# Banned books in Texas schools

**141** titles reported as banned, removed, or formally challenged by at least one Texas public-school district. This is a state-aggregated view — the specific district and policy vary per title. Sourced from PEN America's Index of School Book Bans and the American Library Association (ALA) most-challenged list.

**State:** Texas  ·  **Reported titles:** 141
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/banned-books/texas
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.
**Primary source — PEN America:** https://pen.org/banned-book-list/
**Primary source — ALA most-challenged:** https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks
**Texas Department of Education:** https://tea.texas.gov/

## Books reported as banned or challenged in Texas schools

- [1984](https://readinglist.school/book/1984) by George Orwell _(1090L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1949)_
- [A Separate Peace](https://readinglist.school/book/a-separate-peace) by John Knowles _(1110L · Grades 9–11 · pub 1959)_
- [A Tale of Two Cities](https://readinglist.school/book/a-tale-of-two-cities) by Charles Dickens _(1170L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1859)_
- [Ace of Spades](https://readinglist.school/book/ace-of-spades) by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2021)_
- [All My Rage](https://readinglist.school/book/all-my-rage) by Sabaa Tahir _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2022)_
- [An American Plague](https://readinglist.school/book/an-american-plague-the-true-and-terrifying-story-of-the-yellow-fever-epidemic-of) by Jim Murphy _(Grades 4–10 · pub 2003)_
- [An American Plague](https://readinglist.school/book/an-american-plague) by Jim Murphy _(Grades 6–10 · pub 2003)_
- [Animal Farm](https://readinglist.school/book/animal-farm) by George Orwell _(1170L · Grades 7–10 · pub 1945)_
- [Antigone](https://readinglist.school/book/antigone) by Sophocles _(Grades 9–12 · pub -441)_
- [Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe](https://readinglist.school/book/aristotle-and-dante-discover-the-secrets-of-the-universe) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2012)_
- [Ash](https://readinglist.school/book/ash) by Malinda Lo _(Grades 5–12 · pub 2009)_
- [Awkward](https://readinglist.school/book/awkward) by Svetlana Chmakova _(Grades 3–5 · pub 2015)_
- [Beloved](https://readinglist.school/book/beloved) by Toni Morrison _(870L · Grades 11–12 · pub 1987)_
- [Blended](https://readinglist.school/book/blended) by Sharon M. Draper _(610L · Grades 3–7 · pub 2018)_
- [Bone Gap](https://readinglist.school/book/bone-gap) by Laura Ruby _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2016)_
- [Brave New World](https://readinglist.school/book/brave-new-world) by Aldous Huxley _(870L · Grades 11–12 · pub 1932)_
- [Bridge to Terabithia](https://readinglist.school/book/bridge-to-terabithia) by Katherine Paterson _(810L · Grades 4–6 · pub 1977)_
- [Burn Down, Rise Up](https://readinglist.school/book/burn-down-rise-up) by Vincent Tirado _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2022)_
- [Challenger Deep](https://readinglist.school/book/challenger-deep) by Neal Shusterman _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2015)_
- [Chaos Theory](https://readinglist.school/book/chaos-theory) by Nic Stone _(Grades 9–12)_
- [Children of Blood and Bone](https://readinglist.school/book/children-of-blood-and-bone) by Tomi Adeyemi _(Grades 5–12 · pub 2018)_
- [Class Act](https://readinglist.school/book/class-act) by Jerry Craft _(Grades 4–8 · pub 2020)_
- [Claudette Colvin](https://readinglist.school/book/claudette-colvin-twice-toward-justice) by Phillip Hoose _(Grades 6–10 · pub 2009)_
- [Criss Cross](https://readinglist.school/book/criss-cross) by Lynne Rae Perkins _(Grades 3–7 · pub 2005)_
- [Daughter of Smoke and Bone](https://readinglist.school/book/daughter-of-smoke-and-bone) by Laini Taylor _(Grades 5–12 · pub 2011)_
- [Dear Martin](https://readinglist.school/book/dear-martin) by Nic Stone _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2018)_
- [Death of a Salesman](https://readinglist.school/book/death-of-a-salesman) by Arthur Miller _(Grades 11–12 · pub 1949)_
- [Dicey's Song](https://readinglist.school/book/diceys-song) by Cynthia Voigt _(Grades 3–7 · pub 1982)_
- [Drama](https://readinglist.school/book/drama) by Raina Telgemeier _(Grades 5–9 · pub 2012)_
- [Eleanor & Park](https://readinglist.school/book/eleanor-park) by Rainbow Rowell _(Grades 4–9 · pub 2013)_
- [Eragon](https://readinglist.school/book/eragon) by Christopher Paolini _(Grades 6–9 · pub 2005)_
- [Esperanza Rising](https://readinglist.school/book/esperanza-rising) by Pam Muñoz Ryan _(750L · Grades 4–7 · pub 2000)_
- [Every Day](https://readinglist.school/book/every-day) by David Levithan _(Grades 5–12 · pub 2012)_
- [Everybody Sees the Ants](https://readinglist.school/book/everybody-sees-the-ants) by A.S. King _(Grades 5–12 · pub 2011)_
- [Fahrenheit 451](https://readinglist.school/book/fahrenheit-451) by Ray Bradbury _(890L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1953)_
- [Far From The Tree](https://readinglist.school/book/far-from-the-tree) by Robin Benway _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2017)_
- [Fences](https://readinglist.school/book/fences) by August Wilson _(Grades 9–12 · pub 1985)_
- [Fighting Words](https://readinglist.school/book/fighting-words) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley _(Grades 3–10 · pub 2020)_
- [Firekeeper's Daughter](https://readinglist.school/book/firekeepers-daughter) by Angeline Boulley _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2021)_
- [Flowers for Algernon](https://readinglist.school/book/flowers-for-algernon) by Daniel Keyes _(910L · Grades 8–11 · pub 1966)_
- [Flush](https://readinglist.school/book/flush) by Carl Hiaasen _(Grades 3–5 · pub 2005)_
- [Frankenstein](https://readinglist.school/book/frankenstein) by Mary Shelley _(1170L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1818)_
- [Frankly in Love](https://readinglist.school/book/frankly-in-love) by David Yoon _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2019)_
- [Gabi, a Girl in Pieces](https://readinglist.school/book/gabi-a-girl-in-pieces) by Isabel Quintero _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2014)_
- [Ghost Boys](https://readinglist.school/book/ghost-boys) by Jewell Parker Rhodes _(360L · Grades 4–7 · pub 2018)_
- [Girl Mans Up](https://readinglist.school/book/girl-mans-up) by M-E Girard _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2016)_
- [Girls Like Her](https://readinglist.school/book/girls-like-her) by Melanie Sumrow _(Grades 3–10 · pub 2024)_
- [Girls Like Us](https://readinglist.school/book/girls-like-us-gail-giles) by Gail Giles _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2015)_
- [Grasshopper Jungle](https://readinglist.school/book/grasshopper-jungle) by Andrew Smith _(Grades 4–9 · pub 2014)_
- [Great Expectations](https://readinglist.school/book/great-expectations) by Charles Dickens _(1150L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1861)_
- [Hamlet](https://readinglist.school/book/hamlet) by William Shakespeare _(Grades 11–12 · pub 1603)_
- [Heart of Darkness](https://readinglist.school/book/heart-of-darkness) by Joseph Conrad _(1070L · Grades 11–12 · pub 1899)_
- [Hold Still](https://readinglist.school/book/hold-still) by Nina LaCour _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2009)_
- [Hoot](https://readinglist.school/book/hoot) by Carl Hiaasen _(760L · Grades 4–7 · pub 2002)_
- [How to Survive Your Murder](https://readinglist.school/book/how-to-survive-your-murder) by Danielle Valentine _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2022)_
- [I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings](https://readinglist.school/book/i-know-why-the-caged-bird-sings) by Maya Angelou _(1070L · Grades 10–12 · pub 1969)_
- [I'll Give You the Sun](https://readinglist.school/book/ill-give-you-the-sun) by Jandy Nelson _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2014)_
- [Invisible Man](https://readinglist.school/book/invisible-man) by Ralph Ellison _(950L · Grades 11–12 · pub 1952)_
- [Jane Eyre](https://readinglist.school/book/jane-eyre) by Charlotte Brontë _(890L · Grades 10–12 · pub 1847)_
- [King Lear](https://readinglist.school/book/king-lear) by William Shakespeare _(Grades 11–12 · pub 1606)_
- [King and the Dragonflies (Scholastic Gold)](https://readinglist.school/book/king-and-the-dragonflies) by Kacen Callender _(Grades 5–8 · pub 2020)_
- [Last Night at the Telegraph Club](https://readinglist.school/book/last-night-at-the-telegraph-club) by Malinda Lo _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2021)_
- [Little Women](https://readinglist.school/book/little-women) by Louisa May Alcott _(1300L · Grades 7–10 · pub 1868)_
- [Looking for Alaska](https://readinglist.school/book/looking-for-alaska) by John Green _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2005)_
- [Lord of the Flies](https://readinglist.school/book/lord-of-the-flies) by William Golding _(770L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1954)_
- [Macbeth](https://readinglist.school/book/macbeth) by William Shakespeare _(Grades 9–12 · pub 1623)_
- [Maus: A Survivor's Tale](https://readinglist.school/book/maus) by Art Spiegelman _(Grades 9–12 · pub 1986)_
- [Monster](https://readinglist.school/book/monster) by Walter Dean Myers _(670L · Grades 8–11 · pub 1999)_
- [My Ántonia](https://readinglist.school/book/my-antonia) by Willa Cather _(1010L · Grades 10–12 · pub 1918)_
