The books have been challenged and banned since they started being published. There are many reasons why books get challenged and/or banned. Books are banned for everything from foul language to sex. Many books have been challenged and banned throughout history. For one series every single book in the series was banned in some locations; there are thirteen books in the series. Gossip Girl, written by Cecily von Ziegesar, is one of the most contested and/or banned books of recent years. Gossip Girl has been challenged and/or banned for multiple reasons including: sex, drugs and scandals. There is a difference between banned books and challenged books. According to the American Library Association (ALA), “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based on the objections of a person or group (About Bans, para. 2). A book ban occurs when a book or other reading material is removed from certain locations and is no longer available. For example, one of the most contested books of the 21st century is The Giver by Lois Lowry (100 Most). The novel The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sheman Alexie was banned in Oregon high school because a parent complained that the book was offensive (Doyle, 3). There are many reasons why books get challenged and/or banned. According to Robert Doyle, the main reasons for the ban are sex, foul language, and racism (Doyle, 3). The most common initiator of the challenge is a parent or group of parents (Challenges for, graph 2). Challenges can also come from: supporters, board members or organizations (Challenges for, chart 2). Challenges can also come from entire institutions; they usually come from schools (Challenges of, graph 3). The Gossip Girl series is written by C...... middle of paper ......available in public libraries, parents or guardians should monitor what their children are reading anyway. If I were a teacher I would not teach or read this book in my classroom. There is no informed information in the books; They are for entertainment purposes only. I also wouldn't suggest any of my students read the books. If they found them on their own, that would be great. Books are banned and/or contested for multiple reasons. Many books contain valuable information, but continue to be banned or contested. The Gossip Girl series is a series that should be banned in some places like the middle school library. The contents of the books should not be made available to persons under the age of fifteen. Some of the inappropriate content includes: sex, drugs, offensive language, inappropriate attitudes and scandals.