Free societies read freely!
The ACLU of Iowa is dedicated to preserving our First Amendment right to decide for ourselves what we read, view, and hear—a fundamental element of free speech and expression.
Banned Books Week is observed annually in late September to celebrate the First Amendment and draw attention to the censorship of literature in public schools.
The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks books that have been challenged, often by parents of students, to be removed from public and school libraries. Classic books such as Brave New World and The Catcher in the Rye, and newer titles, such as the Gossip Girl series and Twilight, have been on "challenged" lists for reasons including explicit language, sexual content, and violence.
See a listing of books that have been challenged in Iowa below.
Recently, parents, community members, and politicians in communities across the state have been demanding that books they find objectionable be removed from school libraries and classrooms. Most of the books contain LGBTQ content. Many of the books are award winners, and all are vetted by librarians and teachers for appropriate content. Certainly, parents of schoolchildren have control over what their child reads, and they can work with their student's teacher and school to limit their access to certain books. But schools should not remove access to these books for all children in the classroom or school.
Read a run-down of recent book challenges in Iowa here.
At the Vinton Public Library this year, two directors resigned because of efforts to purge LGBTQ books. Our statement on that situation can be found here.
Also, in Logan, Iowa, recently a local author's book about her family was challenged.
In 2018, Orange City was a hot spot for concerns about book banning. In 2018, a petition was circulated in Orange City, demanding that the local library segregate and label books and content that have any LGBTQ content and halt the acquisition of any more. The library has since simply revised its overall classification of books by topic rather than author. Later that year, a man objecting to children's books at the library with LGBTQ content burned them and shared a video of it on social media.
In other cases, specific books have been challenged. The following is a listing of books that have been challenged since 2005 in Iowa libraries because they contained references to sex, had LGBTQ references or characters, swear words, violence, mentions of violence, or mentions of suicide or drug use.
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| Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka Challenged for explicit language |
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Challenged for explicit language, supposed "anti-police sentiment" |
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison Challenged for descriptions of sexual experimentation |
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All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto |
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe Challenged for depictions of sex |
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews Challenged for sexual themes |
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| Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Challenged for themes of sex and suicide |
Becoming Sister Wives by Kody Brown Challenged for referencing the concept of polygamy |
Buster's Sugartime by Marc Brown Challenged for featuring a lesbian couple |
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| I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Challenged for references to drugs and sex |
It's a Book by Lane Smith Challenged for use of the word "jackass" |
The Notebook Girls by Julia Baskin Challenged for age-appropriateness |
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| Vampires, Werewolves & Zombies by Lisa Regan Challenged for age-appropriateness |
Playing Without the Ball by Rich Wallace Challenged for containing sex |
Fired: Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized, and Dismissed by Annabelle Gurwitch Challenged for unknown reasons |
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| The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Challenged for the liberal use of the word "fuck" and drug references |
And Tango Makes Three by John Richardson and Peter Parnell Challenged for containing themes of homosexuality |
Hoops by Robert Burleigh Challenged for the use of the n-word |
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| What's Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges Challenged for referencing oral sex |
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty Challenged for referencing sex |
Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty Challenged for referencing sex |
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian |
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Challenged in 2016 for sexual references and “adult” situation |
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Challenged for descriptions of sexual abuse |
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| And That's Their Family! by Kailee Coleman Challenged for portraying homosexuality in a positive manner |
Melissa |