Selected for the curriculum “to support the acceptance and unconditional love of differences,” this picture book follows a little boy who is inspired to dress as a mermaid after watching the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. On November 13, parents received an anonymous email from an encrypted address, reaffirming the challenge.

The title was reviewed and ultimately retained in the curriculum. “[We want] the books in our classroom libraries to be mirrors where students see themselves and their lives and also learn about others in the world,” said the superintendent.

That December, the district held a parent workshop on social emotional learning.

Reported in: Darien Times, November 29, 2022.

Enfield Public Schools

On September 17, 2022, an Enfield Public Schools board member called upon the board to protect students from objectionable reading materials. The next month, this individual submitted a list of challenges, which overwhelmingly targeted books with two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) themes and characters.

The only title known is This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson; however, it was not found in the libraries of Enfield Public Schools. At an October board meeting, a pastor from the United Church of Christ quoted a passage from the young adult book: “Some would argue that both homophobia and transphobia have roots in suspicion and paranoia; the less we understand a group in society, the less we bother to learn.” They urged the board to start with the Bible if lewd material was a genuine concern.

“The idea of me wanting to ban books is not what this is about,” said the individual behind the ban. “It’s really about defining what’s healthy and safe for our students.”

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Journal Inquirer, November 1, 2022.

Newtown Public Schools

On November 10, 2022, the parent of a Newtown Public Schools student approached the principal to complain about inappropriate content in My Maddy by Gayle Pitman. This individual happened to be the spouse of a school board member.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Florida

Broward County Public Schools

In June 2022, parents affiliated with Moms for Liberty filed formal challenges to 11 titles in libraries throughout Broward County Public Schools. Of these titles, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss and It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris were removed outright.

The rest of the titles were restricted by grade level. They included:

• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff
• It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn
• Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
• Melissa by Alex Gino
• This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
• SOLD by Patricia McCormick

In 2023, the district received 22 informal challenges from various complainants. Overwhelmingly, they came from Moms for Liberty members. These titles included:

• A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
• Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
• Ellen Outside the Lines by A. J. Sass
• Flamer by Mike Curato
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Graphic Novel) by Reneé Nault
• Home Body by Rupi Kaur
• I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel
• Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen
• Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
• Miss Spider’s Wedding by David Kirk
• My Maddy by Gayle E. Pitman
• My Sister, Daisy by Adria Karlsson
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham
• Push by Sapphire
• Rick by Alex Gino
• The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
• This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
• This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki

Informal challenge outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: South Florida Sun Sentinel, November 3, 2022; NBC 6, January 30, 2023.

Duval County Public Schools

In July 2021, Duval County Public Schools spent three million dollars on 176 inclusive titles for libraries throughout the district. The decision to order the Essential Voices Classroom Libraries Collection was in part made to boost the district’s low literacy rates.

Shortly after the district received this collection in January 2022, the books were removed from classrooms and placed in storage pending review. None of the titles had been challenged by community members, and no timeline was provided for their review.

Known titles included:

• Barbed Wire Baseball: How One Man Brought Hope to the Japanese Internment Camps of WWII by Marissa Moss
• The Berenstain Bears and the Big Question by Stan Berenstain
• Chik Chak Shabbat by Mara Rockliff
• Coolies by Chris Soentpiet
• Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin
• The Flag of Childhood: Poems from the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye
• Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
• I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
• The Life of Rosa Parks by Kathleen Connors
• Malala: A Hero for All by Shana Corey
• Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a Time by Linda Sue Park
• Sonia Sotomayor by Kathleen Krull
• Sulwe by Lupita Nyongo’o
• Thank You, Jackie Robinson by Barbara Cohen
• The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye

Reported in: Forward, December 7, 2022; Education Week, December 9, 2022; School Library Journal, December 9, 2022; Florida Freedom to Read Project, February 21, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Flagler Schools, Flagler County

During the summer 2022 recess, Flagler Schools began quietly removing controversial books from middle and high school libraries under the guise of routine weeding. Affected titles were initially provided by local members of Moms for Liberty, but the challenge list grew through spring 2023.

Two of the books, Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia and Tilt by Ellen Hopkins, were not in circulation.

Titles weeded or later removed included:

• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
• The Haters by Jesse Andrews
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
• Lucky by Marissa Stapley
• Push by Sapphire
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
• What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold

Those retained were:

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• Breathless by Jennifer Niven
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• SOLD by Patricia McCormick
• The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

The outcomes of remaining challenges to these titles are unknown:

• The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• The Nowhere Girls by Amy Lynn Reed

Reported in: FlaglerLive, November 2, 2022, February 2, 2023, May 11, 2023; Observer Local News, January 26, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Hernando County

Between July 1 and October 18, 2022, a district in Hernando County banned 13 Ellen Hopkins novels from school libraries. The books were removed on account of “inappropriate content.”

Titles included:

• Burned by Ellen Hopkins
• Collateral by Ellen Hopkins
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
• Glass by Ellen Hopkins
• Identical by Ellen Hopkins
• Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
• Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
• Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
• Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
• Traffick by Ellen Hopkins
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
• The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Hillsborough County Public Schools

In November 2022, a review committee for Pierce Middle School voted unanimously to retain This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson following a formal challenge.

Despite this, in March 2023, the board of Hillsborough County Public Schools voted 4-3 to remove the title from all district middle schools.

Reported in: Twitter (now X) post by @FLFreedomRead, November 30, 2022; Tampa Bay Times, March 28, 2023; WTOG, April 2, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Lake County Schools

Between July 1 and December 11, 2022, the administration of Lake County Schools quietly removed eight books from district libraries. All materials were withdrawn “due to explicit sexual content as defined and prohibited in FL Statute 847.012.”

Titles removed from elementary, middle, and high school libraries were:

• And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
• A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss
• In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Reported in: Twitter (now X) post by @FLFreedomRead, December 13, 2022.

LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System

On November 5, 2022, the LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System received a material reconsideration request for Sex Is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg. The request was submitted by a patron who felt the topic of “gender ideology” was inappropriate for elementary schoolers. Thus, they asked that the juvenile nonfiction book be relocated to the adult collection.

The request was reviewed by the Library Advisory Board on December 6. It ultimately voted to retain the title as catalogued.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Manatee County

In October 2022, local nonprofits serving two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) youth prepared a display celebrating 2SLGBTQIA+ civil rights activists at the Palmetto Branch Library of the Manatee County Public Library System.

While the library was operating as a polling location, the display was noticed by a poll worker. They photographed it and immediately escalated concerns to the county commissioner, claiming the display was “promoting pedophilia.” Within a day, the library was instructed to take it down.

The same month, members of Moms for Liberty pressured the School District of Manatee County into removing Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews from district libraries.

As of January 2023, challenges in the district had grown.

The following titles were removed from all school libraries:

• The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
• The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions by Junji Ito
• Friends Forever by Shannon Hale
• I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel
• Insect by Laurence Mound
• l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
• Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
• My Hero Academia, Vol. 5 by Kohei Horikoshi
• Push by Sapphire
• Ready or Not by Meg Cabot
• Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
• SOLD by Patricia McCormick
• The Talk by Darrin Bell
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
• When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff
• What on Earth is a Pangolin by Edward Ricciuti

These titles were removed only from elementary schools:

• Both Can Be True by Jules Machias
• Families, Families, Families by Suzanne and Max Lang
• The Family Book by Todd Parr
• Fathers Are Part of a Family by Lucia Raatma
• Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Michelangelo by Mike Venezia
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
• In Our Mother’s House by Patricia Polacco
• Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson
• Mothers Are Part of a Family by Lucia Raatma

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang were both restricted to middle schoolers with guardian consent.

These titles were restricted to high schoolers with guardian consent:

• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
• Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews
• Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• The Nowhere Girls by Amy Lynn Reed
• Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

These were retained in high schools:

• Light It Up by Kekla Magoon
• My Jim: A Novel by Nancy Rawles
• SCARS by Cheryl Rainfield
• Protesting Police Violence in Modern America by Duchess Harris
• Race and Policing in Modern America by Duchess Harris

Christian the Hugging Lion by Justin Richardson remained accessible to all grade levels.

Lastly, two short stories from instructional texts were challenged, including “The Second Coming” by W. B. Yeates and “She Unnames Them” by Ursula K. Le Guin. These outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: WTVT, January 24, 2023; Bradenton Herald, January 25, 2023, and August 22, 2023; WFTS, January 27, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

St. Johns County School District

In fall 2022, the St. Johns County School District documented 37 book challenges “to be reviewed at a later date.” By February 2024, this number had more than doubled.

The following titles have been removed from district libraries so far:

• The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
• Beautiful Disaster: A Novel by Jamie McGuire
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
• Blankets: An Illustrated Novel by Craig Thompson
• Boy Toy by Barry Lyga
• Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman
• The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Wings and Ruins by Sarah J. Maas
• Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
• Deogratias, a Tale of Rwanda by Jean-Philippe Stassen
• Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass 5) by Sarah J. Maas
• Forever by Judy Blume
• From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Allison Bechdel
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Graphic Novel) by Reneé Nault
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City 1) by Sarah J. Maas
• I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel
• I Never by Laura Hopper
• Identical by Ellen Hopkins
• Infandous by Elana K. Arnold
• The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
• It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
• It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn
• Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
• Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass 7) by Sarah J. Maas
• Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Life Is Funny by E. R. Frank
• Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
• Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
• The Nerdy and the Dirty by B. T. Gottfred
• November 9 by Colleen Hoover
• The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
• One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins
• Push by Sapphire
• Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• Sex Is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg
• Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
• Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You by Kathryn Gonzales
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
• Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
• What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold
• When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff
• Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
• Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi

Two titles were retained freely. They were Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes and Fade by Lisa McMann.

