Utah has added *Looking for Alaska* by John Green to its statewide list of banned books in public schools, making it the 28th prohibited title and the ninth ban this year. The addition follows the March 2 bans of four other books that brought the total to 27, as covered in prior reporting.
The statewide ban on Looking for Alaska (2005) by John Green was recorded after the March 2, 2026, additions of Breathless by Jennifer Niven, The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley, The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood (illustrated by Renee Nault), and Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold, which raised the total to 27 (Utah bans four more books from public schools statewide). This may reflect a reporting delay or clerical error, with a possible ban date of March 12 instead of March 2.
Utah's House Bill 29 (effective July 2024) requires statewide removal of books deemed 'objective sensitive material' or 'pornographic' if challenged in multiple districts. Since January 2026, nine books have been added. Of the 28 banned titles, 21 are by women authors (average publication 2010), driven by nine districts—Davis leading with 27 challenges, followed by Washington with 26.
A lawsuit challenging HB 29 continues, backed by the Maya Angelou estate, but bans proceed. Utah's list exceeds South Carolina's (21 titles). See the Utah public school book bans series for full coverage.
