1. The Harry Potter Series, by J. K. Rowling, for its focus on wizardry and magic.
2. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, for using offensive language and being unsuited to age group.
3. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, (the “Most Challenged” fiction book of 1998), for using offensive language and being unsuited to age group.
4. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, for sexual content, racism, offensive language, violence and being unsuited to age group.
5. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene for racism, offensive language and being sexually explicit.
6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger for offensive language and being unsuited to age group.
7. The Alice Series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, for being sexually explicit, using offensive language and being unsuited to age group.
8. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous for being sexually explicit, for offensive language and drug use.
9. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers, for offensive language and being unsuited to age group.
10. Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause for being sexually explicit and unsuited to age group.

The most frequently challenged authors in 2001 were:
J. K. Rowling, Robert Cormier, John Steinbeck, Judy Blume, Maya Angelou, Robie Harris, Gary Paulsen, J.D. Salinger, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Walter Dean Myers.

Banned Books Week
September 21–28, 2002
Let Freedom Read: Read a Banned Book