These titles, on the other hand, were retained with restrictions:

• Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton
• Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge
• Thirteen Reason Why by Jay Asher

The following were removed temporarily, pending review:

• 33 Snowfish by Adam Rapp
• A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
• The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell
• A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
• l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
• Shine by Lauren Myracle
• Slaughterhouse-Five, or, the Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Lee Dugard
• Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Strange Truth by Maggie Thrash
• The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
• Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass 6) by Sarah J. Maas

Lastly, the outcomes of challenges to these titles are unknown:

• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
• The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith
• The Haters by Jesse Andrews
• Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
• Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
• The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki
• This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki
• Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany Browne

Reported in: WJXT, February 7, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

St. Lucie Public Schools, St. Lucie County

In fall 2022, St. Lucie Public Schools formally withdrew five books from its libraries following a complaint from a community member. The titles were:

• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
• Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Further, despite recommendations to retain them, the following were also removed:

• And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
• Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers
• Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren’t Complicated, I Wouldn’t be Ruby Oliver by E. Lockhart

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Georgia

Sequoyah Regional Library System

In August 2022, a patron of Sequoyah Regional Library System requested that Drama by Raina Telgemeier be moved from the juvenile collection to young adult.

The title was retained as shelved.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

West Georgia Regional Library System

In October 2022, a review committee for West Georgia Regional Library System unanimously voted to retain Rural Route 8 by E. Raye Turonek after a patron requested its removal.

The material reconsideration form listed various complaints: that “the author thanks God” in their acknowledgements, that the title contains “nothing redeeming in character or plot,” and that it “promot[es] chaotic actions in the Black community.” They attempted to pressure the library into removing all similar materials and discontinuing future purchases.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Idaho

Hailey Public Library

On December 13, 2022, the parent of a young child requested reconsideration of One Damsel in Distress: Heroic Girls from World Folklore by Jane Yolen, from Hailey Public Library. Previously, this individual made a verbal complaint regarding dismemberment in one of the title’s fairytales.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Lewiston City Library

On October 11, 2022, a patron of Lewiston City Library formally challenged The Ultimate Collector’s Encyclopedia of Cookie Jars: Identification & Values by Fred and Joyce Roerig. They said that the book contains “offensive depictions of many races.”

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Illinois

Alsip-Merrionette Park Public Library District

Between October and November 2022, the Alsip-Merrionette Park Public Library District received two reconsideration requests for Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe. Both complaints cited depictions of queer sex and only appeared after a far-right publication circulated the community.

The graphic novel was retained as shelved in the adult collection.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Cary Area Public Library

On October 24, 2022, a patron of Cary Area Public Library formally challenged I’m Not a Girl: A Transgender Story by Maddox Lyons. They said that “young children do not need this stuff put into their heads.”

The title was unanimously retained by staff and the complainant was informed in early November.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Eisenhower Public Library District, Cook County

On December 7, 2022, the Eisenhower Public Library District received a reconsideration request for

The Complete Short Stories by Flannery O’Connor. The complainant called the author racist, citing their frequent use of the N-word.

The library district responded with its decision to retain the title on December 19. This decision aligned with its official collection development policy, which states that “materials are not to be excluded because of the political, social, religious, or moral ideas expressed by the author.”

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Glenbard District 87, Glen Ellyn

In October 2022, a group of local parents mobilized to challenge books in Glenbard District 87 that feature two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) characters and themes. These individuals began regularly attending district board meetings to voice their complaints but refused to file a formal reconsideration request.

Titles included:

• All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
• Flamer by Mike Curato
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson

In February 2023, a review committee was formed to address the challenges to All Boys Aren’t Blue and Gender Queer. As of that March, one of the original complainants was campaigning for a seat on the school board.

Final outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Hickory Creek Middle School, Frankfort

Around March 2022, the parent of a Hickory Creek Middle Schooler informally challenged Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. They sent the curriculum director an article about the title being challenged at a nearby district. In response, the director quietly removed both copies from the library.

The parent withdrew their children from the district at the end of that school year.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

La Grange Park Public Library

In fall 2022, a patron at La Grange Park Public Library verbally challenged four titles. This occurred repeatedly, until the individual was banned from the library over a code of conduct violation.

At that point, they submitted a formal reconsideration request for the following books:

• Deep in Providence by Riss M. Neilson
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster by Andrea Mosqueda
• Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

All materials were retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Riverside Public Library

On January 10, 2023, the board of Riverside Public Library reaffirmed the director’s December decision to relocate Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe from the young adult collection to adult. This decision came after two community members, neither of whom had read the full text, requested its outright removal.

“This is not about one particular title, it’s about somebody thinking they should have control over what is in our library and thinking that they are the experts,” said the vice president of the board. “Everyone should have the freedom to access the information that they want, period.”

Reported in: Riverside-Brookfield Landmark, January 3, 2023, and January 11, 2023.

Rock Island High School

In October 2022, a Rock Island community member claimed to have received a letter from the director of the FBI inquiring about copies of Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe in local libraries. This individual left a voicemail for the communications director of their school district, asking about the library catalog for Rock Island High School. They complained vaguely that they “did not agree” with the content depicted in Gender Queer.

Upon speaking with district administration, the individual declined to pursue a formal challenge.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Thomas Ford Memorial Library, Western Springs

On December 12, 2022, staff at Thomas Ford Memorial Library discovered two books that had been removed from their shelves and hidden behind other nonfiction materials. The titles were Burn the Page by Danica Roem and Queer Conception: The Complete Fertility Guide for Queer and Trans Parents-to-Be by Kristin L. Kali. Neither had circulated in the previous six months.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Westmont Public Library

In November 2022, Westmont Public Library received two formal challenges to materials from patrons. One requested removal of The Book of Séances: A Guide to Divination and Speaking to Spirits by Claire Goodchild, which they accused of promoting witchcraft. The other requested that Flamer by Mike Curato be moved out of the young adult section, as they deemed it “not age appropriate for young teens.” The semi-autobiographical graphic novel depicts a middle schooler’s last summer before starting high school.

Both requests were denied.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Indiana

Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center, Indianapolis

On December 16, 2022, a staff member at Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center complained to the school principal about No More to Tell by Karen McManus. The title was featured among 12 curated recommendations for students to read over holiday break. The complainant, however, said the book promoted violence against teachers.

No formal challenge was filed and the title was retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Lake County Public Library On September 15, 2022, a patron of Lake County Public Library formally challenged Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe. They claimed the graphic novel would cause children to question their gender.

On December 5, the library received another challenge, this time to Being You: A First Conversation About Gender by Megan Madison. The complainant said the board book’s discussions of gender were not only inappropriate for children but inaccurate.

Both titles were reviewed and ultimately retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Porter County Public Library System

In November 2022, a child browsing picture books within the Porter County Public Library System discovered True You: A Gender Journey by Gwen Agna. The child’s parent immediately requested that the title either be restricted or removed, on account of “gender topics.”

They were unwilling to engage in a dialogue with library staff on intellectual freedom and diverse community needs. Instead, they were provided with a material reconsideration form, which they submitted that December.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Western Middle School, Howard County

In October 2022, the parent of a Western Middle School student challenged Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Liani Taylor, from the school library. This title had not circulated in 10 years, but the parent took issue with its depictions of characters smoking and discussing sex.

That November, a district review committee relocated the novel (and the rest of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy) to the high school library.

Reported in: Kokomo Tribune, November 17, 2022; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Iowa

Between January and September 2022, undisclosed schools in Iowa received challenges to the following library materials:

• The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
• All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
• Cut by Patricia McCormick
• Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Lil Miss Hot Mess
• The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan
• Hooper by Geoff Herbach
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
• Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
• The Trials of Apollo series by Rick Riordan

The outcomes of these challenges are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Cherokee Public Library

On November 10, 2022, a patron at Cherokee Public Library challenged A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. They called the novel too sexually explicit for the community.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Pleasant Valley High School, Scott County

In spring 2022, the library of Pleasant Valley High School received a formal challenge to All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson. The complainant, who was both an employee of the Pleasant Valley Community School District and a parent to younger kids in the district, called the title a “pornographic book geared towards children.”

At the April 29 meeting to discuss the challenge, another community member threatened reconsideration committee members. Subsequently, all attendees from the public were asked to leave. The committee voted in private to retain the title.

A meeting complaint was later filed with the Iowa Public Information Board, which found the district in violation of their own policy despite the potential harm posed by the threats.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Kansas

Johnson County Library

On December 14, 2022, Johnson County Library received a reconsideration request for Being You: A First Conversation About Gender by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli. The complainant was a parent who said the board book’s discussion of gender was not age-appropriate.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Olathe Public Schools

On November 11, 2022, an Olathe-based Facebook group denounced Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen. The group, which included a local school board member, called its sexual education content inappropriate for high schoolers. The title was available at both Olathe South High School and Olathe East High School.

No formal challenge was reported. The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Sterling Grade School

In late October 2022, a Sterling Grade School student borrowed Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon from the school library. Their parent then reached out to classroom and library staff via email, calling the title too scary and asking for its removal.

The parent was informed of the school’s challenge policy, but they did not choose to file a formal reconsideration request.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Kentucky

Campbell County

In summer 2022, a patron at Campbell County Public Library complained about a Pride Month display. They were acting verbatim on instructions given by an organization called CatholicVote. The individual was invited to express their concerns at the next board meeting, but did not show.

In October, the library received a challenge to Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe from another patron. In their complaint, they called the title pornographic and confusing. It was reviewed according to policy and later retained as shelved with adult nonfiction.

In January 2023, the administration of Campbell County School District instructed librarians to implement a guardian notification system for monitoring students’ borrowing history. This change was prompted by Moms for Liberty filing formal challenges to 22 titles in middle and high schools. The group claimed the books were sexually explicit and had “no educational value.”

Titles included:

• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass 5) by Sarah J. Maas
• Flamer by Mike Curato
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Lucky by Alice Sebold
• Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson
• Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth
• Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
• Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
• Scythe by Neal Shusterman
• SOLD by Patricia McCormick
• Stamped (for Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Sonja Cherry-Paul, with Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
• This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
• What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold

The outcomes of these challenges are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Clark County Public Library

In October 2022, a Clark County Public Library board member informally challenged Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe over sexually explicit material. Without following the formal reconsideration process, the title was removed from the public access catalog. While it could still be requested through the director, this was not clearly indicated to patrons.

On December 21, the board voted to officially restrict the book from patrons under the age of 18. To borrow it, any minor would need to obtain permission from a guardian.

Reported in: Winchester Sun, December 19, 2022; Kentucky Forward, January 3, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Edmonson County Middle School

At the Edmonson County Middle School book fair in October 2022, a student purchased a graphic novel from the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman. Shortly after, the principal received a complaint about the title and requested that it be hidden for the remainder of the book fair.

Their rationale was to avoid addressing “issues” in the series, which prominently features two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) characters.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Henderson County High School,

On August 22, 2022, an attorney for Henderson County High School sent a list of books to library staff. These titles were being investigated for normalizing two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) identities.

They were:

• All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris
• Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Jesse Stuart Elementary School, Hopkins County

In October 2022, the parent of a Jesse Stuart Elementary School student expressed concern about mild profanity in The Secret of Bosco Bay (Hello Neighbor: A Graphic Novel 1). They claimed the title lacked educational value.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Montgomery County School District

At the beginning of the 2022–2023 school year for Montgomery County School District, the administration forbade educators from teaching a juvenile picture book from the approved fourth-grade reading series.

The district’s central office claimed that the title, In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco, promoted homosexuality.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Mt. Washington Elementary School, Bullitt County

In March 2021, the parent of a fifth-grade student at Mt. Washington Elementary School refused to return Melissa by Alex Gino to the school library. They threatened to take their informal challenge to the press if the title was not immediately removed.

Despite producing professional reviews and guidance to defend the title’s inclusion in the collection, library staff received no support from school administration. The book was eventually withdrawn.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Newport High School

On December 14, 2022, the chair of the Campbell County chapter of Moms for Liberty challenged a list of titles from the Newport High School library. They claimed that the books were inappropriate and had no educational value.

Their list included:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass 5) by Sarah J. Maas
• Flamer by Mike Curato
• Forever by Judy Blume
• The Haters by Jesse Andrews
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth
• Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
• Scythe by Neal Shusterman
• SOLD by Patricia McCormick
• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds with Ibram X. Kendi
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Simon Kenton High School, Independence

In fall 2022, the library of Simon Kenton High School received formal challenges to Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison. Despite the reconsideration committee recommending that both titles be freely retained, the district superintendent insisted on implementing guardian consent as a prerequisite for borrowing them.

Later, a list of “controversial books” provided by the local chapter of Moms for Liberty was submitted for review of pornographic content. The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Taylor County Middle School

On December 13, 2022, the grandparent of a Taylor County Middle School eighth grader complained about Spurt by Chris Miles. They brought the book to the guidance office with its pages flagged for sexually explicit material.

The title was ultimately relocated from a shelf intended for all middle schoolers, to a shelf intended only for eighth graders.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Waggener High School, Jefferson County

In spring 2022, a Jefferson County community member began sending letters to a librarian at Waggener High School regarding All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson and other titles purchased by the library. When the librarian refused to withdraw the books over accusations of grooming, the complainant initiated a small claims suit for $2,300 in alleged damages.

The case was ultimately dismissed by the district court judge. They told the librarian, “I admire your courage [and] I wish you had been my librarian when I was a kid.”

Reported in: Louisville Public Media, January 18, 2023.

Maine

In 2022, undisclosed schools in Maine reported challenges to two titles. They were All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo.

Final outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Charles M. Sumner Learning Campus, Sullivan

In October 2022, the principal of Charles M. Sumner Learning Campus removed two library books featuring two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) characters and themes. The titles were Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe and Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge. They called these books “anime porn.”

A formal challenge was filed by a local parent in December, and as of January 2023, the librarian had quit their position. The challenged books were ultimately relocated to the guidance office, where they may be borrowed with guardian consent.

Reported in: Ellsworth American, January 16, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Maine School Administrative District 52, Androscoggin County

On November 17, 2022, a local parent formally challenged Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe at Leavitt Area High School. Their children, however, attended a different school. The complainant also failed to discuss concerns with the school librarian prior to filing, as required by policy.

An initial decision to retain the book was appealed. On January 27, 2023, the title was reviewed by the board and definitively kept by a 5-3 vote.

Reported in: Lewiston Sun Journal, January 27, 2023; NewsBreak, January 30, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Maryland

Baltimore County Public Schools,

In January 2022, the president of Republican Women of Baltimore County challenged Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe in a letter to Baltimore County Public Schools. The title was reviewed and retained on March 2. However, this response came after the 30-day window promised by the district.

That November, members of Republican Women of Baltimore County alongside the Patriot Club of America again challenged Gender Queer, as well as Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison and 10 undisclosed titles. A representative from the district affirmed parents’ rights to manage their own children’s access to library materials, but not others’ access.

As of December 2022, Gender Queer was retained. The other outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Baltimore Sun, January 31, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Calvert County Public Schools

On November 30, 2022, the parent of a Calvert County Public Schools student formally challenged Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by Lev A. C. Rosen. They claimed the book was sexually explicit.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Massachusetts

In September 2022, a survey found that Massachusetts public libraries reported formal challenges to the following titles:

• The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation by Rosemary Sullivan
• Camp by Lev A. C. Rosen
• Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan
• Hot Dog Taste Test by Lisa Hanawalt
• Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing our Daughters by Abigail Shrier
• It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn
• Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June
• People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present by Dara Horn
• Razzmatazz by Christopher Moore

The outcomes of these challenges are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Middlesex County

On November 7, 2022, the parent of an Acton-Boxborough Regional High School student contacted administration with concerns about This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson. They took issue with a single page that describes how to perform a sexual act.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Dighton Public Library

In December 2022, Dighton Public Library was the subject of an informal complaint after Gender: An Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression by Iris Gottlieb was purchased for the collection. Subsequently, the Republican Town Committee threatened to slash library funding and run oppositional trustee candidates.

All complainants were made aware of the formal reconsideration procedure, but ultimately, no action was taken against the materials.

Reported in: Boston Globe, February 5, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Fall River Public Library

On December 10, 2022, the Fall River Pride Committee hosted a drag storytime at Fall River Public Library. During the event, a drag performer read inclusive books and led children in crafting Christmas ornaments. Meanwhile, more than 20 protestors belonging to NSC-131, a New England-based neo-Nazi group, gathered outside. The group harassed patrons entering and exiting the library, chanting queerphobic slurs and marching with a banner that read, “Drag queens are pedophiles!”

Footage of the event posted by NSC-131 even showed the group rushing at and kicking patrons, several of whom were injured. Officers from the Fall River Police Department, however, denied these assaults. They also called the imminent threats made by the neo-Nazis constitutionally protected speech.

“We understand free speech and people being able to protest, but that’s not what this was,” said the president of the Fall River Pride Committee. “Queer adults were queer kids. And we’re really trying hard to be the adults that we needed when we were kids. I am not going to allow this kind of hate and fear to cancel who we are or put us back into the closet.”

Reported in: Herald News, December 15, 2022.

Groton Public Library, Groton

On November 1, 2022, Groton Public Library hosted an instructional Zoom program for parents on raising anti-racist children. An ad for the event circulated the community, generating considerable opposition. Specifically, the library received many complaints calling the program racist.

Despite this, the event occurred without incident.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Newburyport Public Schools

In November 2022, a group of local parents sought removal of several “sexually explicit” books from Newburyport Public Schools. The titles included Flamer by Mike Curato and This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, which were available in district middle and high school libraries.

No action was taken by the district; instead, the superintendent repeatedly defended its policies. “Our teaching methods are based on well-documented best practices that point to the importance of healthy relationships and a positive school climate on student academic achievement,” they said.

Reported in: Gloucester Daily Times, November 28, 2022.

Reading Public Library

On November 10, 2022, a patron at Reading Public Library informally complained about This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson. They called the young adult nonfiction title pornographic.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Michigan

Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library

On July 26, 2022, a parent at Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library requested that It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris be either restricted or moved from the juvenile collection to adult nonfiction. They called the book confusing and too mature for children.

On December 12, the library received another reconsideration request from a parent. This complainant asked that The Program by Suzanne Young be moved from the teen collection to adult, due to discussions of suicide.

These outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Cedar Springs Public Library

In fall 2022, a patron at Cedar Springs Public Library challenged What Is the AIDS Crisis? by Nico Medina from the juvenile collection. The complainant deemed both information about AIDS and an image of two men holding hands inappropriate for children.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Hamtramck Public Schools

On November 4, 2022, the interim superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools issued a statement about a misinformative social media post that claimed the district made controversial books available to students. Only one such title was disclosed: All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson. The superintendent clarified that, in fact, none of the titles had ever been available in the district.

Despite the statement, many upset parents attended the November 9 board meeting. They were urged to contact their children’s teachers with concerns about materials.

Further outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Yemeni American, November 8, 2022; WJBK, November 10, 2022; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Hudsonville Public Schools

On December 4, 2022, the parent of a Hudsonville Public Schools student formally challenged Jarhead: A Marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles by Anthony Swofford. They obtained the title when their child borrowed it from their high school library. In the complaint, the parent said the memoir disparaged the military and was “vulgar, distasteful, and inappropriate.”

Guardians in the district already had the ability to restrict their own children’s library activity. Despite this, a review committee’s unanimous decision to retain Jarhead in January 2023 was quickly appealed by the parent.

On May 5, the school board voted 4-3 to remove the title.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Lowell High School, Vergennes Township

On December 13, 2022, the parent of a Lowell High School student formally requested removal of All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson from the school library. In their complaint, they cited inappropriate themes of “sexual assault; alternate gender ideologies; profanity and derogatory terms; alcohol and drug use; and inflammatory racial commentary.”

Much of their justification was simply copied from BookLooks.org. The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Oakland County

In May 2022, the parent of a Rochester Community Schools student submitted an incomplete reconsideration request for Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June. In their complaint, they called the book sexually explicit. It was subsequently removed from the library and kept by the building principal for the rest of the school year.

Upon its return in the fall, library staff were asked to keep the title off shelves. They restored it to circulation anyway. That October, a parent filed a FOIA request for all district communications regarding three more books. However, no official challenges to these materials were disclosed.

They were:

• Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
• A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

In November, a patron of the nearby Rochester Hills Public Library formally requested removal of Bitten by a Rattlesnake by Sue Hamilton. Reportedly, they felt that some graphics from the nonfiction book “could be unpleasantly stuck in the minds of little children.” Then, on December 14, another patron challenged You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Things by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth. This patron took particular issue with an image depicting two men sharing a bed.

The outcomes of these challenges are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Portage Public Schools, Kalamazoo County

In fall 2022, two new members were elected to the board of Portage Public Schools after campaigning on promises to ban critical race theory and “the sexualization of children.” That December, a community member requested the removal of 150 books from district libraries. This number later rose to 319 in January 2023. The only titles disclosed were Push by Sapphire and SOLD by Patricia McCormick.

Push was withdrawn from circulation. All other outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: mlive.com, January 18, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Zeeland Public Schools, Ottawa County

In December 22, 2022, a Zeeland Public Schools freshman incorrectly filed a material reconsideration request for school library books they called pornographic. This student had not read any of the titles; rather, they copied their challenge list and rationales directly from Facebook.

The school accepted this submission as a single challenge to Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. However, they informed the student that any further requests would need to be submitted individually.

The title underwent review and was unanimously retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Minnesota

Hennepin County Library

Between August and October 2022, patrons at Hennepin County Library formally challenged three titles. They included:

• Beautiful Brides (Disney) by Melissa Lagonegro
• The Captain, the Missionary, and the Bell: The Wreck of the Steamship Atlantic by Eric Larsson
• Sharing a Smile by Nicki Kramar

All titles were retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

ROCORI School District, Stearns County

In November 2022, the parent of a ROCORI School District kindergartener challenged LEGO Ninjago: Way of the Ninja by Tracey West. They complained that the book was too violent for kindergarteners.

A review committee voted to retain the title.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Missouri

Clayton High School, St. Louis County

In September 2022, the superintendent of the School District of Clayton removed a list of unchallenged materials from Clayton High School. The administration claimed that the books violated SB 775.

Titles included:

• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Graphic Novel) by Reneé Nault
• Home After Dark by David Small
• No Mercy, Vol. 2 by Alex de Campi
• Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir by Bishakh Som

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Parkway School District, St. Louis County

Following the passages of SB 1224 and SB 775, which govern obscene school materials and child abuse respectively, Parkway School District removed five books from its libraries.

Titles included:

• Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel
• Blankets: An Illustrated Novel by Craig Thompson
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Graphic Novel) by Reneé Nault

To also prevent students from accessing these titles digitally through the school’s partnership with St. Louis County Library, they were prohibited from borrowing any adult materials within the Sora app.

Reported in: West Newsmagazine, November 1, 2022.

St. Clair R-XIII School District, Franklin County

Following the passage of SB 775, St. Clair R-XIII School District reviewed its library collections for compliance. One title, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, was removed from circulation. According to the superintendent, the book was withdrawn because it “contains significant profanity and violence, and can be read as having an anti-law enforcement agenda.”

Reported in: Missourian, December 7, 2022.

Wentzville School District, St. Charles County

During the 2021-2022 school year, a high school librarian in Wentzville School District was visited twice by police after parents accused them of putting pornography in the school library. By September 2022, more than 200 books in the district were temporarily removed, pending review under SB 775.

As of that December, the following titles were banned:

• Animal Stories by Peter Hoey
• Bone Parish, Vol. 1 by Jonas Schraf
• Bone Parish, Vol. 2 by Jonas Schraf
• Bone Parish, Vol. 3 by Jonas Schraf
• Epileptic by B. David
• Flamer by Mike Curato
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Graphic Novel) by Reneé Nault
• Home Body by Rupi Kaur
• How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual by Rebecca Burgess
• It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris
• Ivy by Sarah Oleksyk
• Joe Hill’s The Cape by Joe Hill
• Last Man, Vol. 2: The Royal Cup by Bastien Vivès Balak
• The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado
• Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
• Pablo by Julie Birmant
• Slaughterhouse-Five, or, the Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death, a Graphic Novel Adaptation by Ryan North
• The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

Reported in: ACLU of Missouri website, February 2, 2022; KSDK, February 7, 2022; KWMU, February 16, 2022; KCUR, September 23, 2022; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Nebraska

Kearney High School

In December 2022, the board of Kearney Public Schools voted unanimously to retain two titles in Kearney High School. They were Crank by Ellen Hopkins and Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass 5) by Sarah J. Maas.

The complainants requesting removal of the books had not read either.

Reported in: Kearney Hub, December 13, 2022.

Southeast Community College (Milford Campus), Seward County

In September 2022, the parent of a prospective student touring Southeast Community College informally challenged Tomboyland by Melisa Faliveno. The title was featured on a library display for an inclusive book club. According to the parent, the presence of two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) materials constituted grooming children.

Staff stood firmly behind the college’s diversity policies and rejected the request for removal.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

New Hampshire

Hillsboro-Deering School District, Hillsborough County

Beginning in June 2022, the parent of a high school student in the Hillsboro-Deering School District challenged several books featuring two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) characters.

They were:

• Flamer by Mike Curato
• The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson

These challenges spread to social media and local news, where the Sora e-reading app was also criticized for enabling student access to “pornographic” materials.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Leach Library, Londonderry

On December 28, 2022, a patron at Leach Library formally requested that Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe be moved from the young adult section to adult. Their complaint referenced a single page that they called “borderline pornographic.”

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Manchester City Library

On December 20, 2022, Manchester City Library received formal challenges to Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi and Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe. The former title, a juvenile board book, was accused of “indoctrinat[ing] and condition[ing] children to judge people by their race.” Regarding Gender Queer, the complainant cited a single page with a sexually explicit image.

These outcomes are unknown.

Reported in Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

New Jersey

Gloucester County Library System

On November 28, 2022, a patron of Gloucester County Library System complained about Fred Gets Dressed by Peter Brown. They said the juvenile picture book was inappropriate for children.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, Bergen County

In October 2022, a library media specialist at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan put up a pre-approved display celebrating two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) history.

Before the end of the month, they were asked by administration to remove the display due to complaints from parents of incoming eighth-graders. The justification for this removal was avoiding 2SLGBTQIA+ issues under the “current political climate.”

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

New York

Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, New York

On December 17, 2022, protesters and counter protesters gathered outside the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, where Drag Story Hour was taking place. The event was advertised as “storytime with local drag performers adapted to be more accessible to kids with autism and other disabilities.” Counter protestors outnumbered the anti- two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) protestors by roughly four times.

The morning of the event, the New York City Council released a statement regarding three council members’ houses that had been vandalized by anti-2SLGBTQIA+ demonstrators in connection with the event.

The New York Public Library reaffirmed its commitment to hosting inclusive events for all community members.

Reported in: NBC News, December 19, 2022, and December 30, 2022; Queens Chronicle, December 29, 2022.

Somers High School, Westchester County

On November 2, 2022, a Somers High School English teacher offered an optional reading assignment to tenth-grade students. During class, a student notified their parent of the provided handout, which excerpted Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad. The parent, who belonged to a small local group that frequently opposes diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, decried the material as racist.

Before the end of the period, the district superintendent interrupted to order the teacher’s immediate removal from the classroom. They were suspended, pending investigative review.

