PEN America reports record nearly 12,000 school book bans

The Big Picture

U.S. public schools recorded nearly 12,000 instances of book bans during the 2025-2026 school year, the highest annual total documented by PEN America since the free-expression nonprofit began tracking the issue in 2021.

PEN America said in a report released Monday that it has now recorded 34,000 book-ban instances in U.S. schools over that period. The group said the latest annual count reflects the effect of new state-level censorship laws and artificial intelligence tools that can flag or remove large numbers of books.

The bans reached more than 7,000 unique titles involving over 4,000 authors, illustrators and translators, according to the report. PEN America identified 114 school districts where books were banned during the school year, which it described as the highest number of districts it has recorded in a single year.

What Happened

Texas accounted for more than 8,100 of the bans, the largest total of any state in the 2025-2026 school year, PEN America said. The organization linked much of the increase in Texas to SB13, a state law that bars extensive categories of books in schools.

The Texas total marked a shift from the previous three school years, when Florida had ranked first nationally in school book bans, according to PEN America. The report did not provide a state-by-state breakdown in the material released with its findings.

PEN America said the banned books included titles in categories popular with young readers, including fiction and manga. More than 90% of young-adult titles subject to bans were fiction, the group found.

Why It Matters

The report highlights the scale of challenges to books in public schools, including books intended for young-adult readers. PEN America characterized the trend as a growing book-censorship crisis and said the spread of automated screening tools can lead to the removal of expansive numbers of titles.

Patricia McCormick’s Sold was the most frequently banned title of the school year, according to PEN America. The young-adult novel follows a teenager from Nepal who is sold into sexual servitude.

McCormick said descriptions of the experiences of women sold into sexual slavery should not be treated as pornography. In a statement issued by PEN America, she said that characterization was disrespectful both to women she interviewed for the book and to students who seek it out, including students who may have experienced sexual exploitation in their own lives.

What Each Side Is Saying

Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, criticized bans on books that students choose for pleasure reading. Meehan said schools should be working to connect children with engaging stories and formats rather than removing books that can help students recognize themselves in literature, understand other people and develop their imaginations.

The material released with PEN America’s report did not include responses from Texas state officials, school districts or supporters of the restrictions.

Background

Stephen King was the most banned author for the second consecutive year, PEN America said. The report’s title-level findings show that the restrictions extended across a broad range of writers and formats, rather than being confined to one book or one type of content.

Disputes over book access have also become part of local school-board politics. The Guardian reported that progressive school-board candidates defeated many rightwing candidates in Florida elections this year amid debates over school policies, including book bans.