Two new reports provide a mixed but compelling outlook on the wave of book removals and challenges as the annual Banned Books Week begins for schools, stores and libraries nationwide.

Across the country, book bans and attempted bans have soared to the highest levels in decades.

Lorrie Moore has won the prize for fiction and Judy Blume received a lifetime achievement award from the National Book Critics Circle.

The nationwide surge in book bannings continues.

More libraries are cutting ties with the American Library Association as the professional group stands up for books some say children shouldn't have access to because of their content.

Salman Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed, Carl Hiassen and Ibram X.

The American Library Association's annual conference is underway in Chicago, where librarians are discussing topics including countering book challenges, fighting legislative censorship, and ensuring information access and the freedom to read.

A new report from the American Library Association says attempted book bannings and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022.

Books have been a hot topic in Dearborn for the past couple of weeks, resulting in the school district to create new criteria for evaluating books in school libraries.

According to the American Library Association, 2022 is on track to see a record attempt at banning books at public libraries, universities, and schools which is why librarians in Royal Oak are bringing awareness to book bans with a riff on a Rock and Roll concert shirt.

The wave of attempted book banning and restrictions continues to intensify, the American Library Association reported Friday.

There have been many classic books that people have attempted to remove from libraries, schools or universities.

Accounts of book bannings and attempted book bannings, along with threats against librarians, have soared over the past year.

Lauren Groff’s novel “Matrix” is among the finalists for an Andrew Carnegie Medal for fiction.

“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families," it said. Within hours of Tuesday's announcement, Dr. Seuss books filled more than half of the top 20 slots on Amazon.com's bestseller list. Ad“Research in recent years has revealed strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss,” the school district said in a statement. In 2018, a Dr. Seuss museum in his hometown of Springfield removed a mural that included an Asian stereotype. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, however, said it is “committed to listening and learning and will continue to review our entire portfolio."

This combination image shows "Deacon King Kong" by James McBride, left, and "Fathoms: The World in the Whale" by Rebecca Giggs. The American Library Association has announced its winners of the Carnegie medals for literary excellence, awarding McBride in the fiction category and Giggs in nonfiction. (Riverhead Books, left, and Simon & Schuster via AP)NEW YORK – This year's winners of the Carnegie medals for fiction and nonfiction, presented by the American Library Association, have each checked out a few books in their time. But in Philly, you can,” explained McBride, whose novel last year was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club. With a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the library association established the award in 2012, with winners in each category receiving $5,000.

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2016 file photo, author and filmmaker Sherman Alexie appears at a celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day at Seattle's City Hall. Alexie is included in a list of authors who wrote books that were among the 100 most subjected to censorship efforts over the past decade, as compiled by the American Library Association. All wrote books that were among the 100 most subjected to censorship efforts over the past decade, as compiled by the American Library Association. The association does not formally count the number of times books are actually removed from a library shelf or from a school reading list. “There are actually two lines of objections to the Anne Frank diary,” Caldwell-Stone says.

NEW YORK, NY Ta-Nehisi Coates' first novel, "The Water Dancer," is among the nominees for an Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence. Coates' narrative of an enslaved person's journey to freedom is a fiction finalist, along with Valeria Luiselli's "Lost Children Archive" and Myla Goldberg's "Feast Your Eyes." The finalists were announced Monday by the American Library Association, which presents the awards. Winners in each category receive $5,000, made possible in part by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The winners will be announced Jan. 26.