The American Library Association issued its annual list of the books most challenged at the country's libraries on Monday. The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded challenges to 4,235 different works in 2025, the second highest since the association began keeping track more than 30 years ago. The association reported a record high in the number of books banned in US libraries in 2025, with 5,668 books banned and an additional 920 censored through access restriction. Challenges are becoming more coordinated and politically driven: 92% came from pressure groups, decision-makers, or government officials in 2025, compared with 72% in 2024.
Patricia McCormick's Sold, a 2006 novel about sex trafficking in India, topped the list of most challenged books for 2025. Other frequently challenged titles include Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, and Sarah J. Maas' Empire of Storms. Objections to challenged books include LGBTQ+ themes, sexual violence, and use of alcohol and cigarettes. The ALA found that 40% of the materials challenged in 2025 involved representations of LGBTQ+ people or people of color.
In recent years, the trend of book challenges has shifted sharply from parents or local community members to government officials and conservative activists like Moms for Liberty. Florida, Texas, and Utah are among states that have called for books to be banned or passed restrictive legislation. In Iowa, an appellate court ruled earlier this month that the state can enforce a law that limits teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ topics with students in kindergarten through sixth grade and bans some books.
The ALA defines a challenge as an attempt to have a library resource removed or access to it restricted based on objections. The list was released during National Library Week, which runs through April 25. The ALA compiles its survey through media accounts and submissions from libraries, and acknowledges that actual numbers are likely much higher because many incidents are never reported.