Winter storm warnings include northeast Twin Cities

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The American Library Association has released 

 of the most frequently challenged books. 


For the first time, Bill Cosby appears on the list — not because of the content of his books, but because people are objecting to Cosby himself, who is expected to 


Aside from Cosby's, many of the other frequently challenged books share a common theme: the representation of LGBT characters. Half of the list features gay characters or transgender characters. "I Am Jazz," at No. 4 on the list, was co-written by Jazz Jennings, a transgender teenager who has become a national voice for transgender rights. 


Often, the books that land on the list are extremely successful titles: "This One Summer," at the top of the challenged list, was a New York Times best-seller and a Caldecott Honor Book. Three books — "Looking for Alaska," "I Am Jazz" and "Two Boys Kissing" — were also on 


The Library Association compiles the list based on challenges made to schools and libraries. The reasons for the challenges are listed below.

The most frequently challenged books of 2016

: Challenged because it includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and it was considered sexually explicit with mature themes

: Challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint

: Challenged because it includes a transgender child, and the "sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels"

4) "I Am Jazz" by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings

: Challenged because it portrays a transgender child and because of language, sex education and offensive viewpoints

: Challenged because its cover has an image of two boys kissing, and it was considered to include sexually explicit LGBT content

: Challenged for a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to "sexual experimentation"

7) "Big Hard Sex Criminals" by Matt Fraction

: Challenged because it was considered sexually explicit

8) "Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread" by Chuck Palahniuk

: Challenged for profanity, sexual explicitness, and being "disgusting and all around offensive"

: Challenged because of criminal sexual allegations against the author

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Arts and Culture

The Thread® - Books and Literary News

Tracy Mumford

Author

The American Library Association has released its annual list of books that receive the most complaints. Half of the titles feature LGBT characters.

The top four most frequently challenged books from 2016

Don't read these: The most frequently challenged books of 2016

Go Deeper.

Like this?