Banned Books Week, an annual awareness campaign, recognized a number of nationally banned books. This year, the events occurred from September 18th to 28th. The American Library Association, or ALA, organized the event. It commemorated at Rockville Campus in the form of a scavenger hunt on September 21, 2022. The event informs people about the importance of creative intellectual freedom and reading.

1. Gender Queer by Maia KobabeReasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images
2. Lawn Boy by Jonathan EvisonReasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
3. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. JohnsonReasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
4. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope PerezReasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
5. The Hate U Give by Angie ThomasReasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, violence, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda
6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman AlexieReasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references and use of a derogatory term
7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse AndrewsReasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and degrading to women
8. The Bluest Eye by Toni MorrisonReasons: Banned and challenged because it depicts child sexual abuse and was considered sexually explicit
9. This Book is Gay by Juno DawsonReasons: Banned, challenged, relocated, and restricted for providing sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content.
10. Beyond Magenta by Susan KuklinReasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

The above books, despite not being banned nationally, can be found blacklisted by various school districts and libraries across the nation some more than the others. The majority of these books deal with gender and sexuality. As of the end of March 2022, banned books have reached an all-time high; totaling at 1,145 books. Pennsylvania (441) and Texas (435) rank as the top two states.

The banned books week has been celebrated by the English and Reading Department in Montgomery College in 2018 and 2019, making 2022 its third year. In an interview with the faculty member of the English department who was organizing the event, Megan Howard explained, “having the scavenger hunt is a fun way to raise awareness and for new students to find their way around campus.” The department had purchased books from this year’s banned book list and gave them out as prizes for scavenger hunt winners, alongside gift cards and other fun prizes.

If you would like to read more about this topic, visit the following links:
https://bannedbooksweek.org/
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned