"Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as publick Liberty, without Freedom of Speech." — Benjamin Franklin

The Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2002

This list was provided by the American Library Association.
Click here to visit their site.
I have provided an order link for each book in case they are difficult to find in your area.  Following this link will take you to Amazon.com to complete your order.

Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, for being sexually explicit, using offensive language and being unsuited to age group.

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier (the “Most Challenged” fiction book of 1998), for using offensive language and being unsuited to age group.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, for sexual content, racism, offensive language, violence and being unsuited to age group.

Taming the Star Runner by S.E. Hinton, for offensive language.

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, for insensitivity and being unsuited to age group, as well as encouraging children to disobey authority.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, for racism, insensitivity and offensive language.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, for offensive language, sexual content and Occult/Satanism.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor, for insensitivity, racism and offensive language.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George, for sexual content, offensive language, violence and being unsuited to age group.

Books Challenged in the 1990s
(compiled from various sources)

This is a list of books which have been challenged in libraries and schools for any number of reasons throughout the 90s.  Reasons given (if known) are listed beneath the title in question.  I have provided an order link for each book in case they are hard to find in your area.  Following this link will take you to Amazon.com to complete your order.

Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
for using offensive language and being unsuited to age group

The Catcher in the Rye JD Salinger

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn     Mark Twain
for racism, insensitivity and offensive language

A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Peck

Christine Stephen King

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou

Night Chills Dean Koontz

Lord of the Flies William Golding

A Separate Peace John Knowles

Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut

The Color Purple Alice Walker
for sexual content and offensive language

The Learning Tree Gordon Parks

The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck

Cujo Stephen King

Grendel John Gardner

The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
for its sexual content

One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez