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American Library Association released their list of challenged books today, challenged as in parents, library patrons and others want that particular book removed. Could you guess what book received the most complaints? If you guessed “And Tango Makes Three”, an award-winning childrens book about two male penguins raising a baby penguin, you guessed correctly.

I found the fact that so many people complained about a book that promotes tolerance of unconventional families a disturbing thing. However, what I found a little more disturbing is the fact that this was tops on a list–of 546 challenged books. That 546 is up 30 percent(!) from last year. While this is still off from the high totals in the mid-90s (700s), it is an alarming jump. It’s ironic that a country with such severe literacy problems is trying to ban so many books.