# List of most commonly challenged books in the United States

This list of the most commonly challenged books in the United States refers to books sought to be removed or otherwise restricted from public access, typically from a library or a school curriculum. This list is primarily based on U.S. data gathered by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), which gathers data from media reports, and from reports from librarians and teachers.
As of 2020, the top ten reasons books were challenged and banned included sexual content (92.5% percent of books on the list); offensive language (61.5%); unsuited to age group (49%); religious viewpoint (26%); LGBTQIA+ content (23.5%); violence (19%); racism (16.5%); drugs, alcohol, and smoking (12.5%); "anti-family" content (7%); and political viewpoint (6.5%).

## List

Since 2001, the American Library Association has posted the top ten most frequently challenged books per year on their website. Using the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century, ALA has also noted banned and challenged classics.
The ALA does not claim comprehensiveness in recording challenges. Research suggests that for each challenge reported there are as many as four or five which go unreported.
The list is sorted alphabetically by default. Included is each book's rank in the ALA's lists of top 100 challenged books by decade (if applicable).
| Title | Author | Reason(s) for Challenge | Year(s) published | ALA rank | ALA rank | ALA rank |
| Title | Author | Reason(s) for Challenge | Year(s) published | 2010–2019 | 2000–2009 | 1990–1999 |
| The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian | Sherman Alexie | Content regarding alcohol, bullying, violence; sexual references; profanity and slurs; allegations against the author | 2007 | 1 | — | — |
| Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Mark Twain | Coarse language, racial stereotypes and use of the N-word | 1884 | 33 | 14 | 5 |
| The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby | Dav Pilkey | Encouraging poor spelling | 2002 | 41 | 47 | — |
| The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Mark Twain | Coarse language, racial stereotypes | 1876 | — | — | 83 |
| Alice (series) | Phyllis Reynolds Naylor | Sexual content | 1985–2013 | 21 | 2 | 14 |
| All American Boys | Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely | Profanity, drug use, and alcoholism; thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now” | 2015 | — | — | — |
| All Boys Aren't Blue | George M. Johnson | LGBT and sexual content | 2020 | — | — | — |
| All the King's Men | Robert Penn Warren | Depicting a "depressing view of life" and "immoral situations" | 1946 | — | — | — |
| Almost Perfect | Brian Katcher | LGBT content | 2009 | 81 | — | — |
| Always Running | Luis J. Rodriguez | Gang violence, drug use and sexual references | 1993 | — | 68 | 85 |
| America | E. R. Frank | Sexual references, drug and alcohol use | 2002 | — | 100 | — |
| American Psycho | Bret Easton Ellis | Sexual references, violence toward women | 1991 | — | — | 53 |
| An American Tragedy | Theodore Dreiser | Sexual content, abortion, murder | 1925 | — | — | — |
| The Anarchist Cookbook | William Powell | Content related to the manufacturing of illicit narcotics and explosives | 1971 | — | — | 59 |
| Anastasia Krupnik (series) | Lois Lowry | References to beer, Playboy magazine, and suicide | 1979–1995 | — | 75 | 28 |
| And Tango Makes Three | Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson | Content regarding homosexuality and same-sex marriage | 2005 | 6 | 4 | — |
| Animal Farm | George Orwell | Political (Communist) commentary | 1945 | — | — | — |
| Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank | Discussions of puberty and teenage sexuality | 1946 | 62 | — | — |
| Annie on My Mind | Nancy Garden | LGBT content | 1982 | — | — | 44 |
| Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging | Louise Rennison | Crude language, sexual content, LGBT content | 1999 | — | 35 | — |
| Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. | Judy Blume | Content dealing with menstrual cycles and feminine hygiene | 1970 | — | 99 | 60 |
| The Arizona Kid | Ron Koertge | LGBT content | 1988 | — | — | 75 |
| Arming America | Michael A. Bellesiles | Content dealing with firearms, later proven to have been fabricated | 2000 | — | 38 | — |
| As I Lay Dying | William Faulkner | Dealing with issues of death; abortion | 1930 | — | — | — |
| Asking About Sex and Growing Up | Joanna Cole | Sexual education | 1988 | — | — | 57 |
| Athletic Shorts | Chris Crutcher | Content dealing with eating disorders, child abuse, racism, LGBT themes and AIDS | 1991 | — | 44 | 63 |
| The Awakening | Kate Chopin | Sexual content | 1899 | 82 | — | — |
| A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl | Tanya Lee Stone | Crude language, sexual content, mature themes | 2006 | 44 | — | — |
| Bad Kitty (series) | Nick Bruel | Crude language | 2005–2021 | 37 | — | — |
| Beloved | Toni Morrison | Themes regarding slavery and violence | 1987 | 45 | 26 | 45 |
| Beyond Magenta | Susan Kuklin | Anti-family, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other ("wants to remove from collection to ward off complaints") | 2014 | 27 | — | — |
| Big Hard Sex Criminals | Matt Fraction, illus. by Chip Zdarsky | Sexually explicit | 2015 | — | — | — |
| Black Boy | Richard Wright | Themes of communism, sexual content, racism and atheism | 1946 | — | 81 | — |
| Bless Me, Ultima | Rudolfo Anaya | Profanity, crude language and violence | 1972 | 63 | 32 | 78 |
| Blood and Chocolate | Annette Curtis Klause | Sexual content; supernatural themes | 1997 | — | 57 | — |
| Blubber | Judy Blume | Content dealing with the issue of bullying | 1974 | — | 43 | 30 |
| The Bluest Eye | Toni Morrison | Themes of racism, incest and child sexual abuse | 1970 | 10 | 15 | 34 |
| Bone (series) | Jeff Smith | References to smoking, drinking and gambling | 1991–2004 | 16 | — | — |
| The Boy Who Lost His Face | Louis Sachar | Themes of the occult, sexuality and bullying; profanity | 1989 | — | 92 | 46 |
| Boys and Sex | Wardell Pomeroy | Sexual education | 1968 | — | — | 61 |
| Brave New World | Aldous Huxley | Anti-religion and anti-family themes, sexual content | 1931 | 26 | 36 | 54 |
| Brideshead Revisited | Evelyn Waugh | Themes of homosexuality, alcoholism, infidelity | 1945 | — | — | — |
| Bridge to Terabithia | Katherine Paterson | Allegations that the book promotes secular humanism, New Age religion, occultism, and Satanism | 1977 | — | 28 | 8 |
| Bumps in the Night | Harry Allard | Supernatural and occult themes, anti-family, encourages disobedience | 1979 | — | 93 | 56 |
| Burned | Ellen Hopkins | Supernatural and occult themes, anti-family, encourages disobedience | 2006 | 83 | — | — |
| The Call of the Wild | Jack London | Author's pro-Socialism views | 1903 | — | — | — |
| Captain Underpants (series) | Dav Pilkey | Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence | 1997–2015 | 2 | 13 | — |
| Carrie | Stephen King | Violence, anti-religious themes, sexual themes | 1974 | — | — | 81 |
| Cat's Cradle | Kurt Vonnegut | Language, animal abuse, anti-religious themes, and scatological humor | 1963 | — | — | — |
| Catch-22 | Joseph Heller | Obscene language | 1961 | — | — | — |
| The Catcher in the Rye | J. D. Salinger | Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group | 1951 | 49 | 19 | 10 |
| A Child Called "It" | Dave Pelzer | Child abuse | 1995 | 36 | — | — |
| The Chocolate War | Robert Cormier | Nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group | 1974 | — | 3 | 4 |
| Christine | Stephen King | Obscene language, sexual themes | 1983 | — | — | 95 |
| A Clockwork Orange | Anthony Burgess | Obscene language | 1962 | 80 | — | — |
