More than 170 books were removed from Alberta school libraries this school year.
New literary material standards introduced by Alberta’s government in 2025 prohibits K-12 libraries from stocking books containing “any explicit visual depiction of a sexual act” as defined by a ministerial order from the province’s education minister. The order itself doesn’t ban any specific books. Instead, school authorities were required to review their library collections and decide whether a book met the education ministry’s definitions of inappropriate content, and report back to the government which books had been removed to comply with the order.
Though the books flagged by school divisions varied depending on interpretation of the order and what was in their library collections to begin with, certain titles appeared again and again in the list of books banned in Alberta’s public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools.
V for Vendetta
Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd, this classic of graphic storytelling captures life in a near-future fascist dystopia. V for Vendetta was voted one of the top 100 comics of the century by The Comics Journal and was included in a BBC News list of the 100 most inspiring novels.
Eleven school authorities removed the book from their libraries. The most common reason given for removal was that it contained content defined in section 1 (e) (iii) of the ministerial order: “contact of a sexual nature.” Other reasons it was banned include showing masturbation, section 1 (e) (i), and/or penetration, section 1 (e) (ii) . One school division gave no reason for banning the book.
Blankets
Craig Thompson’s autobiographical graphic novel Blankets chronicles Thompson’s experiences growing up in an Evangelical Christian family, his first romantic relationship and transition into adulthood. The book has received two Eisner Awards and three Harvey Awards.
Blankets was banned by nine school divisions for containing depictions of “contact of a sexual nature” and masturbation.
Watchmen
In a tie with Blankets for the second most banned book in Alberta schools is Watchmen by Alan Moore, which was also reported by nine school divisions for having sexual content that violated the ministerial order.
Watchmen is one of the most acclaimed graphic novels in history and remains the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award outside of the graphic story category.
The Sandman
Neil Gaiman’s dark fantasy comic series The Sandman originally ran for 75 issues between 1989 and 1996. The series is now published in 10 trade paperback volumes, several of which were taken out of circulation following the Alberta government’s mandated review of school library materials.
· The Sandman Vol. One: Preludes & Nocturnes was banned by seven school divisions.
· The Sandman Vol. Three: Dream Country was banned in eight school divisions.
· The Sandman Vol. Six: Fables& Reflections was banned in five school divisions.
· Three school divisions reported having removed The Sandman but didn’t specify which book in the series.
· Volumes four and nine were each banned by one school division.
The Handmaid’s Tale
After Alberta education minister Demetrios Nicolaides’s ministerial order was issued, setting out the content guidelines for school libraries, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association wrote an op-ed that warned the law as written would result in books like George Orwell’s 1984 and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale being banned. Nicolaides responded in a column of his own, saying that the CCLA’s statement about these critically acclaimed books being subject to the ban was “a completely false and shockingly deceptive claim.”
The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel by Atwood and illustrator Renée Nault has been banned by seven school divisions so far. The most common reason the book was censored was for including content meeting the third of five definitions of a sexual act in the ministerial order: “contact of a sexual nature between the genitalia, mouth, hand, finger or other body part with the unclothed genitalia, pubic area, buttocks, anus or, if the person is female, the breast of another person.”
1984
There is some uncertainty whether the graphic novel adaptations of Atwood’s or Orwell’s classic of dystopian fiction caught the attention of more censors. George Orwell’s 1984: The Graphic Novel by Matyáš Namai was found on the list of books removed from school libraries in six school divisions. However, two other divisions told the education ministry they had taken a graphic novel version of 1984 off their shelves. Orwell’s novel has been given a graphic treatment by multiple illustrators, including Fido Nesti, Xavier Coste and Frédéric Pontarolo.
One school division also banned a DVD of the film adaptation of 1984.
A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel
The graphic novel version of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin was banned by seven school divisions. Martin’s popular novel series was adapted by Daniel Abraham and illustrated by Tommy Patterson.
Gender Queer: A Memoir
Gender Queer is a graphic memoir written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe that explores gender identity and sexuality, and centres around the experience of coming out to friends and family. Published in 2019, the graphic novel received the American Library Association’s Alex Award for best young adult literature. It has also earned the distinction of being one of the most challenged books in the U.S. for five consecutive years.
In states like Florida and Texas, which, like Alberta, have introduced school library standards in recent years restricting access to “sexually explicit material,” Gender Queer has been banned in several school districts.
Five school divisions in Alberta removed Kobabe’s memoir in 2025.
Fun Home
Written by Alison Bechdel, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic shares a lot in common with the previous book on this list. Both are graphic memoirs that deal with sexual orientation and gender roles. They have enjoyed continued popular success and critical praise. The two books were among four graphic novels originally named by Nicolaides as examples of “inappropriate” material in libraries to justify the province’s content restrictions, as well as Thompson’s Blankets and Flamer by Mike Curato. And both have been banned by five Alberta school divisions.
Flamer
Curato’s debut graphic novel draws on his own experiences as a closeted teenager to tell the story of Aiden Navarro’s struggles with relationships, bullying and self-discovery at a Boy Scouts summer camp.
Flamer won a Massachusetts Book Award in the children’s and young adult category and a Lambda Literary Award for young adult literature.
It was banned by five school divisions.
Lighter Than My Shadow
Katie Green’s graphic novel gives a candid portrayal of eating disorders, body dysmorphia and recovery. Five school divisions reported removing Lighter Than My Shadow for containing prohibited sexual content.
You can search the full list of books banned in Alberta school libraries in the IJF’s online database.
This story was reprinted as part of a collaboration with the Investigative Journalism Foundation.
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