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yesterday

Book Bans Fall From Peak, PEN America Warns of ‘Silent Censorship’

New data show reported bans fell to 6,870 last school year, with advocates warning the fight has shifted to quiet self-censorship.

Students in the library receive candy and red envelopes in a cultural celebration of the Lunar New Year at Yung Wing School P.S. 124 on February 02, 2022 in New York City. NYC schools were closed yesterday in observance of what is considered the most important day in the Chinese calendar with the start of the New Year. This event is not only relevant in Asia, but also in other countries where this Chinese tradition is respected and celebrated and is on the table to become the next US Federal Holiday. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
State-by-state map tracking school book bans from PEN America's 2025 "Banned in the USA" report.
A selection of banned and challenged books are seen on a table as members of City Lit Theater Company read excerpts from them during Banned Books Week 2022, at the Lincoln Belmont branch of the Chicago Public Library on Sept. 22, 2022.
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Overview

  • Roughly 6,870 school book removals were recorded in 2024–25, down from 10,046 the prior year, bringing the total to nearly 23,000 since 2021, according to PEN America.
  • Removals remain concentrated in a few states, led by Florida (2,304), Texas (1,781) and Tennessee (1,622), with 590 additional bans in Department of Defense–linked systems.
  • Titles addressing race and LGBTQ+ identities continue to be disproportionately targeted, with PEN’s most-banned list including A Clockwork Orange, Breathless and Sold.
  • Legal battles are intensifying, including a Texas public‑library case (Little v. Llano County) potentially headed to the U.S. Supreme Court and a fresh appeal over And Tango Makes Three in Florida.
  • Banned Books Week features a coordinated pushback—ALA’s theme is “Censorship Is So 1984,” George Takei serves as honorary chair, PRH’s “Banned Wagon” tours major cities, and state “freedom to read” bills advanced in 2025 with protections passing in seven states.