Are you looking for the best list of the most banned books worldwide? Do you want to read the most infamous books of all time? If so, then this list is for you. It contains some of the most notable and popular banned books today.
Many of these classics have become synonyms for literature altogether. If you’re looking for a list of the most banned books in history or a list of the top 100+ banned books list 2013-to-2022, then look no further. This list will help you find what you’re looking for.
This is not just any list; this is a trustworthy one. We did my research when creating this list to make sure that it only included official government and university lists as well as bestsellers that were still in print.
We also excluded lists from private individuals or small groups so that you wouldn’t get spammed with reprints from your favorite authors.
To give you an idea about how we went into this, check out the top 100+ banned books below:
List of Banned Books 2022
Keeping track of what literature is banned or challenged in schools, libraries, and booksellers can be tricky. However, the list of banned books of 2022 should help keep you informed.
While some books have been challenged for their seducing nature, others have been banned because they reveal the ugly side of humanity. Here is a list of 10+ books that have been banned in some parts of the world:
1. The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale (Pantheon Graphic Library)
- By Art Spiegelman
- ISBN: 9780679406419
- Check it out on Amazon!
2. 1984
- By George Orwell, Erich Fromm (Afterword by)
- ISBN: 9780451524935
- Check it out on Amazon!
3. The Bluest Eye (Vintage International)
- By Toni Morrison
- ISBN: 9780307278449
- Check it out on Amazon!
4. Gender Queer: A Memoir
- By Maia Kobabe
- ISBN: 9781549304002
- Check it out on Amazon!
5. To Kill a Mockingbird (Hardcover)
- By Harper Lee
- ISBN: 9780062420701
- Check it out on Amazon!
6. The Handmaid’s Tale: A Novel
- By Margaret Atwood
- ISBN: 9780385490818
- Check it out on Amazon!
7. Heather Has Two Mommies
- By Leslea Newman, Laura Cornell (Illustrator)
- ISBN: 9780763666316
- Check it out on Amazon!
8. His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (Book 1)
- By Philip Pullman
- ISBN: 9780440418320
- Check it out on Amazon!
9. The Hate U Give
- By Angie Thomas, Amandla Stenberg (Foreword by)
- ISBN: 9780062498533
- Check it out on Amazon!
10. In the Dream House: A Memoir
- By Carmen Maria Machado
- ISBN: 9781644450383
- Check it out on Amazon!
11. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
- By Nikole Hannah-Jones (Created by), The New York Times Magazine (Created by), Caitlin Roper (Editor), Ilena Silverman (Editor), Jake Silverstein (Editor)
- ISBN: 9780593230572
- Check it out on Amazon!
12. Where the Sidewalk Ends Special Edition with 12 Extra Poems: Poems and Drawings (Hardcover)
- By Shel Silverstein, Shel Silverstein (Illustrator)
- ISBN: 9780060572341
- Check it out on Amazon!
13. Animal Farm: 75th Anniversary Edition
- By George Orwell, Russell Baker (Preface by), Tea Obreht (Introduction by)
- ISBN: 9780452277502
- Check it out on Amazon!
14. The Catcher in the Rye
- By J. D. Salinger
- ISBN: 9780316450867
- Check it out on Amazon!
List of Banned Books 2021
- Gender Queer: a Memoir by Maia Kobabe
ISBN: 9781549304002 - Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison.
