There are many reasons why a book can be banned in schools. Some districts choose to ban books that deal with content related to violence, LGBTQ+ topics, sexual topics, or themes of racism. Certain states in America are more likely to ban books than others. Which states banned the most books in the fall of 2022? AAAStateOfPlay.com, a supplier of playground equipment, created the following graphic that visualizes which states in the U.S. have banned the most books.
The following are the states that banned the most books in fall of 2022:
- Texas — 438 books
- Florida — 357 books
- Missouri — 315 books
- Utah — 109 books
- South Carolina — 109 books
- Pennsylvania — 27 books
- North Dakota — 27 books
- Michigan — 18 books
- Virginia — 11 books
- Tennessee — 4 books
Some of the top reasons books are banned is due to content related to violence, sexuality, mental health, LGBTQ+ topics, and substance abuse. In the fall of 2022, the two books with the most bans were Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe and Flamer by Mike Curato. The former follows a personal journey of struggling with gender identity, and the latter tells the story of a closeted teenager coming to terms with their sexuality.
Certain authors have numerous books that they have written banned from schools. The most banned author is Ellen Hopkins, author of book series like Crank, Burned, and Impulse. Overall, 17 of her books have been banned by 20 districts across the United States. The second most-banned author is Elana K. Arnold, with five books banned across 16 districts. Arnold’s titles include Tricks, which includes themes relayed to sexual activity and drug use. Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir, is the third most-banned author. The book is banned by 15 different districts.
