Today, to coincide with the beginning of National Library Week, the American Library Association (ALA) has released its list of the 11 Most Challenged Books of 2025, which is part of their annual State of America’s Libraries Report.
In 2025, 4,235 different titles were challenged, the second highest number recorded, and 5,668 books were banned, “with an additional 920 titles restricted,” the highest numbers to date. 40% of the year’s challenged books were about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC experiences.
One of the most telling statistics to come out of this report, though, is that 92% percent of challenges to books were driven by “pressure groups and government officials,” up from 72 percent in 2024. The ALA reports that “less than 3 percent of challenges against books came from individual parents.” The call is coming from outside the house.
These were the most targeted books of 2025:
1. Patricia McCormick, Sold
2. Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
3. Maia Kobabe, Gender Queer: A Memoir
4. Sarah J. Maas, Empire of Storms
5. (tie) Malinda Lo, Last Night at the Telegraph Club
5. (tie) Ellen Hopkins, Tricks
7. Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses
8. (tie) Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange
8. (tie) Ellen Hopkins, Identical
8. (tie) John Green, Looking for Alaska
8. (tie) Jennifer L. Armentrout, Storm and Fury
“Libraries exist to make space for every story and every lived experience,” said ALA President Sam Helmick in a statement. “As we celebrate National Library Week, we reaffirm that libraries are places for knowledge, for access, and for all.”
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