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'Captain Underpants' 2013's Most Vilified Book

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Kelly McEvers.

The top spot on the American Library Association's annual list of most challenged books goes to "The Adventures of Captain Underpants," for the second year in a row. The series got the most formal complaints in a list compiled by librarians across the country.

The graphic children's novels feature a superhero in his skivvies fighting villains like Dr. Diaper, which, believe it or not, earned the books more complaints than the very adult book "Fifty Shades of Grey."

It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.