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Schools banned a record 12,000 books in a year, according to annual report
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Nearly 12,000 book bans occurred in U.S. public schools over the past year, the highest number recorded by PEN America since it began tracking five years ago, with Stephen King being the most frequently banned author for the second consecutive year.
- Florida and Texas saw many bans amid new restrictive laws and pressure from politicians and conservative activists, with school administrators increasingly using AI to decide which books to remove.
- Books addressing themes of race, racism, sexuality, and gender identity were most commonly challenged, with notable banned titles including Patricia McCormick’s "Sold," Margaret Atwood’s "The Handmaid’s Tale," and Laurie Halse Anderson’s "Speak."
- PEN America’s report highlights that book bans limit students’ access to diverse perspectives and literature, undermining the freedom to read and the educational role of school libraries.
- Differences exist between PEN America and the American Library Association’s reporting methods, with PEN counting temporary removals and the ALA only permanent bans; the ALA reported about 5,600 bans in the previous year.
