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The 10 most challenged books of the 21st Century (2000-2009)

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The Harry Potter series1. The Harry Potter Series
by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Follow Harry from his first days at Hogwarts from a dangerous descent into the Chamber of Secrets to the Triwizard Tournament to the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, each adventure is more riveting and exhilarating than its predecessor.

Reasons: magic and witchcraft.

Alice series2. Alice Series
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The Agony of Alice
Alice in Rapture, Sort of
All but Alice
Alice in April
Alice In-Between
Alice the Brave
Alice in Lace
Outrageously Alice
Achingly Alice
Alice on the Outside
The Grooming of Alice
Alice Alone
Simply Alice
Patiently Alice
Including Alice
Alice on Her Way
Alice in the Know
Dangerously Alice
Almost Alice
Intensely Alice

Funny, touching, and always provocative, Phyllis Reynolds proves that she understands what real girls think and feel.

Reason: inappropriate for age group.

The Chocolate War3. The Chocolate War
by Robert Cormier

A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences of refusing to join in the school's annual fund raising drive and arousing the wrath of the school bullies.

Reasons:offensive language, violence.

And Tango Makes Three4. And Tango Makes Three
by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

Reason: homosexual undertones.

Of Mice and Men5. Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck

In depression-era California, two migrant workers dream of better days on a spread of their own until an act of unintentional violence leads to tragic consequences.

Reasons:offensive language, sexual overtones. 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou

This memoir traces Maya Angelou's childhood in a small, rural community during the 1930s.  Filled with images and recollections that point to the dignity and courage of black men and women, Angelou paints a sometimes disquieting, but always affecting picture of the people–and the times–that touched her life.

Reasons: sexual content, offensive language, racism.

Scary Stories series7. Scary Stories Series
by Alvin Schwartz
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
More Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones

Stories of ghosts and witches, "jump" stories, scary songs, and modern-day scary stories.

Reason: too frightening for age group.

His Dark Materials Trilogy8. His Dark Materials Trilogy
by Philip Pullman 
The Golden Compass
The Subtle Knife
The Amber Spyglass 

Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North.

Reason: anti-Christian message.

ttyl Series9. ttylttfn and l8r, g8r Series
by Lauren Myracle

Chronicles, in IM format, the day-to-day experiences, feelings and plans of three friends, Zoe, Maddie and Angela.

Reasons: grammatically incorrect, offensive language, sexual content. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky

Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie is navigating through the strange worlds of love, drugs, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and dealing with the loss of a good friend and his favorite aunt.

Reasons: sexually explicit, obscene, drug use.

Source: American Library Association

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