Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe: Gender Queer: A Memoir is a 2019 graphic memoir written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe. It recounts Kobabe’s journey from adolescence to adulthood and the author’s exploration of gender identity and sexuality, ultimately identifying as being outside of the gender binary. Reasons for bans: LGBTQIA+ content claimed to be sexually explicit
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson: All Boys Aren’t Blue is a young adult non-fiction “memoir-manifesto” by journalist and activist George M. Johnson, published April 28, 2020, by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. The book consists of a series of essays following Johnson’s journey growing up as a queer Black man in Plainfield, New Jersey, and Virginia. Reasons for ban: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: The Bluest Eye, a debut novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, was published in 1970. Set in Morrison’s hometown of Lorain, Ohio, in 1940–41, the novel tells the tragic story of Pecola Breedlove, an African-American girl from an abusive home. Reasons for ban: depiction of sexual abuse, claimed to be sexually explicit, EDI content
Flamer by Mike Curato: Flamer is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato. It is set in 1995, in a Boy Scouts summer camp, and tells the story of Aiden, who is bullied for his appearance, including acting in a manner considered stereotypical of gay men. Reasons for ban: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
(TIE) Looking for Alaska by John Green: “Looking for Alaska” is a deeply moving and thought-provoking young adult novel by bestselling author John Green. The novel tells the story of a young man’s journey of self-discovery as he navigates the complexities of friendship, love, and loss.Reasons for ban: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content
(TIE) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age epistolary novel by American writer Stephen Chbosky, which was first published on February 1, 1999, by Pocket Books. Set in the early 1990s, the novel follows Charlie, an introverted and observant child, through his freshman year of high school in a Pittsburgh suburb. Reasons for ban: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, depiction of sexual abuse, drugs, profanity
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison: Lawn Boy is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel written by Jonathan Evison and published in 2018 by Algonquin Books. It tells the story of Mike Muñoz, a young adult Mexican American who has faced hardship ever since his childhood and is now going through a phase of self-discovery. Reasons for ban: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Reasons for ban: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez: Out of Darkness is a historical young adult novel by Ashley Hope Pérez, published September 1, 2015 by Carolrhoda Lab. The novel chronicles a love affair between a teenage Mexican-American girl and a teenage African-American boy in 1930s New London, Texas, occurring right up to the 1937 New London School explosion. Reasons for ban: Claimed to be sexually explicit
(TIE) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas: Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people. Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her as her marriage to Tamlin approaches. She is split into two people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future and the future of a world in turmoil. Reasons for ban: Claimed to be sexually explicit
(TIE) Crank by Ellen Hopkins: Kristina Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. Then, Kristina meets the monster, crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul—her life. Reasons for ban: Claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs
(TIE) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews: A teen who spends most of his time making parodies of movies finds his outlook on life forever changed after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with leukemia. Reasons for ban: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity
(TIE) This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson: There’s a long-running joke that, after “coming out,” a lesbian, gay guy, bisexual, or trans person should receive a membership card and instruction manual. THIS IS THAT INSTRUCTION MANUAL. You’re welcome. Reasons for ban: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit
