Looking for something new to read this fall? The New York Public Library is giving cardholders instant access to 33 frequently banned and challenged books through October 10, 2026 — with no waiting lists. The special collection is available through the free Libby app and includes books for adults, teens and kids. Once checked out, titles can be borrowed for three weeks.
The collection includes plenty of familiar titles, including:
For adults:
1984 by George Orwell, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin, Kindred by Octavia E. Butler and The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood.
For teens:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Heartstopper, Volume 1 by Alice Oseman, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo.
For kids:
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Front Desk by Kelly Yang, Under My Hijab by Hena Khan and When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff.
How to borrow them
If you already have an NYPL library card, open the Libby app and look for the featured Banned Books Week collection on the NYPL home screen. Choose a book, sign in with your library card number and PIN, and borrow it immediately — no holds required.
Don’t have an NYPL card yet? You can apply for a free card online or visit an NYPL location, including one of the many branches right here in the Bronx. Anyone who lives, works, attends school or pays property taxes in New York State is eligible. Learn more.