Banned Books Week 2010

Top ten most frequently challenged books of 2009

The St. Charles Public Library DOES NOT BAN these books or any others.

For nearly 20 years, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has collected reports on book challenges. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school, requesting that materials be removed or restricted because of content or appropriateness. In 2009, OIF received 460 reports on efforts to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves.

The ALA’s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009 reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

	TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series) by Lauren Myracle Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs
	And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell Reasons: Homosexuality
	The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide
	To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
	Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
	The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
	My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence
	The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
	The Color Purple by Alice Walker Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
	The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group