| The Color Purple | Alice Walker | Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group | 1982 | 50 | 17 | 17 |
| The Color of the Earth (trilogy) | Tong-hwa Kim | Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group | 2009 | — | — | — |
| A Court of Mist and Fury | Sarah J. Maas | Sexually explicit | 2016 | — | — | — |
| Crank | Ellen Hopkins | Drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit | 2004 | 38 | — | — |
| Crazy | Benjamin Lebert | Obscene language, sexual themes | 2000 | — | 77 | — |
| Crazy Lady! | Jane Leslie Conly | Offensive language | 1993 | — | 45 | 62 |
| Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat | Alvin Schwartz | Supernatural themes | 1974 | — | — | 47 |
| Cujo | Stephen King | Violence, obscene language, explicit sex scenes | 1983 | — | — | 49 |
| The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Mark Haddon | Offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other ("profanity and atheism") | 2003 | 51 | — | — |
| Curses, Hexes and Spells | Daniel Cohen | Supernatural themes, references to the Bible | 1974 | — | — | 71 |
| Cut | Patricia McCormick | References to cutting and self-harm | 2000 | — | 86 | — |
| Daddy's Roommate | Michael Willhoite | LGBT themes | 1991 | — | — | 2 |
| Daughters of Eve | Lois Duncan | Obscene language, sexual content, and violence | 1979 | — | 51 | — |
| A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo | Jill Twiss | LGBTQIA+ content, political and religious viewpoints | 2018 | 19 | — | — |
| A Day No Pigs Would Die | Robert Newton Peck | References to animal slaughter and animal mating | 1972 | — | 80 | 16 |
| The Dead Zone | Stephen King | Obscene language | 1979 | — | — | 82 |
| Deal with It! | Esther Drill | Explicit sexual content and LGBT themes | 1999 | — | 82 | — |
| Deenie | Judy Blume | References to masturbation | 1973 | — | — | 42 |
| Detour for Emmy | Marilyn Reynolds | Sexual content and references to teen pregnancy | 1993 | — | 83 | — |
| The Dirty Cowboy | Amy Timberlake | | 2003 | 60 | — | — |
| Drama | Raina Telgemeier | Includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint | 2012 | 7 | — | — |
| Draw Me a Star | Eric Carle | | 1992 | 65 | — | — |
| Dreaming in Cuban | Cristina García | Sexual content and nude drawings of Adam and Eve | 1992 | 64 | 61 | — |
| The Drowning of Stephan Jones | Bette Greene | LGBT themes | 1991 | — | — | 96 |
| The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things | Carolyn Mackler | Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group | 2003 | — | 34 | — |
| Earth's Children (series) | Jean M. Auel | Graphic sexual content | 1980–2011 | — | — | 19 |
| Eleanor & Park | Rainbow Rowell | Offensive language | 2013 | 54 | — | — |
| Ender's Game | Orson Scott Card | | 1985 | 84 | — | — |
| Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close | Jonathan Safran Foer | | 2005 | 55 | — | — |
| The Face on the Milk Carton | Caroline B. Cooney | Sexual content, challenging authority, and unsuitable for age group | 1990 | — | 29 | 80 |
| The Facts Speak For Themselves | Brock Cole | Sexual content, violence | 1997 | — | 54 | — |
| Fade | Robert Cormier | References to child sexual abuse, and violence | 1988 | — | — | 65 |
| Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury | Obscene language, references to smoking and drinking, violence, and religious themes | 1953 | — | 69 | — |
| Fallen Angels | Walter Dean Myers | Offensive language, racism, violence | 1988 | 85 | 11 | 36 |
| The Family Book | Todd Parr | | 2003 | 67 | — | — |
| Family Secrets | Norma Klein | Sexual content, obscene language, references to adultery, smoking, and implied incest | 1985 | — | — | 76 |
| A Farewell to Arms | Ernest Hemingway | Sexual content | 1929 | — | — | — |
| Fat Kid Rules the World | KL Going | Obscene language, sexual themes, and drug use | 2003 | — | 58 | — |
| Feed | M. T. Anderson | | 2002 | 68 | — | — |
