According to pen.org, book bans have been on the rise by 33% in the 2022-2023 school year, holding 40% of all book bans ever. There are many reasons why book bans are harmful as taking away a piece of literature is like taking away someone’s thoughts and ideas from libraries. Why is it that there have been so many more bans in recent years than in the past? There is a rise of “parent’s rights groups,” which target books specifically with people of color and the LGBTQ+ community (nytimes.com) 

It isn’t just libraries in schools that are under fire. These same groups that are going after books within the schools are going into public libraries as well. This restricts anybody from reading books which is a problem. Across the United States there are books that appear on challenged book lists frequently because they tackle some of the same subjects.  Here are some of the most frequently banned books as well as why they are being challenged: Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe: The most banned book in America- from July 2021- December 2022, Gender Queer was banned from 56 districts. (pen.org). This story centers around the author’s personal experience in gender identity and expression. Because it is a graphic novel, it was challenged for “explicit” images.

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson is the second most banned book and was banned 29 times in the 2021-2022 school year (wortfm.org). This book is a memoir/manifesto of essays that the author wrote about his struggles growing up queer and black in a small town in New Jersey. It has been challenged for profanity and LGBTQ+ content.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison was banned 22 times in the 21-22 school year (cbsnews.com) and tells the story of a black girl who believes she is ugly and would only be perceived beautiful if she were to have blue eyes. Because of its topics on sexual assault and child molestation, it has been under fire despite it’s publication date being over 50 years ago. Ultimately, the banning of books takes away a piece of knowledge and a story that the world could learn and grow from.