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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Entertainment
Erum Salam

Book bans in US schools and libraries surged to record highs in 2023

empty shelves at a library
Two new rows of shelves dedicated to ‘youth restricted books’ sit mostly empty at the Huntington Beach central library in Huntington Beach, California, on 21 February 2024. Photograph: Rick Loomis for The Washington Post via Getty Images

More books were banned in 2023 in US schools and libraries than any other year for which records have been kept, the American Library Association (ALA) reported on Thursday.

Many of the books were targeted because they related to issues of LGBTQ+ communities or race, though the list was broad, including commonly taught novels such as Lord of the Flies and To Kill a Mockingbird.

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