| Fight Club | Chuck Palahniuk | Sexually explicit, violence, anarchist themes, smoking, drinking | 1996 | — | — | — |
| Fifty Shades of Grey (series) | E. L. James | Sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and other ("poorly written," "concerns that a group of teenagers will want to try it") | 2011 | 8 | — | — |
| The Fighting Ground | Avi | Obscene language | 1984 | — | 42 | — |
| Final Exit | Derek Humphry | References to assisted suicide | 1991 | — | — | 29 |
| Flamer | Mike Curato | LGBT and sexual content | 2020 | — | — | — |
| Flashcards of My Life | Charise Mericle Harper | Sexual content and unsuitable to age group | 2006 | — | — | — |
| Flowers for Algernon | Daniel Keyes | Sexual content | 1966 | — | — | 43 |
| For Whom the Bell Tolls | Ernest Hemingway | Pro-Communist views | 1940 | — | — | — |
| Forever... | Judy Blume | Offensive language, sexual content | 1975 | — | 16 | 7 |
| Friday Night Lights | H. G. Bissinger | Obscene language, sexual content, and racism | 1990 | — | 89 | — |
| Fun Home | Alison Bechdel | Violence and other ("graphic images"). | 2006 | 31 | — | — |
| The Giver | Lois Lowry | Obscene language, sexual content, violence, and unsuitable to age group | 1993 | 61 | 23 | 11 |
| Girls and Sex | Wardell Pomeroy | Sex education | 1970 | — | — | 98 |
| Gender Queer | Maia Kobabe | Queer content, sexual content | 2019 | — | — | — |
| Glass | Ellen Hopkins | Drugs | 2007 | 86 | — | — |
| The Glass Castle | Jeannette Walls | Offensive language, sexually explicit | 2005 | 17 | — | — |
| Go Ask Alice | Anonymous | Drugs | 1971 | — | 18 | 25 |
| Go Tell It on the Mountain | James Baldwin | Obscene language, explicit sex, references to masturbation, rape, violence and sexism | 1953 | — | — | — |
| Go the Fuck to Sleep | Adam Mansbach | Offensive language | 2011 | 69 | — | — |
| The Goats | Brock Cole | Obscene language and a scene describing the rescue of a naked woman | 1987 | — | — | 26 |
| Gone with the Wind | Margaret Mitchell | Several uses of racial slurs, the book's portrayal of slavery, and references to rape | 1936 | — | — | — |
| Goosebumps (series) | R. L. Stine | Supernatural themes, violence, and encouraging disobedience | 1992–1997 | 46 | 94 | 15 |
| Gossip Girl (series) | Cecily von Ziegesar | Drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit | 2002–2011 | 56 | 22 | — |
| The Grapes of Wrath | John Steinbeck | Portrays Kern County, California in a negative light | 1939 | — | — | — |
| The Great Gatsby | F. Scott Fitzgerald | Language and sexual references | 1925 | — | — | — |
| The Great Gilly Hopkins | Katherine Paterson | Obscene language and racism | 1978 | — | 52 | 20 |
| Grendel | John Gardner | Depictions of torture and mutilation | 1971 | — | 96 | — |
| Guess What? | Mem Fox | Supernatural things and references to punk rock | 1990 | — | — | 66 |
| Habibi | Craig Thompson | Nudity, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group | 2011 | 70 | — | — |
| Halloween ABC | Eve Merriam | Possible Satanic and cult references, as well as violence | 1987 | — | — | 31 |
| The Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood | Sexuality, profanity, suicide, violence, anti-Christian themes | 1985 | 29 | 88 | 37 |
| Harris and Me | Gary Paulsen | Obscene language | 1993 | — | 70 | — |
| Harry Potter (series) | J. K. Rowling | Unsuited to age group, witchcraft, religious viewpoint, anti-family, darkness/scariness/violence, and for "setting bad examples" | 1997–2007 | — | 1 | 48 |
| The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas | Profanity, violence, "thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda | 2017 | 30 | — | — |
| Heather Has Two Mommies | Lesléa Newman | Homosexuality | 1989 | 87 | — | 9 |
| His Dark Materials (series) | Philip Pullman | Political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, violence | 1995–2000 | — | 8 | — |
