Most challenged books of 2020 are not what you’d think

The most challenged books of 2020 in the US included several books about racism and police brutality, a children’s novel featuring a transgender girl, and a seminal Young Adult novel about the aftermath of sexual assault.

The American Library Association, a nonprofit dedicated to library services and education, recently released the list as part of its Office for Intellectual Freedom.

In 2020, the office tracked 156 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services, based on media stories and voluntary reports sent to the organisation. A total of 273 books were targeted in total – although the association states that the vast majority of book challenges (between 82 and 97%) go unreported.