ISBN: 9781616202620 - All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
ISBN: 9780374312718 - Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
ISBN: 9781467742023 - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
ISBN: 9780062498533 - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; Ellen Forney (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780316013680 - Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
ISBN: 9781419701764 - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
ISBN: 9780679433736 - This Book Is Gay by James Dawson; David Levithan (Introduction by)
ISBN: 9781492617822 - Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin (Photographer)
ISBN: 9780763673680
Top 10 Most Challenged Books – 2020
- George by Álex Gino
ISBN: 9780545812542 - Cover ArtStamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds; Ibram X. Kendi
ISBN: 9780316453691 - All American Boys by Jason Reynolds; Brendan Kiely
ISBN: 9781481463331 - Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson; L. Anderson
ISBN: 9780142407325 - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; Ellen Forney (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780316013697 - Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano; Marietta Collins; Ann Hazzard; Jennifer Zivoin (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781433828546 - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
ISBN: 9780060935467 - Of mice and men by Steinbeck, John
ISBN: 9780140177398 - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
ISBN: 9780679433736 - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
ISBN: 9780062498533
Top 10 Most Challenged Books – 2019
- George by Álex Gino
ISBN: 9780545812542 - Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin (Photographer)
ISBN: 9780763673680 - A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twist; Marlon Bundo; E. G. Keller (Illustrator)
- ISBN: 9781452173801
- Sex Is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg; Fiona Smyth (Artist)
ISBN: 9781609806064 - Cover ArtPrince and Knight by Daniel Haack; Stevie Lewis (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781499805529 - I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel; Jazz Jennings; Shelagh McNicholas (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780803741072 - The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
ISBN: 9780385490818 - Drama by Raina Telgemeier
ISBN: 9780545326988 - Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
ISBN: 9780590353427 - And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson; Peter Parnell; Henry Cole (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780689878459
Top 11 Most Challenged Books – 2018
- George by Álex Gino
ISBN: 9780545812542 - A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twist; Marlon Bundo; E. G. Keller (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781452173801 - The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780545499088 - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
ISBN: 9780062498533 - Drama by Raina Telgemeier
ISBN: 9780545326988 - Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
ISBN: 9781595141880 - This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki; Jillian Tamaki (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781626720947 - Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780142404034 - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; Ellen Forney (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780316013680 - This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman; Kristyna Litten (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781433816581 - Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
ISBN: 9780307931917
Top 10 Most Challenged Books 2017
- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
ISBN: 9781595141880 - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; Ellen Forney (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780316013680 - Drama by Raina Telgemeier
ISBN: 9780545326988 - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
ISBN: 9781594480003 - George by Álex Gino
ISBN: 9780545812542 - Sex Is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg; Fiona Smyth (Artist)
ISBN: 9781609806064 - To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee, Harper
ISBN: 9780446310499 - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
ISBN: 9780062498533 - And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson; Peter Parnell; Henry Cole (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780689878459 - I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel; Jazz Jennings; Shelagh McNicholas (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780803741072
Top 10 Most Challenged Books – 2016
- This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki; Jillian Tamaki (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781626720947 - Drama by Raina Telgemeier
ISBN: 9780545326988 - George by Álex Gino
ISBN: 9780545812542 - I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel; Jazz Jennings; Shelagh McNicholas (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780803741072 - Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
ISBN: 9780307931900 - Looking for Alaska by John Green
ISBN: 9780142402511 - Big Hard Sex Criminals [e-book] by Matt Fraction
- Make Something Up by Chuck Palahniuk
ISBN: 9780385538053 - The Meanest Thing to Say by Bill Cosby; Varnette P. Honeywood (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780590137546 - Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
ISBN: 9781250012579
Top Ten Most Challenged Books – 2015
- Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin (Photographer)
ISBN: 9780763673680 - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
ISBN: 9780385512107 - Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
ISBN: 9780345803481 - Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
ISBN: 9780618871711 - Habibi by Craig Thompson
ISBN: 9780375424144 - Holy Bible by Zondervan Staff
ISBN: 9780310948599 - I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel; Jazz Jennings; Shelagh McNicholas (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780803741072 - Looking for Alaska by John Green
ISBN: 9780142402511 - Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781416994374 - Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
ISBN: 9780307931900
Top Ten Most Challenged Books – 2014
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; Ellen Forney (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780316013680 - And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson; Peter Parnell; Henry Cole (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780689878459 - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- ISBN: 9780679433736
- Drama by Raina Telgemeier
ISBN: 9780545326988 - It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris; Michael Emberley (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780763668716 - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
ISBN: 9781594480003 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
ISBN: 9781451696202 - Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780375422300 - Saga by Brian K. Vaughan; Fiona Staples (Artist, Cover Design by)
ISBN: 9781607066019 - A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
ISBN: 9781451629194
Top Ten Most Challenged Books – 2013
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; Ellen Forney (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780316013680 - The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780545499088 - A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
ISBN: 9780385747028 - Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
ISBN: 9780446517836 - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
ISBN: 9780679433736 - Bone Volume 1 Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith (Artist)
ISBN: 9780963660992 - Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
ISBN: 9780345803481 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
ISBN: 9780439023481 - Looking for Alaska by John Green
ISBN: 9780142402511 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
ISBN: 9781451696202
Final Thoughts
With the release of these banned books, we can look forward to the future of literature. The next decade will be exciting as we see new books get banned and new classics get released.
As for this list, there’s no shortage of great literature that deserves a spot on this list. There are some classics here like Animal Farm and 1984 that shouldn’t be left off from anyone’s list. We hope you enjoyed reading about these banned and challenged books in our Top 100+ Banned Books List 2022!