Book removals and bans are on the rise: Here are the books targeted in Tennessee

Angele Latham, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·1 min read
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Book restrictions, removals and bans have become a common topic across Tennessee in the past few years, as increased legislative scrutiny on school library content, as well as a rise in groups focused on parental rights, have pushed the issue into the spotlight.

According to PEN America, an organization that promotes free expression in literature, the group recorded more book bans across the country during the fall 2022 semester than in each of the prior two semesters.

More than 300 book titles across Tennessee have faced scrutiny, with some being kept on shelves, while others have been removed from certain grade levels and still others banned altogether.

So what books are being targeted?

The following is a list of books targeted for removal, restriction or banning across the state of Tennessee since 2021, compiled in part by PEN America and the Every Library Institute, with additions made by The Tennessean.

The five most-challenged books in the state are:

  • "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

  • "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas

  • "Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

  • "Court of Thorns and Roses" series by Sarah J. Mass

  • Simon Snow series by Rainbow Rowell

Additionally, the top five authors challenged across the state are:

  • Becky Albertalli

  • Kaito

  • Rick Riordan

  • Victoria Lee

  • Rainbow Rowell

The following is a searchable list of every challenged book in the state of Tennessee since 2021, according to those two organizations and Tennessean research. And the list likely only scrapes the surface — thanks to the broad interpretability of the new laws, the process in which school districts handle book removals and challenges remain unique to each county, making the tracking of these across districts difficult.

Books like these seen here are among titles that have been challenged by school districts across Tennessee.
Books like these seen here are among titles that have been challenged by school districts across Tennessee.

Go Deeper: 'Wild West' of book bans: New legislation, complaints lead to increasing debates

The USA Today Network - Tennessee's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.

Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@gannett.com, by phone at 931-623-9485, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee book bans: Here are the titles challenged in the state