Organization announces most-challenged books

The Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association tracks what books are “challenged” each year. This year the tally of books people wanted pulled from the shelves was 546.

Here are 2006’s 10 most-challenged and the reasons.

¢ “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, for homosexuality, anti-family and unsuited to age group.

¢ “Alice” series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, for sexual content, offensive language.

¢ “Athletic Short,” by Chris Crutcher, for homosexuality, offensive language.

¢ “Beloved,” by Toni Morrison, for offensive language, sexual content, unsuited to age group.

¢ “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison, for sexual content, offensive language, unsuited to age group.

¢ The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier, for sexual content, offensive language, violence.

¢ “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things,” by Carolyn Mackler, for sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, unsuited to age group.

¢ “Gossip Girl” series, by Cecily Von Ziegesar, for homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, offensive language.

¢ “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky, for homosexuality, sexual explicitness, offensive language, unsuited to age group.

¢ “Scary Stories” series, by Alvin Schwartz, for occult/satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, insensitivity.