What was The Catcher in the Rye's U.S. public-school teaching rank in 1981? It ranked second.
The ranking reflects the novel's unusual combination of classroom popularity and public controversy. By 1981, teachers across the United States were assigning Salinger's 1951 novel as a major work of modern American literature, particularly for discussions of adolescence, identity, alienation, grief, and the transition into adulthood.
At the same time, The Catcher in the Rye was also the most censored book in U.S. high schools and libraries during the period from 1961 to 1982. In 1981 specifically, it held both distinctions: it was the country's most censored book and the second most taught book in public schools.
The wording matters. “Second most taught” does not mean second most popular novel among all American readers, nor does it describe private schools or universities. It refers to a public-school teaching ranking. A nearby fact often causes confusion: the book was frequently challenged for profanity, sexual material, and perceived antisocial themes, yet those same qualities helped make it a powerful teaching text about teenage voice and institutional pressure.