The Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association has published its list of the 100 most frequently challenged books of the decade. Topping the list is Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz, accused of "being too scary" and "unsuited to age group," followed by Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite, accused of "promoting homosexuality as a normal lifestyle."

The 10 most frequently challenged books of the decade were I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (3), The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (4), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (5), Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (6), Forever by Judy Blume (7), Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (8), Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman (9) and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (10).

Other well-known books on the list include: The Giver by Lois Lowry (11), It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris (13), Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine (15), The Color Purple by Alice Walker (17), Sex by Madonna (18), A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (23), To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (40), Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling (48), Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (54) and Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya (78).

The top 100 list was compiled from 5,718 challenges to library materials reported to or recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom from 1990-1999. Seventy-one percent of the challenges in this decade were to materials in schools or school libraries; another twenty-six percent were to materials in public libraries. Nearly sixty percent of challenges were brought by parents, sixteen percent by library patrons and ten percent by administrators.

In 1995, the number of reported challenges reached a high of 762 challenges, but by 1999 had declined to 472. This decline is likely due to an increased focus away from books to the Internet -- the newest medium in the library -- according to Beverley Becker, the office's associate director.

Despite this decline, Becker says, "Nobody should be complacent in thinking that books are safe from censorship attempts. Research shows that reported challenges represent only 20 to 25 percent of all challenges made. The fact that every challenge is an attempt to make ideas inaccessible to their intended audience is even more troubling than the numbers."

According to Becker, the most often cited reason for requesting that a book be removed from the library or curriculum is that the book is "sexually explicit" (1,446 challenges). Other reasons for challenges included "offensive language" (1,262 challenges), "unsuited to age group" (1,167 challenges), "occult theme or promoting the occult or Satanism" (773 challenges), "violent" (630 challenges), homosexual theme or "promoting homosexuality" (497 challenges), "promoting a religious viewpoint" (397 challenges), "nudity" (297 challenges), "racism" (245 challenges), "sex education" (217 challenges) and "anti-family" (193 challenges).

The entire list of the top 100 challenged books of the last decade can be found at http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/top100bannedbooks.html

For more information on this list or book challenges in general, please contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4223 or send e-email to oif@ala.org.