YA banned books and challenged books are books that should be celebrated and shared widely. There is nothing more frustrating than discovering a fantastic YA novel has been deemed inappropriate due to the topics raised in the book. Themes such as offensive language, sexuality, racism, politics, and religion often face censorship. So many of my favourite books have been targeted by book bans and this post is my way of showing support to the authors and the YA books that have been banned or challenged. Open your book tracking app and get ready to add a few of these YA banned books to your TBR.

Last Updated: March 2023

YA Banned Books

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green

2. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

6. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

8. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

9. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

10. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

11. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

12. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

13. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

14. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

15. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

16. Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu

17. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

18. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is one of my favourite books and I just can’t imagine anyone wanting to remove this one from shelves. It is such an empowering novel that should be on anyone’s reading list. Check out the book trailer to learn more.

19. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

20. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

21. Dear Martin by Nic Stone

22. Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

23. The Giver by Lois Lowry

24. Me, and Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

25. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

26. The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

27. We Are the Ants by Shun David Hutchinson

28. The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

29. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

30. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

31. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

32. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

33. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

34. Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin

35. This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

36. Feed by M.T. Anderson

37. Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

38. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

39. The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa

40. Lush by Natasha Friend

41. Lawn Boy Jonathan Evison

42. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

43. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

44. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

45. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

46. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

YA banned books and YA books that are being challenged are books that need to be supported and celebrated. This banned books week I will be reading some of the books on this list as my way to help draw attention to the freedom to read. There are quite a few lists on Goodreads as well that feature banned and challenged books. What YA banned books will you read?