- [New Kid](https://readinglist.school/book/new-kid) by Jerry Craft _(Grades 4–8 · pub 2019)_
- [Night](https://readinglist.school/book/night) by Elie Wiesel _(590L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1960)_
- [Nimona](https://readinglist.school/book/nimona) by ND Stevenson _(Grades 5–12 · pub 2015)_
- [Of Mice and Men](https://readinglist.school/book/of-mice-and-men) by John Steinbeck _(630L · Grades 8–11 · pub 1937)_
- [Othello](https://readinglist.school/book/othello) by William Shakespeare _(Grades 10–12 · pub 1603)_
- [Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood](https://readinglist.school/book/persepolis) by Marjane Satrapi _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2000)_
- [Pride and Prejudice](https://readinglist.school/book/pride-and-prejudice) by Jane Austen _(1100L · Grades 10–12 · pub 1813)_
- [Redwood and Ponytail](https://readinglist.school/book/redwood-and-ponytail) by K.A. Holt _(Grades 3–10 · pub 2019)_
- [Refugee](https://readinglist.school/book/refugee) by Alan Gratz _(800L · Grades 5–9 · pub 2017)_
- [Romeo and Juliet](https://readinglist.school/book/romeo-and-juliet) by William Shakespeare _(Grades 8–10 · pub 1597)_
- [Salt to the Sea](https://readinglist.school/book/salt-to-the-sea) by Ruta Sepetys _(560L · Grades 8–12 · pub 2016)_
- [Scat](https://readinglist.school/book/scat) by Carl Hiaasen _(Grades 2–8 · pub 2009)_
- [Schooled](https://readinglist.school/book/schooled) by Gordon Korman _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2007)_
- [Separate Is Never Equal](https://readinglist.school/book/separate-is-never-equal-sylvia-mendez-and-her-familys-fight-for-desegregation) by Duncan Tonatiuh _(Grades K–5 · pub 2014)_
- [Sex & Violence](https://readinglist.school/book/sex-violence) by Carrie Mesrobian _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2013)_
- [Shiver (Shiver, Book 1)](https://readinglist.school/book/shiver) by Maggie Stiefvater _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2009)_
- [Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda](https://readinglist.school/book/simon-vs-the-homo-sapiens-agenda) by Becky Albertalli _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2015)_
- [Skeleton Key](https://readinglist.school/book/skeleton-key) by Anthony Horowitz _(Grades 3–5 · pub 1999)_
- [Slaughterhouse-Five](https://readinglist.school/book/slaughterhouse-five) by Kurt Vonnegut _(850L · Grades 11–12 · pub 1969)_
- [Speak](https://readinglist.school/book/speak) by Laurie Halse Anderson _(690L · Grades 8–10 · pub 1999)_
- [Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You](https://readinglist.school/book/stamped-racism-antiracism-and-you) by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi _(1000L · Grades 7–12 · pub 2020)_
- [Stargirl](https://readinglist.school/book/stargirl) by Jerry Spinelli _(Grades 6–9 · pub 2001)_
- [Stormbreaker](https://readinglist.school/book/stormbreaker) by Anthony Horowitz _(Grades 5–8 · pub 2000)_
- [Tangerine](https://readinglist.school/book/tangerine) by Edward Bloor _(Grades 2–8 · pub 1997)_
- [The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian](https://readinglist.school/book/the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-indian) by Sherman Alexie _(600L · Grades 7–10 · pub 2007)_
- [The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn](https://readinglist.school/book/the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn) by Mark Twain _(980L · Grades 10–12 · pub 1884)_
- [The Adventures of Tom Sawyer](https://readinglist.school/book/the-adventures-of-tom-sawyer) by Mark Twain _(950L · Grades 5–8 · pub 1876)_
- [The Awakening](https://readinglist.school/book/the-awakening) by Kate Chopin _(960L · Grades 11–12 · pub 1899)_
- [The Bluest Eye](https://readinglist.school/book/the-bluest-eye) by Toni Morrison _(920L · Grades 11–12 · pub 1970)_
- [The Call of the Wild](https://readinglist.school/book/the-call-of-the-wild) by Jack London _(1120L · Grades 6–10 · pub 1903)_
- [The Carnival at Bray](https://readinglist.school/book/the-carnival-at-bray) by Jessie Ann Foley _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2014)_
- [The Catcher in the Rye](https://readinglist.school/book/the-catcher-in-the-rye) by J.D. Salinger _(790L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1951)_
- [The Coldest Girl in Coldtown](https://readinglist.school/book/the-coldest-girl-in-coldtown) by Holly Black _(Grades 5–12 · pub 2013)_
- [The Color Purple](https://readinglist.school/book/the-color-purple) by Alice Walker _(670L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1982)_
- [The Color of a Lie](https://readinglist.school/book/the-color-of-a-lie) by Kim Johnson _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2024)_
- [The Crucible](https://readinglist.school/book/the-crucible) by Arthur Miller _(Grades 10–12 · pub 1953)_
