Part of a continuing series in theDes Moines Register’s Iowa’s Book Ban Battle project.
Ten writers hold the dubious distinction of having the most banned books in Iowa.
The Des Moines Register pursued an exclusive investigation to track the impact of Senate File 496, a 2023 education law that requires library materials to be "age-appropriate" and bans most books depicting sex acts from Iowa schools. The sweeping law also restricts curriculum about sexual orientation and gender identity through sixth grade.
The Register documented nearly 3,400 book removals in Iowa due to the law. The removals included about 1,000 unique book titles from about 600 authors.
Among the hundreds of authors caught up in Iowa's book ban are prolific romance writers, award-winning novelists and popular writers for young adults.
More:Iowa book ban's toll: 3,400 pulled books, including '1984' and 'To Kill a Mockingbird'
A federal judge has blocked the state from enforcing the book and curriculum restrictions as two lawsuits remain pending. Some districts decided to reshelve the books they removed after the judge's decision; the Register documented about 1,300 books that were restored.
One author may have appeared multiple times in a district's book removal list. The data below shows how many books written by that author were removed in Iowa schools, not how many districts removed their books. It includes books that may have been reshelved.
Here are the 10 most banned authors in Iowa schools:
1. Ellen Hopkins
Ellen Hopkins is a novelist known for writing more than a dozen novels popular with teens and young adults. Her works often feature experimental poetic prose and tell stories of teenagers struggling with addiction, mental illness and abuse.
Number of times removed — 289
Books removed — "Crank," "Identical," "Tricks," "Perfect," "Tilt," "Traffick," "Fallout," "Burned," "Glass," "Impulse," "Smoke," "People Kill People," "Rumble," "Collateral," "Triangles," "The You I've Never Known," "Pulse," "A Sin Such As This"
2. Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas is a fantasy writer known for series such as "Throne of Glass," about a teenage assassin hoping to win her freedom, and "A Court of Thorns and Roses," about a huntress who faces retribution after killing a wolf that turned out to be a fairy and develops feelings for a fairy ruler in his realm.
Number of times removed — 232
Books removed — "A Court of Thorns and Roses," "A Court of Mist and Fury," "Empire of Storms," "A Court of Wings and Ruin," "A Court of Frost and Starlight," "Kingdom of Ash," "A Court of Silver Flames," "Tower of Dawn," "Throne of Glass," "Queen of Shadows," "House of Earth and Blood," "House of Sky and Breath," "Heir of Fire," "Crown of Midnight"
3. John Green
John Green is known for popular young adult novels that tell coming-of-age stories of teenage struggle. He's also known for building a large online community that sprung from his work, his foray into YouTube with his brother Hank, educational videos and a podcast. He is one of the authors suing the state of Iowa over the book ban law.
Number of times removed — 107
Books removed — "Looking for Alaska," "The Fault in Our Stars," "Paper Towns," "An Abundance of Katherines"
4. Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is a romance author who has seen a surge in popularity in recent years on TikTok. Her books often feature complex love, shocking secrets and dark themes. One of her most well-known novels, "It Ends with Us," has been adapted into a film planned for release in August.
Number of times removed — 104
Books removed — "Regretting You," "It Ends With Us," "It Starts With Us," "Without Merit," "Heart Bones," "Slammed," "Ugly Love," "This Girl," "Point of Retreat," "November 9," "Reminders of Him," "Maybe Someday," "Hopeless," "Maybe Now," "Maybe Not," "Losing Hope," "Never Never," "Finding Cinderella," "Confess," "All Your Perfects," "Verity," "Two More Days," "Layla," "Finding Perfect"
5. Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult has written dozens of novels that often feature fractured relationships and controversial themes and issues like abortion, assisted suicide, sexual abuse and murder. Picoult's novel "Nineteen Minutes," about a school shooting, is the most banned book in Iowa under Senate File 496. She is one of the authors suing the state of Iowa over the book ban law.
Number of times removed — 101
Books removed — "Nineteen Minutes," "My Sister's Keeper," "The Tenth Circle," "The Pact," "Mercy," "House Rules," "Vanishing Act," "Second Glance," "Salem Falls," "Plain Truth," "Picture Perfect," "Perfect Match," "Harvesting the Heart"
More:Author Jodi Picoult, who has challenged Iowa’s book ban, is coming to Des Moines
6. Toni Morrison
The late Toni Morrison was a Nobel Prize-winning novelist whose novel "Beloved" won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. Morrison's novels tell complex stories of Black characters in America and detail the impact of racism and misogyny alongside exploring family, history and desire. President Barack Obama honored Morrison with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
Number of times removed — 77
Books removed — "The Bluest Eye," "Beloved," "Song of Solomon," "Sula"
7. Patricia McCormick
Patricia McCormick is known for realistic fiction for young adults that leans heavily on real-world research, including a novel about sexual slavery that saw McCormick travel to India and Nepal to interview survivors of sex trafficking. She also collaborated on a memoir with Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Prize-winning advocate who fought for girls' education under Taliban occupation.
Number of times removed — 63
Books removed — "Sold," "Cut"
8. Jay Asher
While Jay Asher has written multiple young adult novels, he had just one in the Register's data: "Thirteen Reasons Why." The book follows the story of Hannah Baker, who leaves behind tapes detailing the traumatic events leading to her suicide. The novel was later adapted into a controversial Netflix series.
Number of times removed — 60
Books removed — "Thirteen Reasons Why"
9. Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood is a Booker Prize-winning novelist, poet, essayist and literary critic who has written dozens of novels, stories, poems, graphic novels, nonfiction books and other works. Atwood is famous for the dystopian "Handmaid's Tale," about a radical theocracy that forces childbearing women into sexual slavery for the country's rulers, which has been adapted into a Hulu television series starring Elisabeth Moss.
Number of times removed — 58
Books removed — "The Handmaid's Tale," "Oryx and Crake," "The Testaments"
10. Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini is a novelist who was born in Afghanistan as the son of a diplomat and a teacher. The family sought asylum in the United States after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Hosseini was a practicing doctor before becoming a novelist. He features Afghan characters and stories in his work. Hosseini also is a goodwill ambassador in the United Nations.
Number of times removed — 56
Books removed — "The Kite Runner," "A Thousand Splendid Suns"
Chris Higgins covers the northern and eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter@chris_higgins_.