| The Holy Bible | Various | Religious viewpoint, violence | Canon est. ca. 3rd century A.D. | 52 | — | — |
| House of Night (series) | P. C. Cast | | 2007–2014 | 57 | — | — |
| The House of the Spirits | Isabel Allende | Sexual content | 1982 | 71 | 97 | 73 |
| The Hunger Games (series) | Suzanne Collins | Religious viewpoint, dark themes/violence, unsuited to age group | 2008–2010 | 12 | — | — |
| I Am Jazz | Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings | Inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group | 2014 | 13 | — | — |
| I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Maya Angelou | Incest, Sexual Content | 1969 | 88 | 6 | 3 |
| I Saw Esau | Iona and Peter Opie | Obscene language | 2000 | — | 98 | — |
| In Cold Blood | Truman Capote | Violence, sexual content, and obscene language | 1966 | — | — | — |
| In Our Mother's House | Patricia Polacco | | 2009 | 47 | — | — |
| In the Night Kitchen | Maurice Sendak | Nudity and sexual references exploiting a toddler | 1970 | — | 24 | 21 |
| Internet Girls (series) | Lauren Myracle | Offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group | 2004–2007 | 9 | 9 | — |
| Invisible Man | Ralph Ellison | Obscene language and sexual content | 1952 | — | — | — |
| It's A Book | Lane Smith | | 2010 | 32 | — | — |
| It's Perfectly Normal | Robie Harris | Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: "alleges it is child pornography" | 1994 | 22 | 12 | 13 |
| It's So Amazing | Robie Harris | Sex education, sexual content | 1999 | — | 37 | — |
| Jack | A. M. Homes | LGBT themes and references to divorce and domestic violence | 1990 | — | — | 74 |
| Jacob's New Dress | Sarah Hoffman | LGBT content | 2014 | 72 | — | — |
| James and the Giant Peach | Roald Dahl | Supernatural themes and references to drug use | 1961 | — | — | 50 |
| The Joy of Gay Sex | Charles Silverstein and Edmund White | LGBT themes and explicit sexual content | 1977 | — | 78 | — |
| Julie of the Wolves | Jean Craighead George | Unsuited to age group, violence | 1972 | — | 91 | 32 |
| Jump Ship to Freedom | James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier | Obscene language, violence, and racism | 1981 | — | — | 100 |
| Jumper | Steven Gould | References to physical and sexual abuse towards children | 1992 | — | — | 94 |
| The Jungle | Upton Sinclair | Author's pro-Socialism and anti-Communism views | 1906 | — | — | — |
| Junie B. Jones (series) | Barbara Park | Encouraging disobedience | 1992–2011 | — | 71 | — |
| Kaffir Boy | Mark Mathabane | References to male prostitution and sexual abuse | 1986 | — | 39 | 33 |
| Killing Mr. Griffin | Lois Duncan | Violence and obscene language | 1978 | — | 25 | 64 |
| King & King | Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland | Homosexuality | 2002 | — | 20 | — |
| Kingdom of Little Wounds | Susann Cokal | Sexual content, homosexuality | 2013 | 78 | — | — |
| The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence | 2003 | 11 | 50 | — |
| Lady Chatterley's Lover | D. H. Lawrence | Sexual content | 1928 | — | — | — |
| Lawn Boy | Jonathan Evison | LGBT and sexual content | 2018 | — | — | — |
| Less than Zero | Bret Easton Ellis | Drug abuse, sexual content, language and a bisexual main character | 1985 | — | — | — |
| Let's Talk About It | Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan | LGBT content, sex education | 2021 | — | — | — |
| The Librarian of Basra | Jeanette Winter | Violence, unsuited to age group, promotion of Islam, "un-American" content | 2005 | 96 | — | — |
| Life is Funny | E. R. Frank | Sexual content | 2000 | — | 40 | — |
| A Light in the Attic | Shel Silverstein | Violence and encouraging disobedience | 1981 | — | — | 51 |
| Little Bill (children book series) | Bill Cosby, illus. by Varnette P. Honeywood | Criminal sexual allegations against the author | 1997–2000 | — | — | — |
| Lolita | Vladimir Nabokov | References to pedophillia and sexual abuse | 1955 | 73 | — | — |
