George M. Johnson’s memoir, “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” has been a focal point of book challenges over several years. A new report from the American Library Association (ALA) has identified it as the most challenged book of 2024. The ALA considers a challenge as an effort to remove or limit materials, stemming from objections by individuals or groups. Other books frequently facing challenges include Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” and Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”
The ALA report highlights 821 attempts to censor library books in 2024 across various libraries. Although this figure represents a decrease from the previous year, it remains the third-highest amount of recorded challenges by the ALA. The report indicates that 72% of the censorship demands in school and public libraries were made by “pressure groups, elected officials, board members, and administrators,” while parents accounted for 16%.
The targeted books predominantly feature narratives about queer individuals or people of color. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, noted a growing effort to remove whole genres and categories of books from library collections, driven by an agenda prioritizing politics and religion over the educational and informational needs of young people.
This report emerges shortly after President Trump took action to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), placing its personnel on administrative leave. The IMLS, a federal agency that funds libraries and museums across the nation, now faces a lawsuit from 21 attorneys general who seek to prevent its closure along with two other federal agencies.
The ALA’s top 10 most challenged books for 2024 include:
1. “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson
2. “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe
3. (TIE) “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
3. (TIE) “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
5. “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins
6. (TIE) “Looking for Alaska” by John Green
6. (TIE) “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews
8. (TIE) “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins
8. (TIE) “Sold” by Patricia McCormick
10. “Flamer” by Mike Curato
