Books

A list of books challenged in Massachusetts libraries in 2022

The list is characterized largely by books that represent the LGBT and BIPOC communities, including "Gender Queer" and "The Bluest Eye."

Woman reads "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
"The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison, and other books that have been the subject of complaints from parents. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File

By Melissa Ellin

2 minutes to read
BOOK CHALLENGES IN MASS.:

Challenges to books at libraries nationwide rose last year, and in Massachusetts the numbers quadrupled between 2021 and 2022, according to the American Libraries Association. What used to be a handful of requests to remove or restrict library materials became 45 challenges on more than 30 books.

Titles challenged included books that largely represented LGBT and BIPOC communities. Here is a list of titles challenged in Massachusetts, which the ALA provided to Boston.com through email.

  • “All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” by by George M. Johnson
  • “Amazing Women of the Middle East: 25 Stories from Ancient Times to Present Day” by Tarnowska Wafa’
  • “Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out” by Susan Kuklin
  • “Camp” by Kayla Miller
  • “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins
  • “Ejaculate Responsibly: a Whole New Way to Think About Abortion” by Gabrielle Stanley Blair
  • “Flamer” by Mike Curato
  • “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe
  • “Girls of Fate and Fury” by Natasha Ngan
  • “Hot Dog Taste Test” by Lisa Hanawalt
  • “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing our Daughters” by Abigail Shrier
  • “It Feels Good to be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity” by Theresa Thorn
  • “Jay’s Gay Agenda” by Jason June
  • “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison
  • “Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
  • “Lucky” by Marissa Stapley
  • “My Heart is on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, A Sioux Girl” by Ann Rinaldi
  • “Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness” by Anastasia Higginbotham
  • “Out of Darkness” by Ashley Hope Pérez
  • “People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present” by Dara Horn
  • “Queer as All Get Out: 10 People Who’ve Inspired Me” by Shelby Criswell
  • “Razzmatazz” by Christopher Moore
  • “Roller Girl” by Victoria Jamieson
  • “Santa’s Husband” by Daniel Kibblesmith
  • “Seeing Gender: An Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression” by Iris Gottlieb
  • “So Far from the Bamboo Grove” by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
  • “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie
  • “The Antifa Comic Book: 100 Years of Fascism and Antifa Movements Around the World” by Gord Hill
  • “The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation” by Rosemary Sullivan
  • “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
  • “The Equity and Social Justice Education 50: Critical Questions for Improving Opportunities and Outcomes for Black Students” by Baruti K. Kafele
  • “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas
  • “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson

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