| Looking for Alaska | John Green | Offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. | 2005 | 4 | — | — |
| Lord of the Flies | William Golding | Obscene language, violence, and animal cruelty | 1954 | — | — | 68 |
| The Lord of the Rings | J. R. R. Tolkien | Supernatural themes | 1954 | — | — | — |
| The Lovely Bones | Alice Sebold | Religious themes | 2002 | — | 74 | — |
| Lush | Natasha Friend | Drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group | 2006 | 48 | — | — |
| Madeline and the Gypsies | Ludwig Bemelmans | Slur | 1958 | 89 | — | — |
| Make Something Up | Chuck Palahniuk | Profanity, sexual explicitness, and being "disgusting and all around offensive" | 2015 | — | — | — |
| Me and Earl and the Dying Girl | Jesse Andrews | Profanity, sexually explicit | 2012 | — | — | — |
| Mein Kampf | Adolf Hitler | Glorification of militant nationalism, Nazism and anti-semitism | 1925 | — | — | — |
| Melissa | Alex Gino | Includes a transgender child, and the "sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels" | 2015 | 5 | — | — |
| Monster | Walter Dean Myers | | 1999 | 74 | — | — |
| Mick Harte Was Here | Barbara Park | Obscene language and references to death | 1996 | — | 64 | — |
| Mummy Laid an Egg | Babette Cole | Sex education | 1994 | — | — | 77 |
| My Brother Sam Is Dead | James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier | Obscene language and violence | 1974 | — | 27 | 12 |
| My Mom's Having a Baby! | Dori Hillestad Butler | Nudity, sex education, sexual content, and unsuitable for age group | 2005 | 58 | — | — |
| My Princess Boy | Cheryl Kilodavis | LGBT content | 2009 | 90 | — | — |
| My Sister's Keeper | Jodi Picoult | Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence | 2004 | — | — | — |
| The Naked and the Dead | Norman Mailer | Obscene language | 1948 | — | — | — |
| Naked Lunch | William S. Burroughs | Sexual content | 1959 | — | — | — |
| Nasreen's Secret School | Jeanette Winter | Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, and violence | 2009 | 75 | — | — |
| Native Son | Richard Wright | Violence and sexual content | 1940 | — | — | 69 |
| Neonomicon | Alan Moore | Ritualistic sex, psychiatric disorders | 2010 | 59 | — | — |
| The New Joy of Gay Sex | Charles Silverstein, Edmund White, and Felice Picano | LGBT themes and sexual content | 1993 | — | — | 24 |
| Nickel and Dimed | Barbara Ehrenreich | Drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint | 2001 | 39 | — | — |
| Nineteen Eighty-Four | George Orwell | Pro- and anti-Communist views, sexual content, and violence | 1949 | 79 | — | — |
| Nineteen Minutes | Jodi Picoult | | 2007 | 23 | — | — |
| Of Mice and Men | John Steinbeck | Offensive language, racism, violence | 1937 | 28 | 5 | 6 |
| Olive's Ocean | Kevin Henkes | Obscene language and sexual content | 2003 | — | 59 | — |
| On My Honor | Marion Dane Bauer | References divorce, death, suicide, and defeat | 1986 | — | — | 72 |
| One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Ken Kesey | Obscene language, violence, and references to mental illness | 1962 | — | 49 | — |
| Ordinary People | Judith Guest | Obscene language and sexual content | 1976 | — | — | 52 |
| Out of Darkness | Ashley Hope Pérez | Abuse, sexual content | 2015 | — | — | — |
| The Outsiders | S. E. Hinton | Obscene language, gang violence, underage smoking and drinking, strong language/slang, and family dysfunction, legitimisation of murder and anti-religious content | 1967 | — | — | 38 |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky | Drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: "date rape and masturbation" | 1999 | 14 | 10 | — |
| Persepolis (series) | Marjane Satrapi | Gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: "politically, racially, and socially offensive," "graphic depictions" | 2000–2003 | 40 | — | — |
