Bible makes list of most challenged, banned books

The American Library Association's report on the state of libraries across the nation includes a list of the books that were challenged the most often in 2015.

According to a Monday news release, ALA's State of America's Libraries report includes a survey of books in school and public libraries that have been challenged, regardless of the format of the book -- digital or print.

Making the list's top 10 is the Bible.

"You have people who feel that if a school library buys a copy of the Bible, it's a violation of church and state," James LaRue, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom for the American Library Association, said. "And sometimes there's a retaliatory action, where a religious group has objected to a book and a parent might respond by objecting to the Bible."

According to the association's intellectual freedom office, attempts to remove books with diverse content are "higher than ever before."

The list comes from news reports and accounts submitted from libraries. The number of incidents compiled by the ALA this year was 275.

"Many of the books deal with issues of diversity," LaRue said. "And that often leads to challenges."

The ALA defines a challenge as a "formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness."

The top 10 challenged books are:

1. "Looking for Alaska" by John Green for sexually explicit content and offensive language for the targeted age group.

2. "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E. L. James for sexually explicit content, poor writing and concerns that teens will want to try content in the book.

3." I Am Jazz" by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings for homosexuality, sex education, a religious viewpoint, making it unsuitable for the target age group.

4. "Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out" by Susan Kuklin for sex education, offensive language, religious viewpoint and perspective considered to be "anti-family."

5. "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon for religious viewpoint of atheism, offensive language, making it unsuitable for the target age group.

6. "The Holy Bible" for a religious viewpoint.

7."Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel for violence and graphic writing.

8. "Habib"i by Craig Thompson for sexually explicit content and nudity, making it unsuitable for the targeted age group.

9. "Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan" by Jeanette Winter for violence and a religious viewpoint, making it unsuited to the targeted age group.

10. "Two Boys Kissing" by David Levithan for homosexuality and condoning public affection.