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US book bans in public schools reach record annual high of 12,000
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- The US experienced nearly 12,000 book bans in public schools during the 2025-2026 school year, the highest annual total recorded by PEN America, which has documented 34,000 bans since 2021.
- Texas led with over 8,100 bans, largely due to the state law SB13, which restricts broad categories of books, overtaking Florida, which had been number one for the previous three years.
- More than 7,000 unique titles by over 4,000 authors, illustrators, and translators were banned, with 114 school districts participating—the highest number ever in a single year.
- The most banned book was "Sold" by Patricia McCormick, a novel about a Nepali teen sold into sexual servitude, while Stephen King remained the most banned author for the second consecutive year.
- PEN America highlighted concerns that bans disproportionately target fiction and manga, which make up over 90% of banned young adult titles, potentially hindering students' access to diverse stories that foster empathy and imagination.
