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2d ago

Reported School Book Bans Fall as Self-Censorship Rises, Driving New Push for Protections

New tallies from PEN America alongside ALA data suggest pressure campaigns have pushed bans into quieter 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

  • PEN America logged 6,870 school book bans in 2024–25, down from a record 10,046 the year prior, with nearly 23,000 cases since 2021 across 45 states and more than 3,750 unique titles affected last year.
  • Advocates warn the fight has shifted to silent removals and purchasing avoidance by educators, citing a Virginia review showing 35% of divisions keep no records of removals and reports of off-the-books directives to pull titles.
  • The ALA counted 821 censorship attempts in 2024 versus 1,247 in 2023 and reports that 72% were driven by outside pressure groups, with most incidents in public libraries and about 38% in school libraries.
  • Books addressing race or racism and works with LGBTQ+ characters remain frequent targets; top banned titles in 2024–25 included A Clockwork Orange, Breathless, Sold, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club, while titles like All Boys Aren’t Blue and Gender Queer continue to face challenges.
  • Policy responses are accelerating, with freedom-to-read bills introduced in 25 states and seven passing protections this year, New York’s legislature advancing a Freedom to Read Act now urged for the governor’s signature, and federal actions affecting military school systems drawing continued scrutiny.