Banned Books Week 2026 · Oct 4–10
Banned Books Week 2026: Let books
Protect the freedom to read.
Banned Books Week has wrapped, but the freedom to read doesn't have an off week. These books are still here. We're a bookshop in Hilliard, Ohio, and we think you get to decide what you read.
2025 by the
Source: ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
- unique titles challenged in 2025
- 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025Five shy of the 2023 record.
- of 2025 challenges came from pressure groups, government officials, and decision makers
- 92% of 2025 challenges came from pressure groups, government officials, and decision makersLess than 3% came from individual parents.
- the year ALA began tracking
- 1990 the year ALA began tracking2025 had the highest rate of challenges resulting in censorship since.
Challenged vs. banned
A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict access to a book. A ban is when the book is actually . Every ban starts as a challenge.
Most challenged of 2025
The Top 11
ALA lists eleven this year because tenth place is a tie. Ranked by number of challenges. We can order any of them for you.
Number 1: Sold
Patricia McCormick
36 challenges
Number 2: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
33 challenges
Number 3: Gender Queer
Maia Kobabe
25 challenges
Number 4: Empire of Storms
Sarah J. Maas
24 challengesSame author as our October 26 midnight release party. See the party
Number 5: Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Malinda Lo
23 challenges
Number 6: Tricks
Ellen Hopkins
23 challenges
Number 7: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas
22 challenges
Number 8: A Clockwork Orange
Anthony Burgess
21 challenges
Number 9: Identical
Ellen Hopkins
21 challenges
Number 10: Looking for Alaska
John Green
21 challenges
Number 11: Storm and Fury
Jennifer L. Armentrout
21 challenges
Ranking and challenge counts from the ALA Top Challenged Books list (opens in a new tab).
What you can
Read one
Pick up something on the list, or anything someone has tried to pull from a shelf. Reading it is the point.
Go to the meeting
Challenges to school and library books are often heard at public board meetings. Find your district's schedule and go.
Ask your library
Request titles, check them out, and tell the staff you value a full collection.
Report a challenge
If you see a book being challenged in your community, ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom offers confidential support to those on the front lines.
Report censorship to ALA(opens in a new tab)
Spread the word
ALA offers free posters, infographics, and social graphics for Banned Books Week. They're free to use to raise awareness. Keep them unaltered, credit ALA and the artists, and don't use them for fundraising or merchandise.
Come something
4055 Main St Suite 300, Hilliard, OH 43026. Our door faces Norwich Street. Open Sundays 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Data and list from the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. Dragonfly Bookshop is not affiliated with ALA.
Good to know
- When is Banned Books Week 2026?
- Banned Books Week 2026 runs October 4–10, 2026. The 2026 theme is "Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read."
- What is the difference between a challenged book and a banned book?
- A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict access to a book. A ban is when the book is actually removed.
- Can I buy these books at Dragonfly Bookshop?
- Yes. Stop by 4055 Main St Suite 300, Hilliard, OH 43026 and ask, or send us a special order request on our ordering page and we'll order any title that is in print.
- Where does the data on this page come from?
- The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. This page quotes its 2025 data and Top 11 Most Challenged Books list. Dragonfly Bookshop is not affiliated with ALA.