Banned Books Week: Why are illustrated books being challenged more than ever?

Banned books | Graphic novels | Censorship | YA Literature | Book awards

by Michael Cavna | September 25, 2017

A panel from “This One Summer,” by Mariko Tamaki and artist Jillian Tamaki. (First Second)

 

AS BANNED BOOKS WEEK begins, it bears asking: Why are graphic novels being challenged more than ever?

 Last year, for the first time, the top two most challenged works were graphic novels for young adults, and half of the top 10 most challenged books were illustrated narratives. It also bears noting that of the 323 challenges filed against stocked books in 2016, many of them, according to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, were for reasons related to sex or gender.

Landing at the ALA’s top spot was “This One Summer,” written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki. A year earlier, the YA graphic novel received a Printz Honor, and became the first graphic novel to receive a Caldecott Honor. But last spring, the ALA reported that “This One Summer” was “restricted, relocated and banned because it includes LGBT characters, drug use, and profanity,” and that it was “considered sexually explicit with mature themes.”
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