The title had previously been included in the school’s English curriculum, but was removed two years prior to this incident. The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Westhampton Beach High School, Suffolk County

In December 2022, the parent of an eleventh grader at Westhampton Beach High School formally challenged “A Clack of Tiny Sparks: Remembrances of a Gay Boyhood” by Bernard Cooper. They complained that the article, which had been included in the Advanced Placement curriculum for years, made their teen “uncomfortable.”

At the recommendation of a material review committee, the article was retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

North Carolina

Ayden-Grifton High School, Pitt County

In November 2022, the parent of an Ayden-Grifton High School student formally challenged Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. They objected to sexually explicit dialogue in the novel.

Upon committee review, the title was retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Eugene Ashley High School, New Hanover County

In December 2022, the parent of a Eugene Ashley High School student complained over email about Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds with Ibram X. Kendi. They said the title, which was taught in an Advanced Placement (AP) course, “contains Marxist ideology, inaccurate reframing of history, untruths, and disrespect for our nation and the Bible.”

Despite their child being given an alternative assignment, the parent filed a formal complaint. At a January board meeting, they defended their request with false claims that several founding fathers had freed their slaves, and insisted that “America was not founded on injustice and slavery.” For years, this individual has claimed the district is indoctrinating students with leftist ideology.

“There’s a fundamental difference between saying I would prefer my kid not to read this book, and saying no kid should read this book,” said the teacher of the AP course. “And to give that kind of carte blanche control, that any idea that comes up in a book that bothers someone they can just say no kid can have access to it, is very troubling.”

A review committee’s initial decision to reject the challenge was appealed by the parent. At the start of the 2023-2024 school year, the board voted 4-3 to temporarily remove Stamped from classrooms, pending further review. The title, however, remained in circulation within high school libraries.

Reported in: WHQR, January 31, 2023, June 27, 2023, and September 5, 2023; Carolina Journal, September 11, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Madison County Schools

At the September 2022 board meeting for Madison County Schools, a board candidate denounced All American Boys by Jason Reynolds. They had discovered the title in the library of Madison Middle School. At the next meeting in October, a former teacher mistakenly said the book had been banned.

District administration quickly denied this claim, clarifying their official challenge policy and explaining that no formal complaint had been filed.

“When selecting instructional material, a school must focus on all its students, but we believe a parent should always have the final say in reading material,” said the superintendent. “It is also important, however, that no individual can limit the same right to choose for other parents.”

Reported in: Asheville Citizen Times, November 4, 2022.

Southern Wayne High School, Wayne County

In November 2022, a local preacher and a parent began challenging library books at Southern Wayne High School that they deemed pornographic. They claimed the books were turning young readers into “furries.”

Titles included:

• Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
• Melissa by Alex Gino
• Spinning by Tillie Walden

Beyond Magenta was retained; the other outcomes, however, are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Unionville Elementary School, Union County

On October 30, 2022, a parent of Unionville Elementary School students complained over email about Old MacDonald Had a Baby by Emily Snape. They objected to the book’s depiction of gay parents because “men cannot have babies.”

The next day, this individual filed a formal challenge. On November 9, a review committee voted 4-3 to remove the book from the school’s collection.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Wake County Public Libraries

In September 2022, Wake County Public Libraries added 20 copies of Johnny the Walrus by Matt Walsh to the system collection. The picture book—written by a prominent anti-transgender activist—depicts a boy who imagines that he is a walrus and is subsequently forced by “internet people” to become one.

Earlier that year, senior library staff independently removed several titles from circulation. They were:

• Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli

Senior staff justified their decisions to remove Antiracist Baby and Our Skin, both board books, arguing that political and social commentary should not be accessible to children. This incident prompted administrators to adopt a new material reconsideration policy, which was later used to support the purchase of Johnny the Walrus.

“Johnny the Walrus is a book written to mock the legitimacy of trans people’s very existence. It exists in the context of a movement to demonize and attack trans people, to deny them equal rights up to and including that of physical safety,” said one librarian. “It is possible to acknowledge this while also explaining and defending the process by which the book was purchased and will be reviewed for reconsideration.”

Reported in: Indy Week, November 9, 2022.

Wilkes County School District

In November 2022, the board of Wilkes County School District amended their material reconsideration policy to grant superintendents the temporary authority to immediately remove books upon being challenged.

One title, Looking for Alaska by John Green, was subsequently challenged and withdrawn.

Reported in: Wilkes Journal-Patriot, November 8, 2022.

Wilson County Public Library

In September 2022, a patron of Wilson County Public Library called to express concern about a display of books, some of which featured two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) characters and themes. Their request to relocate the books was refused, as it violated the library’s collection development and diversity policies.

In November, the same individual began posting negative comments on the library’s Facebook page, referencing their unsuccessful challenge.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Ohio

Big Walnut Local School District, Delaware County

In fall 2022, a community member challenged 24 titles from classrooms and libraries in Big Walnut Local School District. They were:

• After by Amy Efaw
• All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Brave New World: A Graphic Novel by Fred Fordham
• Bumped by Megan McCafferty
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Flamer by Mike Curato
• The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell
• Go Ask Alice! by Anonymous
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
• I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez
• Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• Slaughterhouse-Five, or, the Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Looking for Alaska was an optional reading that had been in the curriculum for years. After an appeal to initial recommendations to retain the title, the board voted in January 2023 to definitively keep it.

On the day of their meeting, over 100 Big Walnut High Schoolers participated in a walkout protest of recent censorship attempts. “We are telling the board that we want these books in our school, we want them in our libraries, we want them being taught to us,” said one student activist.

The other challenge outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Delaware Gazette, November 2, 2022; WBNS, January 12, 2023, and January 13, 2023.

Cuyahoga County Public Library

On October 4, 2022, a patron at Cuyahoga County Public Library filed a formal challenge to Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe. Their complaint was supported by a several-page document from Christian Action Network, which urged parents to challenge school library materials. This individual had already filed a complaint with the local school district, which did not own the title.

They alleged that the graphic novel, which was shelved in the adult collection, harmed children, using terms like “anti-biological” and “anti-parent” to describe it. This outcome is unknown.

On December 10, another patron formally challenged Call Me Max by Kyle Lukoff. They complained that they could not read the book to their grandchild because it discussed “transgender issues.” This title was ultimately retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Hastings Middle School, Upper Arlington

On October 13, 2022, a librarian from Upper Arlington Public Library was invited to share coming-of-age books with sixth graders at Hastings Middle School. After the lesson, two parents reached out with complaints about one of the discussed titles, Ana on the Edge by A. J. Sass, which features transgender and nonbinary characters. The librarian then began receiving threatening mail.

The school district opened a legal investigation into the incident; however, the outcome is unknown.

Reported in: WBNS, October 31, 2022; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Montgomery County

In September 2022, a librarian at Dayton Metro Library shared Banned Books Week bingo sheets with a librarian at West Carrollton High School. Shortly after, the Dayton librarian received an email from the high school principal explaining that “controversial matters” are prohibited and all distributed materials must be pre-approved. A local parent had lodged a complaint.

For this same reason, district teachers were unable to obtain requested classroom copies of Melissa by Alex Gino, which is written about a transgender girl.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Red Oak Community School, Columbus

On December 3, 2022, right-wing demonstrators—including armed members of the Proud Boys—gathered outside the First Unitarian Church of Columbus, where Red Oak Community School was to host its Holi-Drag Storytime event.

The event was cancelled last-minute due to safety concerns.

Reported in: NBC News, December 3, 2022; Spectrum News 1, December 3, 2022.

Rutherford B. Hayes High School, Delaware

In fall 2022, a member of the Delaware community complained about Rutherford B. Hayes High School showing the ALA’s annual banned books slideshow on a central display.

Another community member with no children in the district challenged Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, which they called pornographic.

These outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Wayne County Public Library

In October and November 2022, following the circulation of a religious petition to remove books from Wayne County Public Library, county residents filed formal challenges to several titles.

They included:

• The Every Body Book: The LGBTQ+ Inclusive Guide for Kids About Sex, Gender, Bodies, and Families by Rachel E. Simon
• The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Lil Miss Hot Mess
• Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival
• Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes by Elise Gravel
• Puberty Is Gross but Also Really Awesome by Gina Loveless

All affected titles feature either two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) representation or discuss puberty.

These outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Oklahoma

Owasso Public Schools

In August 2022, the parent of an Owasso High School student formally challenged Blankets: An Illustrated Novel by Craig Thompson. The parent called Blankets pornographic, referencing depictions of nudity and child sexual abuse. The graphic novel was not returned to the school library after the complainant’s child borrowed it.

Subsequently, the district withdrew all schools’ nearly 3,000 graphic novels for review.

Reported in: Tulsa World, November 15, 2022; VICE, November 23, 2022.

Oregon

Between January and October 2022, undisclosed public and school libraries in Oregon reported challenges to numerous materials and book displays. Controversial displays included those celebrating Black History Month, Pride Month, Banned Books Week, and Hispanic Heritage Month.

The following titles were challenged and retained:

• Animorphs, Vol. 2: The Visitor by Chris Grine
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan
• The Truth About COVID-19: Exposing the Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal by Joesph Mercola
• Tuesday’s Promise: One Veteran, One Dog, and Their Bold Quest to Change Lives by Luis Carlos Montalván

The outcomes of challenges to these titles are unknown:

• The Abolition of Sex: How the Transgender Agenda Harms Women and Girls by Kara Dansky
• The Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead: The Frank Meeink Story by Frank Meeink
• When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment by Ryan T. Anderson

Getting It and God Box, both by Alex Sanchez, were temporarily removed for 10 days without explanation. A request to relocate The Lock-Eater by Zack Loran Clark to the teen section was rejected, whereas Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker was moved from the teen collection to adult.