| The Pigman | Paul Zindel | Obscene language | 1968 | — | 39 | — |
| The Pillars of the Earth | Ken Follett | Sexual content and references to violence toward women | 1989 | — | — | 91 |
| A Prayer for Owen Meany | John Irving | Anti-religion and criticism of the Vietnam War and the Iran-Contra incident | 1989 | — | 76 | — |
| Prince & Knight | Daniel Haack, illus. by Stevie Lewis | LGBTQIA+ content; featuring a gay marriage; being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; conflicting with a religious viewpoint | 2018 | 91 | — | — |
| Private Parts | Howard Stern | Sexual content | 1993 | — | — | 86 |
| Rabbit, Run | John Updike | Sexual content | 1960 | — | — | — |
| Rainbow Boys | Alex Sanchez | LGBT themes, sexual content | 2001 | — | 48 | — |
| Revolutionary Voices | Amy Sonnie | Homosexuality, sexually explicit | 2000 | 92 | — | — |
| Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry | Mildred D. Taylor | Offensive language | 1976 | — | 66 | — |
| Running Loose | Chris Crutcher | Racial slurs, sexual content | 1983 | — | — | 92 |
| The Rules of Attraction | Bret Easton Ellis | Graphic sexual content, strong suicide scene, language, LGBTQ+ themes | 1987 | — | — | — |
| Saga (series) | Brian K. Vaughan | Anti-family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group | 2012–present | 76 | — | — |
| The Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie | Portrayal of Muhammad in a negative light | 1988 | — | — | — |
| Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (series) | Alvin Schwartz | Unsuited for age group, violence | 1981–1991 | 24 | 7 | 1 |
| A Separate Peace | John Knowles | Sexual content | 1959 | — | — | — |
| Sex | Madonna | Sexual content | 1992 | — | — | 18 |
| Sex Education | Jenny Davis | Sexual content | 1995 | — | — | 93 |
| Sex is a Funny Word | Cory Silverberg, illus. by Fiona Smyth | LGBTQIA+ content, discussing gender identity and sex education, concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate,” believed to lead children to “want to have sex or ask questions about sex” | 2015 | 20 | — | — |
| Shade's Children | Garth Nix | Sexual content and nudity | 1997 | — | 95 | — |
| Skippyjon Jones (series) | Judy Schachner | Depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture | 2001–present | 93 | — | — |
| Slaughterhouse-Five | Kurt Vonnegut | Sexual content, anti-religious content, violence | 1969 | — | 46 | 67 |
| The Sleeping Beauty Quartet (series) | Anne Rice | Sexual content | 1983–2015 | — | — | 55 |
| Snow Falling on Cedars | David Guterson | Sexual content | 1994 | — | 33 | — |
| So Far from the Bamboo Grove | Yoko Kawashima Watkins | References to rape and violence against women | 1986 | 94 | 84 | — |
| Sold | Patricia McCormick | Sexual content, rape | 2006 | — | — | — |
| Something Happened in Our Town | Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illus. by Jennifer Zivoin | "Divisive language", thought to promote anti-police views | 2018 | — | — | — |
| Song of Solomon | Toni Morrison | Sexual content, bestiality, and racism | 1977 | — | 72 | 84 |
| Sons and Lovers | D. H. Lawrence | Sexual content and incest | 1913 | — | — | — |
| Sophie's Choice | William Styron | Sexual content | 1979 | — | — | — |
| Speak | Laurie Halse Anderson | References to rape | 1999 | 25 | 60 | — |
| Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You | Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds | Author's public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people. | 2020 | — | — | — |
| Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes | Chris Crutcher | Obscene language, sexual content | 1993 | — | 85 | — |
| A Stolen Life: A Memoir | Jaycee Dugard | Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group | 2011 | — | — | — |
| The Story of Little Black Sambo | Helen Bannerman | Racism | 1899 | — | — | 90 |
| Stuck in the Middle | Ariel Schrag | | 2007 | 77 | — | — |
