Legally Speaking
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100

This amendment protects the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

The First Amendment

100

Most censorship attempts in 2023 took place in this institution.

Public libraries (54%)

100

This book, which is about book burning and censorship, has been banned/challenged multiple times.

Fahrenheit 451

100

This classic tale of friendship between a spider and a pig has been deemed "blasphemous" for its talking animals.

Charlotte's Web

100

These two teenagers find love, but we librarians found backlash when we featured them on our instagram. Season 3 comes out next week!

Heartstopper

200

This is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, film, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.

Censorship

200

This group of people were most likely to initiate a challenge in 2023.

Patrons (28%)

Parents (24%)

Pressure groups (21%)

200

This book about Black, female mathematicians was banned/challenged for promoting "Marxist, critical race theory."

Hidden Figures

200

This beloved bear has found himself at #22 on the ALA's 100 Most Banned Classics list. Oh, bother.

Winnie the Pooh

200

Writing letters and not sending them is fine but our protagonist should have put a lock on that hatbox in this book.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before

300

True or False: If you don't want a book in the library, you can just vandalize it or check it out and not return it.

False. This is government property and we will bother you until you return or pay for the item(s).

300

1,247 censorship attempts were tracked in 2023, 76% of which targeted this main part of a library.

Books and graphic novels

300
This book won the Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults award, despite featuring political violence and white nationalism.

They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group

300

This picture book based on a true story features two male penguins taking care of an orphaned egg.

And Tango Makes Three

300

Tied for 7th place on the ALA's Top 10 this year, here's yet another book about a teenager with leukemia.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

400

This process involves speaking to librarians and filling out a request for reconsideration form.

Challenge

400

4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship in 2023, 47% of which contained titles that represent the voices and lives of these groups of people.

LGBTQ+ and BIPOC

400

This short memoir was banned/challenged for being "too explicit about the Holocaust."

Night

400

They may not be real animals but this book and its creatures were deemed "too scary" for some.

Where The Wild Things Are

400

This book was first published in 1999 and has a movie starring Emma Watson, but it's not Harry Potter.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

500

True or False: You will be forced to read books you don't like and there's nothing you can do about it.

Trick question! Yes and no. There are always going to be instances in life in which you are uncomfortable. This is part of growing up. When it comes to books, it's up to you if you want to continue reading or not.

500

True or False: the people we vote for impact the decisions made about libraries and the right to read.

True. Legislation all over the country have introduced bills that limit citizens' rights to read or even access libraries.

500

Based on the author's life, this graphic novel was challenged for "promoting critical race theory."

New Kid

500

This graphic memoir about surviving the Holocaust features only mice and cats, but was considered "sexually explicit."

Maus

500

This story about an overweight teenager competing in a beauty pagent was deemed "inappropriate."

Dumplin'

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