Lastly, What’s Going on Down There? A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up by Karen Gravelle was removed due to its poor condition, with the intent to replace it with a more recent edition.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Crook County Library

In July 2022, Prineville community members spread disinformation about Rick by Alex Gino from Crook County Library. They claimed that, inside the back cover of the middle grade title, it advertised a link to “hook-ups for pedophiles.” The link actually navigated to a crisis hotline for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) individuals.

For at least four months afterwards, a growing number of community members began pushing to restrict and remove all library titles with positive 2SLGBTQIA+ representation.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Pennsylvania

Central Bucks School District, Bucks County

On July 26, 2022, the board of Central Bucks School District passed a new policy regarding sexually explicit library materials. The policy was intentionally vague and met with widespread opposition from the community, which called it a book ban. Many worried that it would be used to target materials with two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) representation.

“This proposed policy is not about the kids,” said one librarian. “It’s about those parents who are uncomfortable talking to their kids about real-world issues.”

On December 1, 2022, district librarians received an email announcing challenges to five titles. Four of them included 2SLGBTQIA+ themes and characters. They were:

• Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson

Upon committee review, only Gender Queer and This Book Is Gay were withdrawn.

Reported in: WHYY, July 27, 2022, January 25, 2023, February 3, 2023, and February 7, 2023; FOX 29, January 20, 2023; broadandliberty.com, January 24, 2023; WPVI, May 5, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Chester County Library and District Center and Henrietta Hankin Branch

At the December 1, 2022, board meeting for Chester County Library and District Center and Henrietta Hankin Branch, the president handed out excerpts from Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe. They called the title porn and claimed that e-book copies were readily accessible to children.

The president had already threatened to quit the board earlier in the year, in retaliation against the library’s drag queen bingo fundraiser.

The outcome of this challenge is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Free Library of Philadelphia

On September 12, 2022, the Free Library of Philadelphia completed their review of six Dr. Seuss books. They were:

• And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss
• The Cat’s Quizzer by Dr. Seuss
• If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss
• McElligot’s Pool by Dr. Seuss
• On Beyond Zebra! by Dr. Seuss
• Scrambled Eggs Super! by Dr. Seuss

The publication of these books was discontinued in 2021 due to harmful depictions of racial and ethnic groups. All reviewed titles were withdrawn from circulation, and a copy of each text was preserved in the archival Children’s Literature Research Collection.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

General McLane High School, Erie County

In November 2022, the grandparent of an elementary schooler requested removal of This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, from the library of General McLane High School. In an email to the principal, this individual expressed concern over sexual and drug-related themes in the book.

Upon meeting to discuss the challenge, the principal determined that the title would remain available, but only to eleventh graders and older.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Hollidaysburg Area School District

At the beginning of the 2022–2023 school year, a Hollidaysburg Area School District junior high teacher displayed a Pride flag in their classroom and asked students for their preferred pronouns. District parents were outraged. This issue later escalated when the teacher was personally seen reading Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, which they kept visible on their desk. They were reprimanded and forbidden from bringing the title back to school.

Following public outcry, some school board members moved to amend policy language regarding what topics are appropriate for classroom discussions, including political, religious, and sexual content. “In light of everything we’re learning, [the teacher’s] class was not a safe space, and the Pride flag is instead being used as a guise in order to facilitate conversations with students that are inappropriate and the school is not able to monitor,” said one parent. This individual involved Pennsylvania State Police despite being informed that students were neither shown nor read any material from Gender Queer.

Students felt very different. “When I have a teacher who I know cares about me and loves me, I trust what they’re teaching me,” said one high schooler. “A Pride flag is a symbol of acceptance and love. It means a lot to a kid to have someone say that they love you or they care about you.”

Outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Altoona Mirror, November 7, 2022, and November 11, 2022.

Paul Smith Library of Southern York County, York County

In July 2022, an adult patron checked out Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs from the Paul Smith Library of Southern York County. After reading half of the memoir, the patron returned it and filed a request for its removal. They cited pedophilia and rape in their complaint.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

PENNCREST School District

At a board meeting for Penncrest School District on December 8, 2022, the policy committee chairman sponsored an amendment to outright ban materials with two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) representation. Previously, this individual called a Pride Month display at Maplewood High School “totally evil.”

This time, they claimed religious dissent and provided a list of 11 objectionable titles in district libraries. Of these, only Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin was disclosed.

All outcomes, however, are unknown.

Reported in: Erie Times-News, January 11, 2023, and January 13, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

South Western High School, York County

In fall 2022, the library of South Western High School received an informal challenge to The Haters by Jesse Andrews. A parent and candidate for Pennsylvania state representative shared excerpts on Facebook, calling the title pornographic.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

South Carolina

Anderson County Library System

In August 2022, a patron of the Anderson County Library System formally challenged My Shadow Is Purple by Scott Stuart. In their complaint, they argued that the book may cause a child to “start doubting his or her God-given biological gender.”

After surviving initial review and an appeal, the title was ultimately retained in the juvenile collection.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Greenville County Library System

On December 5, 2022, the board of Greenville County Library System voted to relocate parenting and early childhood resources from the juvenile collection to adult nonfiction. The board also opted to delay voting on a list of 24 challenged books. These titles were not disclosed, with the exception of It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Post and Courier, December 5, 2022.

Horry County School District

In December 2022, Moms for Liberty requested an audit of every library in the Horry County School District. By late January 2023, the group had compiled a list of 77 books they deemed “vulgar.” These included:

• A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
• All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
• All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell
• Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
• And They Lived... by Steven Salvatore
• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
• Ask the Passengers by A. S. King
• Beautiful by Amy Lynn Reed
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Boy Girl Boy by Ronald Koertge
• Breathless by Jennifer Niven
• Burned by Ellen Hopkins
• Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
• Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
• A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Wings and Ruins by Sarah J. Maas
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass 5) by Sarah J. Maas
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
• Fade by Lisa McMann
• Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
• Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
• The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
• The Fixer by Claudia Carroll
• The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell
• Flamer by Mike Curato
• Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
• Glass by Ellen Hopkins
• Go Ask Alice! by Anonymous
• Grit by Gillian French
• grl2grl: Short fictions by Julie Anne Peters
• Grown by Tiffany Jackson
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Haters by Jesse Andrews
• I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez
• Identical by Ellen Hopkins
• I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
• Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
• Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• Lucky by Alice Sebold
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson
• More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
• Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
• Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
• Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
• Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
• SCARS by Cheryl Rainfield
• Shine by Lauren Myracle
• Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
• SOLD by Patricia McCormick
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki
• Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
• Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
• The Truth about Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
• The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi
• The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

At the district’s January board meeting, community members turned out in overwhelming opposition to proposed bans.

“Do these books deal with difficult subjects? Are these subjects real-world situations? Do they represent lived experiences of diverse people?” asked a retired teacher in attendance. “The answer to all of these is, yes. And that is exactly what literature is supposed to do.”

Final outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: My Horry News, November 14, 2022; WPDE, November 14, 2022, December 8, 2022, and January 23, 2023.

Lexington-Richland School District Five

In October 2022, Lexington-Richland School District Five temporarily removed all copies of Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy after a local parent filed a formal challenge. The complainant said the juvenile title, which celebrates Black history, was “divisive, political propaganda not seen as historical.” Upon review, the committee unanimously voted to return the title to district libraries.

In November, the parent of a Beechwood Middle School student requested reconsideration of The Blood Between Us by Zac Brewer. They said the presence of a bisexual character would “cause children confusion on their sexual orientation.” The outcome of this challenge is unknown.

Reported in: State, October 31, 2022; Carolina News & Reporter, December 7, 2022; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

School District of Pickens County

On November 28, 2022, the board of the School District of Pickens County rejected an initial recommendation to retain Dear Martin by Nic Stone following a parent challenge. The novel was instead prohibited in curriculum, and library and classroom copies were restricted to students with guardian permission.

Earlier that fall, the district banned two titles from classroom libraries and media centers for a five-year period. They were The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds with Ibram X. Kendi.

Reported in: Conservatives of the Upstate, November 2022; FOX Carolina News, November 29, 2022; School District of Pickens County website; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

South Dakota

Gregory Public Library

In October 2022, the Gregory Public Library received an informal complaint regarding It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn. A staff member agreed to not place the title on display, but also reaffirmed their responsibility “to represent those who are seeking this book as the library has to be neutral and offer materials for all.”

The complaint did not escalate to a formal challenge, and the title was retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Rawlins Municipal Library, Pierre

On October 27, 2022, the Pierre Library Board responded to a patron’s request for the removal of Push by Sapphire from Rawlins Municipal Library. In a compromise, the board voted to relocate the title from the young adult section to adult.

“I feel very strongly about not banning any books,” one board member clarified.

Reported in: Capital Journal, October 28, 2022.

Spearfish Public Library

In May 2022, Spearfish Public Library received a formal challenge to Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Tennessee

Clarksville High School

In October 2022, the parent of a Clarksville High Schooler challenged Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You by Kathryn Gonzales. They said that the resources provided at the end of the book linked to pornographic websites.

A committee determined that, while the book’s content was age-appropriate, the linked resources in the back were not. The title was therefore removed from the collection.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Clinton Public Library

In late October 2022, two individuals filed challenges to three titles from Clinton Public Library.

They included:

• Families Like Mine by Marie-Therese Miller
• Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate
• It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn

According to their formal complaints, the patrons accused these authors of “attempting to normalize and glorify unbiblical, untruthful family structures such as so-called gay marriage.” All the titles featured two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) characters.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Wilson County Schools

On December 5, 2022, the board of Wilson County Schools voted to remove two titles from district libraries over sexually explicit content. The books were Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by Lev A. C. Rosen and Tricks by Ellen Hopkins.

Reported in: Lebanon Democrat, December 10, 2022.

Texas

Arlington Public Library

On October 28, 2022, Arlington Public Library received formal challenges to three graphic novels. All complaints referred to sexually explicit material.

The titles were:

• The Love Bunglers (Love and Rockets) by Jaime Hernandez
• The Pervert by Remy Boydell and Michelle Perez
• Sex Criminals, Vol. 1 by Matt Fraction

The outcomes of these challenges are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Conroe Independent School District, Montgomery County

On December 12, 2022, four books were withdrawn from libraries in Conroe Independent School District. A parent had initiated a challenge to these materials, which they deemed sexually explicit.

The titles were:

• All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
• Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
• Push by Sapphire
• What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Frisco Independent School District

In November 2022, Frisco Independent School District released a list of books that were either restricted or removed entirely from district libraries. The titles included:

• The Abduction (Theodore Boone 2) by John Grisham
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• The Accomplice (Theodore Boone 7) by John Grisham
• The Accused (Theodore Boone 3) by John Grisham
• The Activist (Theodore Boone 4) by John Grisham
• Adventures of a Kid Magician: From the Magical Life of Justin Flom by Scott Flom
• After Life (Blue Bloods 10) by Melissa de la Cruz
• Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse
• Alex Rider: The Gadgets by Anthony Horowitz
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
• All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell
• Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
• Ambush (Pillage 3) by Obert Skye
• American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman
• An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy
• And I Darken by Kiersten White
• And They Lived... by Steven Salvatore
• Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
• Ark Angel (Alex Rider 6) by Anthony Horowitz
• Asking for It by Louise O’Neill
• The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
• Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez
• Better Than Perfect by Melissa Kantor
• Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
• Blue Window by Adina Gewirtz
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• The Book of Magic (Merlin 12) by T. A. Barron
• The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
• Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
• Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia
• Brown v. Board of Education: A Fight for Simple Justice by Susan Rubin
• Burned by Ellen Hopkins
• The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White
• The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
• Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas
• Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
• Cheshire Crossing by Andy Weir
• The Great Tree of Avalon (Merlin 9) by T. A. Barron
• Choke (Pillage 2) by Obert Skye
• The Chupacabra (The Cryptid Files 2) by Jean Flitcroft
• City Love by Susane Coasanti
• City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
• City of Light, City of Dark: A Comic-Book Novel by Avi
• A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire 2) by George R. R. Martin
• Code of Honor by Alan Gratz
• Consent by Nancy Ohlin
• A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
• Court of Lions (Mirage 2) by Somaiya Daud
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Wings and Ruins by Sarah J. Maas
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Criss Cross by Lynne Perkins
• Cursed Pirate Girl by Jeremy Bastian
• Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian
• A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire 5) by George R. R. Martin
• The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
• Dark Tide by Jennifer Donnelly
• The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska
• Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin Van Whye
• The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee
• D-Day: The World War II Invasion that Changed History by Deborah Hopkinson
• The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
• The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
• Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
• Dear Martin by Nic Stone
• Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer
• The Devil’s Intern by Donna Hosie
• The Dirt on Mr. Claxton by Tiffany Youngblood
• The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr by Judith St. George
• Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt
• Doing It! Let’s Talk About Sex by Hannah Witton
• Doomraga’s Revenge (Merlin 7) by T. A. Barron
• Eagle Strike: The Graphic Novel by Anthony Horowitz
• The Edge by Roland Smith
• Eleanor Roosevelt, Fighter for Justice: Her Impact on the Civil Rights Movement, the White House and the World by Ilene Cooper
• The Epidemic by Suzanne Young
• The Eternal Flame (Merlin 11) by T. A. Barron
• Eldest by Christopher Paolini
• Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi
• Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass 5) by Sarah J. Maas
• Epidemic!: The Battle Against Polio by Stephanie Peters
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini
• Even If I Fall by Abigail Johnson
• Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel
• Eyes of the Forest by April Henry
• Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonnenblick
• Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
• A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire 4) by George R. R. Martin
• The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
• Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
• The Fire (Witch & Wizard 3) by James Patterson
• Fire Star (Last Dragon 3) by Chris D’Lacey
• Fire Will Fall by Carol Plum-Ucci
• Firebug by Lish McBride
• Flamer by Mike Curato
• The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
• Friends Forever by Shannon Hale
• Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch
• The Fugitive (Theodore Boone 5) by John Grisham
• A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire 1) by George R. R. Martin
• Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods 9) by Melissa de la Cruz
• The Gift (Witch & Wizard 2) by James Patterson
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century by Neal Bascomb
• The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
• Grown by Tiffany Jackson
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Graphic Novel) by Reneé Nault
• The Haters by Jesse Andrews
• The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
• The Hobbit: Or, There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien
• Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
• Hooked by Catherine Greenman
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
• I Never by Laura Hopper
• Identical by Ellen Hopkins
• If I Stay by Gayle Forman
• I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
• Illegal by Eoin Colfer
• The Immoralists by Chloe Benjamin
• Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
• Infernal Devices (Clockwork Princess 3) by Cassandra Clare
• The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
• Inheritance, or, The Vault of Souls by Christopher Paolini
• Isaac the Alchemist: Secrets of Isaac Newton, Reveal’d by Mary Losure
• Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood, Vol. 1 by Hirohiko Araki
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood, Vol. 2 by Hirohiko Araki
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood, Vol. 3 by Hirohiko Araki
• Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: A Graphic Novel by Carl Bowen
• Killer Spirit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
• King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard
• The Kiss (Witch & Wizard 4) by James Patterson
• Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
• Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
• Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
• The Loch Ness Monster (The Cryptid Files 1) by Jean Flitcroft
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
• The Lost (Witch & Wizard 5) by James Patterson
• Lost in Time (Blue Bloods 6) by Melissa de la Cruz
• The Lost Years (Merlin 1) by T. A. Barron
• The Loudness by Nick Courage
• M. L. K.: Journey of a King by Tonya Bolden
• Man Walks on the Moon by Valerie Bodden
• Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise McGraw
• The Mark by Jen Nadol
• Masquerade (Blue Bloods 2) by Melissa de la Cruz
• Master Keaton, Vol. 1 by Naoki Urasawa
• Master Keaton, Vol. 2 by Naoki Urasawa
• Master Keaton, Vol. 3 by Naoki Urasawa
• Master Keaton, Vol. 4 by Naoki Urasawa
• Master Keaton, Vol. 5 by Naoki Urasawa
• Master Keaton, Vol. 6 by Naoki Urasawa
• Master Keaton, Vol. 7 by Naoki Urasawa
• Master Keaton, Vol. 8 by Naoki Urasawa
• Master Keaton, Vol. 9 by Naoki Urasawa
• Master Keaton, Vol. 10 by Naoki Urasawa
• The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Vol. 1 by Nagaru Tanigawa
• The Dragon of Avalon (Merlin 6) by T. A. Barron
• Messenger by Lois Lowry
• A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata
• The Mirror of Fate (Merlin 4) by T. A. Barron
• Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods 5) by Melissa de la Cruz
• Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu
• Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood by Marjorie Liu
• Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven by Marjorie Liu
• Monstress, Vol. 4: The Chosen by Marjorie Liu
• Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture by Roxane Gay
• The November Criminals by Sam Munson
• Now I Rise by Kiersten White
• One of Us is Next by Karen McManus
• Original Fake by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
• The Pacific Giants (The Cryptid Files 3) by Jean Flitcroft
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
• Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
• Peak by Roland Smith
• People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins
• Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
• The Phantom Twin by Lisa Brown
• Pillage by Obert Skye
• Point Blank (Alex Rider 2) by Anthony Horowitz
• Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly
• Pox, Pus & Plague: A History of Disease and Infection (A Painful History of Medicine) by John Townsend
• The Program by Suzanne Young
• P. S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
• Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
• Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge
• The Raging Fires (Merlin 3) by T. A. Barron
• Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis Wiebe
• Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth by Kurtis Wiebe
• Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons by Kurtis Wiebe
• A Rational Explanation by Tiffany Youngblood
• Reagan Youth (Deadly Class 1) by Rick Remender
• Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
• The Remedy by Suzanne Young
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien
• The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming
• The River by Gary Paulsen
• Revelations (Blue Bloods 3) by Melissa de la Cruz
• Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly
• Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
• The Scandal (Theodore Boone 6) by John Grisham
• SCARS by Cheryl Rainfield
• Schooled by Gordon Korman
• Scorpia (Alex Rider 5) by Anthony Horowitz
• Scorpia Rising (Alex Rider 9) by Anthony Horowitz
• A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary Smith
• The Seven Songs (Merlin 2) by T. A. Barron
• Shadows on the Stars (Merlin 10) by T. A. Barron
• Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones
• Shine by Lauren Myracle
• The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa
• Skeleton Key (Alex Rider 3) by Anthony Horowitz
• Skin by Donna Jo Napoli
• Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
• Snakehead (Alex Rider 7) by Anthony Horowitz
• SOLD by Patricia McCormick
• Soul Eater, Vol. 1 by Atsushi Ohkubo
• Soul Eater, Vol. 2 by Atsushi Ōkubo
• Soul Eater, Vol. 3 by Atsushi Ōkubo
• Soul Eater, Vol. 4 by Atsushi Ōkubo
• Soul Eater, Vol. 5 by Atsushi Ōkubo
• Soupy Leaves Home by Cecil Castellucci
• Space Battle Lunchtime, Vol. 2: Recipe for Disaster by Natalie Riess
• Spy x Family, Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endō
• Spy x Family, Vol. 2 by Tatsuya Endō
• Spy x Family, Vol. 3 by Tatsuya Endō
• Spy x Family, Vol. 4 by Tatsuya Endō
• Spy x Family, Vol. 5 by Tatsuya Endō
• Spy x Family, Vol. 6 by Tatsuya Endō
• Stolen by Lucy Christopher
• A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire 1) by George R. R. Martin
• Stormbreaker (Alex Rider 1) by Anthony Horowitz
• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
• Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White
• Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
• The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
• Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
• There’s No Place Like Home by Jen Calonita
• They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
• Those that Wake by Jesse Karp
• The Towering Sky by Katharine McGee
• Traffick by Ellen Hopkins
• The Treatment by Suzanne Young
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
• Troublemaker for Justice: The Story of Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March on Washington by Jacqueline Houtman
• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
• The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien
• Ultimate Magic (Merlin 8) by T. A. Barron
• The Van Alen Legacy (Blue Bloods 4) by Melissa de la Cruz
• Victoria and the Rogue by Meg Cabot
• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
• War Storm: Rise with the Dawn by Victoria Aveyard
• Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour
• What Goes Around: A Hotlanta Novel by Denene Millner
• What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler
• Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
• Witch & Wizard by James Patterson
• A Wizard’s Wings (Merlin 5) by T. A. Barron
• Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally Walker
• You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin
• Zombies Don’t Cry by Rusty Fischer

