April 7 (UPI) — The memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue was the most challenged book in U.S. libraries in 2024, according to a new report by the American Library Association.
The 20-page report unveiled Monday by the ALA said the memoir by George M. Johnson was last year’s most challenged book targed by groups across the United States.
“The State of America’s Libraries report is meant to be a snapshot in time of the year that’s past, and this year’s report will cover the great work libraries of all kinds did in the past year,” stated ALA interim executive director.
There were about 821 attempts in 2024 to censor books in all library categories which, although slightly lower from 2023, was still the third-highest number of challenges to books ever record by the American Library Association.
Censorship, artificial intelligence and sustainability were the three major trends from 2024, the report states.
The report arrived roughly a week after President Donald Trump took steps to further dismantle multiple federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which was created by Congress, as a federal funding stream dedicated to public libraries.
“We don’t yet know how the rest of 2025 will unfold,” Burger added.
A book challenge is defined as “an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group,” according to ALA officials.
A majority of the titles have been connected to LGBTQ+ topics and people of color.
“We are witnessing an effort to eliminate entire genres and categories of books from library shelves in pursuit of a larger goal of placing politics and religion over the well-being and education of young people and everyone’s right to access and find information in our libraries,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, ALA’s director of Intellectual Freedom.
The ALA’s report added that only 16% of demands to censor books originate from parents but some 72% came via “pressure groups, elected officials, board members and administrators.”
Last year in March, the ALA said the number of book bans targeting public libraries in 2023 was up 92%, which nearly doubled from 2022.
Among other book titles frequently challenged by politicians and right-wing groups is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
It added the LGBTQ memoir Gender Queer by author Maia Kobabe was the most challenged book in 2023.
A separate report in November by PEN America indicated that during the 2023-2024 school year it saw a “dramatic” 200% increase over the prior year with more than 10,000 books banned in public schools across the United States with Florida and Iowa leading the nation in number of school book bans.
According to the Florida Department of Education, more than 700 books were removed from the state’s school library shelves for its 2023-2024 school year.
Other books hitting the 2024 challenged list include Tricks by Ellen Hopkins; Looking for Alaska, by John Green; Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews; Ellen Hopkin’s Crank; Sold by Patricia McCormick; and Mike Curato’s Flamer.