- [The Diary of a Young Girl](https://readinglist.school/book/the-diary-of-a-young-girl) by Anne Frank _(1080L · Grades 7–10 · pub 1947)_
- [The Downstairs Girl](https://readinglist.school/book/the-downstairs-girl) by Stacey Lee _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2019)_
- [The Field Guide to the North American Teenager](https://readinglist.school/book/the-field-guide-to-the-north-american-teenager) by Ben Philippe _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2019)_
- [The Giver](https://readinglist.school/book/the-giver) by Lois Lowry _(760L · Grades 6–8 · pub 1993)_
- [The Glass Menagerie](https://readinglist.school/book/the-glass-menagerie) by Tennessee Williams _(Grades 11–12 · pub 1944)_
- [The Grapes of Wrath](https://readinglist.school/book/the-grapes-of-wrath) by John Steinbeck _(680L · Grades 10–12 · pub 1939)_
- [The Graveyard Book](https://readinglist.school/book/the-graveyard-book) by Neil Gaiman _(820L · Grades 5–8 · pub 2008)_
- [The Great Gatsby](https://readinglist.school/book/the-great-gatsby) by F. Scott Fitzgerald _(1070L · Grades 10–12 · pub 1925)_
- [The Handmaid's Tale](https://readinglist.school/book/the-handmaids-tale) by Margaret Atwood _(750L · Grades 11–12 · pub 1985)_
- [The Hate U Give](https://readinglist.school/book/the-hate-u-give) by Angie Thomas _(590L · Grades 9–12 · pub 2017)_
- [The House on Mango Street](https://readinglist.school/book/the-house-on-mango-street) by Sandra Cisneros _(870L · Grades 7–10 · pub 1984)_
- [The Hunger Games](https://readinglist.school/book/the-hunger-games) by Suzanne Collins _(810L · Grades 6–9 · pub 2008)_
- [The Kite Runner](https://readinglist.school/book/the-kite-runner) by Khaled Hosseini _(840L · Grades 10–12 · pub 2003)_
- [The Miseducation of Cameron Post](https://readinglist.school/book/the-miseducation-of-cameron-post) by Emily Danforth _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2017)_
- [The Odyssey](https://readinglist.school/book/the-odyssey) by Homer _(1130L · Grades 9–12 · pub -700)_
- [The Pearl](https://readinglist.school/book/the-pearl) by John Steinbeck _(1010L · Grades 6–9 · pub 1947)_
- [The Perks of Being a Wallflower](https://readinglist.school/book/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower) by Stephen Chbosky _(720L · Grades 9–12 · pub 1999)_
- [The Poet X](https://readinglist.school/book/the-poet-x) by Elizabeth Acevedo _(800L · Grades 8–12 · pub 2018)_
- [The River](https://readinglist.school/book/the-river) by Gary Paulsen _(Grades 5–8 · pub 1991)_
- [The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly](https://readinglist.school/book/the-sacred-lies-of-minnow-bly) by Stephanie Oakes _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2015)_
- [The Storm in the Barn](https://readinglist.school/book/the-storm-in-the-barn) by Matt Phelan _(Grades 4–7 · pub 2011)_
- [The Summer of Bitter and Sweet](https://readinglist.school/book/the-summer-of-bitter-and-sweet) by Jen Ferguson _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2022)_
- [The Tempest](https://readinglist.school/book/the-tempest) by William Shakespeare _(Grades 9–12 · pub 1611)_
- [The Underground Railroad](https://readinglist.school/book/the-underground-railroad) by Colson Whitehead _(Grades 11–12 · pub 2000)_
- [The Words We Keep](https://readinglist.school/book/the-words-we-keep) by Erin Stewart _(Grades 8–12 · pub 2022)_
- [To Kill a Mockingbird](https://readinglist.school/book/to-kill-a-mockingbird) by Harper Lee _(870L · Grades 7–10 · pub 1960)_
- [Under the Same Stars](https://readinglist.school/book/under-the-same-stars) by Libba Bray _(Grades 9–12)_
- [Under the Surface](https://readinglist.school/book/under-the-surface) by Diana Urban _(Grades 7–12 · pub 2024)_
- [Walk Two Moons](https://readinglist.school/book/walk-two-moons) by Sharon Creech _(770L · Grades 5–7 · pub 1994)_
- [Warrior Girl Unearthed](https://readinglist.school/book/warrior-girl-unearthed) by Angeline Boulley _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2023)_
- [What Girls Are Made Of](https://readinglist.school/book/what-girls-are-made-of) by Elana K. Arnold _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2017)_
- [When We Collided](https://readinglist.school/book/when-we-collided) by Emery Lord _(Grades 9–12 · pub 2016)_
- [White Bird](https://readinglist.school/book/white-bird) by R.J. Palacio _(Grades 4–6 · pub 2019)_
- [Will Grayson, Will Grayson](https://readinglist.school/book/will-grayson-will-grayson) by John Green _(Grades 3–10 · pub 2010)_
- [Wishtree](https://readinglist.school/book/wishtree) by Katherine Applegate _(590L · Grades 3–6 · pub 2017)_
- [Zen and the Art of Faking It](https://readinglist.school/book/zen-and-the-art-of-faking-it) by Jordan Sonnenblick _(Grades 2–8 · pub 2007)_