| The Stupids (series) | Harry Allard and James Marshall | Promoting negative behavior, references to death, and obscene language | 1974–1989 | — | 62 | 27 |
| Summer of My German Soldier | Bette Greene | Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit | 1973 | — | 55 | 88 |
| The Sun Also Rises | Ernest Hemingway | Sexual content | 1926 | — | — | — |
| Taming the Star Runner | S. E. Hinton | Offensive language | 1988 | — | — | — |
| The Terrorist | Caroline B. Cooney | Portrays Muslims in a negative light | 1997 | — | 63 | — |
| That Was Then, This Is Now | S. E. Hinton | Violence, drug use, obscene language | 1971 | — | — | 97 |
| Their Eyes Were Watching God | Zora Neale Hurston | Author's political views | 1937 | — | — | — |
| The Things They Carried | Tim O'Brien | Violence, animal abuse, obscene language, and criticism of the Vietnam War | 1990 | 34 | 65 | — |
| Thirteen Reasons Why | Jay Asher | Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group | 2007 | 3 | — | — |
| This Book Is Gay | Juno Dawson | LGBTQIA+ content, provides sexual education | 2014 | 53 | — | — |
| This Day in June | Gayle E. Pitman, illus. by Kristyna Litten | LGBT content | 2013 | 42 | — | — |
| This One Summer | Mariko Tamaki, illus. by Jillian Tamaki | Includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and considered sexually explicit with mature themes | 2014 | 43 | — | — |
| Tiger Eyes | Judy Blume | Sexual content, drug use, and language | 1981 | — | 87 | 89 |
| A Time to Kill | John Grisham | References to slavery, rape, and the text includes racial slurs | 1989 | — | 67 | — |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Offensive language, racism, unsuited to age group | 1960 | 15 | 21 | 40 |
| Tricks | Ellen Hopkins | LGBT content, drugs, rape | 2009 | 98 | — | — |
| Tropic of Cancer | Henry Miller | Sexual content | 1934 | — | — | — |
| Twilight (series) | Stephenie Meyer | Religious viewpoint, violence, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group | 2005–2008 | — | — | — |
| Two Boys Kissing | David Levithan | LGBT content, public displays of affection | 2013 | 18 | — | — |
| Ulysses | James Joyce | References to masturbation | 1922 | — | — | — |
| Uncle Bobby's Wedding | Sarah S. Brannen | LGBT themes | 2008 | 99 | — | — |
| The Upstairs Room | Johanna Reiss | Obscene language and references to the Holocaust | 1972 | — | 79 | — |
| The Walking Dead (series) | Robert Kirkman | Graphic content, violence, harsh language, and sexual content. | 2004–2019 | 97 | — | — |
| We All Fall Down | Robert Cormier | Offensive language, sexual content | 1991 | — | 30 | 41 |
| Whale Talk | Chris Crutcher | Racism, offensive language | 2001 | — | 41 | — |
| What My Mother Doesn't Know | Sonya Sones | Nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, sexism, unsuited to age group | 2001 | 35 | 31 | — |
| What's Happening to My Body? Book for Boys | Lynda Madaras | Sex education | 1987/2007 | — | — | 58 |
| What's Happening to My Body? Book for Girls | Lynda Madaras | Sex education | 1987/2007 | — | 73 | 35 |
| When Dad Killed Mom | Julius Lester | Violence, sexual content | 2001 | — | 56 | — |
| Where Did I Come From? | Peter Mayle | Sex education | 1973 | — | — | 79 |
| Where's Waldo? | Martin Handford | Nudity | 1987 | — | — | 87 |
| The Wish Giver | Bill Brittain | Supernatural themes | 1983 | — | — | 99 |
| The Witches | Roald Dahl | Misogyny, encouraging disobedience, violence, animal cruelty, obscene language, and supernatural themes | 1983 | — | — | 22 |
| Women in Love | D. H. Lawrence | Sexual content and misogyny | 1920 | — | — | — |
| Women on Top | Nancy Friday | Sexual content | 1991 | — | — | 70 |
| A Wrinkle in Time | Madeleine L'Engle | Supernatural themes and religious themes | 1963 | — | 90 | 23 |
| Year of Wonders | Geraldine Brooks | | 2001 | 100 | — | — |
| You Hear Me? | Betsy Franco | Obscene language and topics | 2000 | — | 53 | — |