Reported in: CBR.com, November 15, 2022.

Kriewald Road Elementary, San Antonio

On December 1, 2022, the library of Kriewald Road Elementary received an email instructing staff to remove The House of Hades by Rick Riordan and send it to administration. No mention of a formal reconsideration request or review by committee was made—only that the title had been borrowed recently by a second grader.

Further actions are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Mansfield Independent School District

In winter 2022, a board member for Mansfield Independent School District challenged two books. They were All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.

In March 2023, a review committee recommended that both titles be retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

North Lamar Independent School District, Lamar County

In October 2022, the board of North Lamar Independent School District voted against a repeat request to remove two books from its libraries. The complaint was filed by a former teacher and unsuccessful school board candidate who had been pursuing challenges to materials since fall 2021.

Although this individual challenged five titles, only four are known. They are:

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote
• Racism in America: A Long History of Hate by Meghan Green

Only one of the titles, Racism in America, was removed.

Reported in: Paris News, November 1, 2022.

Pflugerville Independent School District

On November 14, 2022, the parent of a Pflugerville Independent School District student filed formal challenges to Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. They called these titles pornographic.

Ultimately, a reconsideration committee voted to retain both books.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

West Oso Independent School District, Nueces County

In April 2022, a group of parents affiliated with Moms for Liberty requested that three titles be removed from a high school library in West Oso Independent School District. By the end of May, the following titles were withdrawn for “concerning content”:

• Brave Face: A Memoir by David Hutchinson
• The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg
• Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

Since the formal reconsideration process was not followed, a newly hired librarian returned all the books to shelves at the start of the new school year.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Utah

Brighton High School, Cottonwood Heights

On December 13, 2022, after The Haters by Jesse Andrews was challenged and subsequently retained in the library of Brighton High School, a local parent formally appealed the decision.

Despite indicating in their complaint that they had not read the entire book, they wrote, “This may be a book about finding your jam and a road trip but that’s the shell for the true theme, which is porn.”

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Davis School District, Davis County

In 2022, Utah Parents United lobbied for the passage of HB 374, which governs sensitive materials in schools. By March 2023, the Davis School District had received 81 reconsideration requests under the new law.

“A parent doesn’t have to go through this entire process of having a book reviewed if they don’t want their individual child to have access to it, they can simply call a school administrator,” said a district spokesperson.

Of the 81 titles challenged, 76 are known. They include:

• The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
• Allegedly by Tiffany Jackson
• Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
• Beautiful by Amy Lynn Reed
• A Beautiful Wedding (Beautiful 1) by Jamie McGuire
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
• The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
• Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
• Collateral by Ellen Hopkins
• A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Wings and Ruins by Sarah J. Maas
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
• Deogratias, a Tale of Rwanda by Jean-Philippe Stassen
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi
• Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass 5) by Sarah J. Maas
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
• Fade by Lisa McMann
• Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
• The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell
• From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• The Gift by Danielle Steel
• Glass by Ellen Hopkins
• Go Ask Alice! by Anonymous
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Graphic Novel) by Reneé Nault
• The Haters by Jesse Andrews
• The Holy Bible
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City 1) by Sarah J. Maas
• I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez
• Identical by Ellen Hopkins
• Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
• Infandous by Elana K. Arnold
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
• It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
• Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass 8) by Sarah J. Maas
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
• Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
• Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
• Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson
• Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
• Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
• Shine by Lauren Myracle
• Slaughterhouse-Five, or, the Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut
• SOLD by Patricia McCormick
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
• Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass 6) by Sarah J. Maas
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
• The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
• Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold

At least 33 of these titles were withdrawn.

Reported in: Hill, March 24, 2023; Salt Lake Tribune, June 1, 2023; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Delta High School, Millard County

At a board meeting for Millard School District on November 10, 2022, a community member with no children in the district complained about a list of books from Delta High School.

Known titles were:

• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Breathless by Jennifer Niven
• Confess: A Novel by Colleen Hoover
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
• Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
• Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• Slaughterhouse-Five, or, the Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death, a Graphic Novel Adaptation by Ryan North

“In a county with no bookstores and where a great portion of parents cannot afford to pay for their child’s lunch, let alone buy extra books, removing a book from the school library is effectively denying children and their parents the choice to read it,” said the parent of a Delta High Schooler.

The outcomes of these challenges are unknown.

Reported in: Millard County Chronicle Progress, November 16, 2022; Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Salt Lake County Library Services

Between September and November 2022, Salt Lake County Library Services received three challenges to juvenile books. All complaints were about inappropriate nudity.

The titles included:

• How Do You Make a Baby by Anna Fiske
• Search and Find Alphabet of Alphabets by Allan Sanders
• Tell Me: What Children Really Want to Know about Bodies, Sex, and Emotions by Katherine von der Garthen

Final outcomes are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge reports.

Washington County Library

In November 2022, a parent at the Hurricane Branch of Washington County Library formally challenged My First Book of Feminism (For Boys) by Julie Merberg.

The book was ultimately withdrawn from that branch due to its lack of circulation, while all other copies in the system were retained.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Virginia

Chesterfield County Public Schools

On November 7, 2022, at a board meeting for Chesterfield County Public Schools, several parents called It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris sexually explicit. One of these speakers was escorted out by police after refusing to adhere to time constraints.

The outcome of this complaint is unknown. School districts across Virginia were required to adopt parental notification policies for sensitive classroom materials by January 1, 2023.

Reported in: Chesterfield Observer, November 15, 2022.

Gloucester County High School

In December 2021, a community member filed a reconsideration request for Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, from the library of Gloucester County High School. The title underwent committee review and was retained, but this decision was appealed by the complainant.

Gender Queer was ultimately relocated behind the circulation desk, where only students 16 and older may borrow it.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Washington

North Central Washington Libraries

In October 2022, a patron at North Central Washington Libraries returned Next to Last Stand by Craig Johnson. They notified library staff that a previous borrower had covered instances of the word “fuck” on several pages with correction tape.

The outcome is unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.

Vancouver Community Library

In 2019, Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries hosted over 2,300 storytime programs. Of these, three were drag queen story hours. These events, which all reached maximum capacity, took place at Vancouver Community Library and were sponsored by Friends of the Vancouver Community Library.

Upon advertising the programs, an oppositional group formed decrying “gender confusion.” As of that December, the group claimed to have collected several-thousand signatures petitioning against future levy votes for the library if they refused to denounce the inclusive events.

The library system remained steadfast in their support for diverse programming.

Reported in: Columbian, December 6, 2022.

Wisconsin

Milton School District

At the Milton School District board meeting on October 24, 2022, two parents presented a list of library books they deemed sexually explicit. Both individuals were affiliated with the local chapter of Moms for Liberty.

Their list included:

• Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
• Breathless by Jennifer Niven
• A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Damsel by Elana Arnold
• The Duff by Kody Keplinger
• Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass 5) by Sarah J. Maas
• The Haters by Jesse Andrews
• Infandous by Elana K. Arnold
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
• Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
• SOLD by Patricia McCormick
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Two days later, in a follow-up email to district administrators and faculty, Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe was also added.

The outcomes of these challenges are unknown.

Reported in: Office for Intellectual Freedom challenge report.