American schools have banned nearly 12,000 books over the past year, as per a new report. According to a study by PEN America, 11,982 books were banned in public schools in the 2025-26 school year. The report also highlighted that 7,370 unique titles were banned. Themes of race, racism, sexuality and gender identity remain the most common reasons why the books were challenged.
According to the organisation's official website, PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide.
The study also noted that this is the highest total since the free expression organisation began tracking removals five years ago. For the second straight year, Stephen King was the author most likely to have his work withdrawn.
As per the report, many of the bans took place in Florida and Texas, where restrictive laws have been passed and both politicians and conservative activists have pushed for removals. PEN has also found that school district administrators rely increasingly on AI to determine which books should be pulled.
The organisation found 11,982 cases of bans, affecting 7,370 individual works. Over 4,500 were on the list for the first time, ranging from the 19th century classic "Jane Eyre" to Sui Ishida's "Tokyo Ghoul" manga series.
"More than 90% of Young Adult titles banned during the 2025-2026 school were fiction, stripping young readers away from the books that help them fall in love with reading," the study noted.
The organisation highlighted that the majority of book bans came from just two states: Texas and Florida. "Both states have become blueprints for educational censorship, where special interest groups, state laws, and politicians have converged to pressure school districts to restrict and remove access to books," it said.
Another notable trend has been the role of AI in accelerating book bans, as per the study. The report asserted that as districts respond to vague and unclear directives from state departments of education and state legislation, district administrators are increasingly turning to AI to evaluate books for removal.
Titles Banned For The First Time
Check some of the books banned for the first time, as mentioned in the report.
- Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World by Kelly Jensen
- Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable Path Adventure by Ryan North
- Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini
- The Brightest Night by Jennifer L Armentrout
- Lore by Alexandra Bracken
"School libraries make knowledge and ideas available, ensure books remain available for all regardless of personal or political ideologies, and open gateways to stories that inform, challenge, and reflect the realities of the world back to readers," the PEN report, titled "Banned in the USA," read.
"Book bans impede the freedom to read, cutting students' access to a diversity of views, voices, perspectives, and literature they deserve to encounter," it added.
The most commonly banned book list for the 2025-2026 school year included many notable repeat titles: Sold by Patricia McCormick; Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson; several titles by Ellen Hopkins like Crank and Identical; The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood; and Looking for Alaska by John Green.
King's books were pulled 312 times, with "The Shining" and "The Green Mile" among those impacted. Meanwhile, the most banned individual title was Patrick McCormick's novel about a girl sold into sexual slavery in India, "Sold," for which PEN found 25 removals.
As per PEN's analysis, the ban has majorly targeted books about race and racism, LGBTQ+ people or characters, people or characters of color, and sex.