## How book challenges work in Texas

Texas has 141 titles on file as banned, restricted, or formally challenged by at least one Texas public-school district in the public sources ReadingList aggregates from (PEN America's Index of School Book Bans and the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom most-challenged list). These tracked numbers represent FORMAL challenges that reached district board minutes, ALA OIF reporting, or PEN America's quarterly index — quieter classroom-level removals that never reached those national trackers are not captured here, so the actual scope of restriction in Texas is plausibly larger than this list reflects.

Book challenges in Texas typically follow a layered process: a parent, board member, or community member files a written request for reconsideration of an assigned title with a specific school or district; the district convenes a review committee (usually comprising teachers, librarians, administrators, and sometimes parent representatives); the committee reads the book, evaluates it against the district's selection criteria and against Texas ELA standards, holds at least one public comment session, and votes to retain, restrict (e.g., grade-level limits or parental consent), or remove the title from the approved curriculum. Decisions are typically appealable to the state board of education within a defined window.

Common challenge bases across the 141 Texas titles tracked here mirror the national pattern: sexual content (most common), LGBTQ+ themes, race and racism, profanity or violence, religion and political content, and depictions of substance abuse. Tracked titles include: 1984; A Separate Peace; A Tale of Two Cities. Each title's detail page lists the specific Texas district that initiated the challenge, the date, and (when published) the formal challenge basis recorded in district minutes. For deeper context on national patterns, the linked PEN America and ALA pages publish quarterly and annual reports.

For parents, teachers, librarians, and students in Texas navigating this landscape: the practical paths forward depend on role. Parents who object to a specific assigned title can typically request an alternative assignment from the teacher directly without initiating a formal challenge — most Texas districts have informal opt-out paths well before the formal reconsideration process kicks in. Librarians and teachers facing pressure to remove a title can document the formal selection criteria the book met, gather student-reader testimonials (with FERPA-compliant consent), and align with the National Coalition Against Censorship for advisory support. Students directly affected by a book removal can speak at the school board meeting where the decision is reviewed — public comment is open to all Texas district residents. Texas's Department of Education publishes the formal procedural framework — the source link is in the sources block above.

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_Aggregated from PEN America + ALA public reporting. A statewide ban is rare; most removals are at the district or individual-school level, and many challenged titles remain available elsewhere in the state. HTML view: https://readinglist.school/banned-books/texas._