Book Challenge

The term "Book Challenge" refers to when a book that contains controversial topics is highlighted and sentenced to being banned from a particular area such as schools and libraries.

Definition:

When an individual or group presents a case that a specific book contains material not appropriate for their library or school curriculum. These challenges are based on content and elements including language, characters, or a specific situation. Common topics of books that are challenged include violence, LGBTQ+, sex, and more. The content as well as the perceived messages or impact of the books raise concern. If the challenge is successes, this leads to the book being less accessible to people and will be banned.

History:

Image from the 60s of banned books

Dating back to the 17th century, the governor of Virginia limited the sale and distribution of books written by Quakers. Quakers are members of the religious society of friends. More than a century later, the Comstock Laws prohibited the U.S. Postal Service from distributing "obscene" materials, allowing mass censorship to occur.

In the 1960s and 70s in the U.S., the rise of censorship in children's literature rose simultaneously as conservative backlash against the social and political gains made by People of Color during the Civil Rights movement rose. During this change in social landscape, children's books entered an "age of new realism" and authors began tackling taboo topics such as death or abuse. Overall, reasons for challenges correspond to present social concerns. For instance, in the 80s, Reverend Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority lead a movement to challenge all books about witchcraft were challenged as Satanism was a fear. In the 90s to today, books discussing LGBTQ+ have been challenged. According to ALA's list of the top 10 most challenged books in 2024, sexually explicit books were the most challenged.

Impact:

Educators have experienced threats and attack due to the book challenges. For example, a librarian in New Jersey who defended five books that dealt with LGBTQ+ material was verbally harassed and was branded a "pornographer." Psychological impacts arise in those who defend the challenged books as fears of lawsuit or doubt towards the institutions policies come into play. There is no doubt that facing a book challenge can be frightening.

Educators can be provided tools to address book challenges that maintain an accessible diverse reading material. By informing teachers, librarians, university faculty and more about the resources they have when being faced with a challenge allowing less fear of controversy and more advocacy.

Outside of educators, children are now losing access to materials that are key developmental tools in their growth.

Present-Day Book Challenges:

Currently, 3,700 books were banned during the 2024-25 school year, double the number of titles PEN America tracked in the 2021-2022 school year when it began counting. PEN America's "Freedom to Read" director Kasey Meehan, says the motive behind book challenges is access. IT is believed that the ability to read that book has been restricted or diminished, not administrated. Meehan says:

PEN America Banned Book list from 2025

"Schools and school libraries play vital roles in keeping literature accessible to students. Not all students have access to just buying books on Amazon. Not all students have access even to public libraries in their neighborhood that they can get to by foot or by bike or even by car," Meehan says. "When we restrict to that access, not only is it a ban on a book but it also just harms students’ access to information."

When does law come into play? Since there is not a large, developed history of removing books from schools or libraries, there is no black and white rules regarding banning. "Because the law on this, the determination of what is and isn't legal, when you can and can't remove the book, is being determined now all over the country," says trial lawyer Lauren Zimmerman. Zimmerman is currently representing the authors behind the children's book "And Tango Makes Three". She is in a case against Florida districts that have been removed due to the book containing LGBTQ+ characters.