Ohio is not the first place most people think of when they hear "culture war," but lately the fight over what kids can read has landed squarely in the Buckeye State. What began as arguments over teen memoirs and classroom texts has now reached into middle grade fantasy, pulling in series that many families once treated as automatic library picks. The fallout shows up in crowded board meetings, accelerated collection reviews and fresh local policies that can narrow what young readers are able to check out.
Pull the camera back and the national picture looks even more intense. In its State of America’s Libraries report, the American Library Association counted 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, logged 713 attempts to censor library materials (487 of those aimed at books) and tallied 5,668 books removed from collections, with another 920 restricted through relocation or parental permission rules, according to the American Library Association. The group also reports that about 92% of those challenges were driven by pressure groups, government officials or other decision makers rather than individual parents.
Ohio’s share of that story is small in raw numbers but big in symbolism. Drawing on ALA figures, The Columbus Dispatch reports that the state logged seven book challenge incidents covering about 129 titles in 2025. Three novels by best selling fantasy author Rick Riordan, The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor and The Ship of the Dead, landed among the most frequently targeted works in Ohio. According to the Dispatch, school boards and organized campaigns accounted for the bulk of those challenges.
Which books are most targeted?
On its national Top 11 list for 2025, the American Library Association points to Sold by Patricia McCormick, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe as among the most frequently challenged books, alongside a roster of other young adult fantasy and coming of age titles. The association notes that these kinds of books made up a large share of 2025 challenges, with about 40% of unique titles reflecting the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and people of color.
Local push and what it looks like
Advocates who track Ohio cases say the ripple effects are already visible in school libraries. Right to Read Ohio reports that in April 2025 the Bellbrook Sugarcreek school board moved or removed five titles from intermediate grades, including two by Riordan, after it adopted a policy that limits materials labeled as "sexuality content." Right to Read Ohio says the district cited the state Parents’ Bill of Rights when it made that call.
Policy and law
Ohio's Parents' Bill of Rights (H.B. 8) took effect on April 9, 2025. The law requires districts to set up notification rules for instructional materials described as sexuality content and has been referenced by some school boards when ordering formal book reviews, according to the official bill text on the Ohio Legislature. Librarians and critics argue that the statute has created a chilling effect that speeds up reviews and removals. Supporters counter that it simply guarantees transparency for parents.
Taken together, the national numbers and the Ohio skirmishes show how a mix of state policy, organized campaigning and local boards can reshape library shelves. For readers in Columbus and across the state, that means books that once seemed uncontroversial can suddenly wind up in front of a school board. With more challenges already queued up, the question of who gets to decide what children can read is unlikely to quiet down any time soon.
