NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Book bans and attempted bans remain at record highs, according to the And efforts to have titles removed have never been more coordinated or politicized.
The ALA on Monday issued its annual list of the books most challenged at the country’s libraries, part of the association’s State of America’s Libraries Report. Patricia McCormick’s 鈥淪old,鈥� a 2006 novel about sex trafficking in India, topped the list for 2025. Others targeted include Stephen Chbosky’s high school novel 鈥淭he Perks of Being a Wallflower,鈥� Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir 鈥淕ender Queer鈥� and romantasy favorite 鈥淓mpire of Storms.鈥�
The ALA usually features 10 books, but this year has 11, with four tied for eighth place: Anthony Burgess’ dystopian classic 鈥淎 Clockwork Orange,鈥� Ellen Hopkins’ sibling drama 鈥淚dentical,鈥� boarding school narrative 鈥淟ooking for Alaska鈥� and Jennifer L. Armentrout’s paranormal romance 鈥淪torm and Fury.鈥�
Objections include LGBTQ+ themes (鈥淕ender Queer,鈥� 鈥淭he Perks of Being a Wallflower鈥�), sexual violence (鈥淪old鈥� and 鈥淎 Clockwork Orange鈥�) and use of alcohol and cigarettes (鈥淟ooking for Alaska鈥�). Overall, the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded challenges to 4,235 different works, topped only by 4,240 in 2023 since the association began keeping track more than 30 years ago.
The association defines a challenge as 鈥渁n attempt to have a library resource removed, or access to it restricted, based on the objections of a person or group.鈥� Monday’s list arrives during National Library Week, which runs through April 25.
鈥淟ibraries exist to make space for every story and every lived experience,鈥� ALA President Sam Helmick said in a statement. 鈥淎s we celebrate National Library Week, we reaffirm that libraries are places for knowledge, for access, and for all.鈥�
The ALA compiles its survey through media accounts and submissions from libraries. The actual numbers are likely much higher because many incidents are never reported, the association acknowledges.
For decades, challenges to a given book came from a parent or another member of a local community. But in recent years, the ALA has found, the trend has shifted sharply to government officials and such conservative activists as Moms for Liberty, who advocate 鈥減arental choice鈥� in deciding what schools and libraries should make available.
Florida, Texas and Utah are among the many states that have called for books to be banned or passed restrictive legislation. In Iowa, an appellate court ruled earlier this month that the state can enforce a teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ topics with students in kindergarten through the sixth grade and bans some books.
Last year, more than 90% of challenges arose from activists and government officials, according to the ALA, compared to 72% in 2024.
鈥淚n 2025, book bans were not sparked by concerned parents, and they were not the result of local grassroots efforts,鈥� Sarah Lamdan, executive director of ALA鈥檚 Office for Intellectual Freedom, said in a statement. 鈥淭hey were part of a well-funded, politically-driven campaign.鈥�
Lamdan told The Associated Press that activists circulate lists of targeted books nationwide. Echoing a report last year from that tallied multiple bannings of 鈥淪old,鈥� 鈥淎 Clockwork Orange鈥� and other books, the ALA found that actual removals 鈥� more than 5,600 鈥� well exceeded the number of books challenged.
鈥淚 think this reflects the reality that these lists are getting disseminated widely,鈥� Lamdan said. 鈥淵ou can see video footage from various library board meetings where the same books are singled out over and over again.鈥�
The ALA’s list of the most challenged books of 2025
1. 鈥淪old鈥� by Patricia McCormick
2. 鈥淭he Perks of Being a Wallflower鈥� by Stephen Chbosky
3. 鈥淕ender Queer: A Memoir鈥� by Maia Kobabe
4. 鈥淓mpire of Storms鈥� by Sarah J. Maas
5. (tie) 鈥淟ast Night at the Telegraph Club鈥� by Malinda Lo
5. (tie) 鈥淭ricks鈥� by Ellen Hopkins
7. 鈥淎 Court of Thorns and Roses鈥� by Sarah J. Maas
8. (tie) 鈥淎 Clockwork Orange鈥� by Anthony Burgess
8. (tie) 鈥淚dentical鈥� by Ellen Hopkins
8. (tie) 鈥淟ooking for Alaska鈥� by John Green
8. (tie) 鈥淪torm and Fury鈥� by Jennifer L. Armentrout
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