US book bans in public schools reach record annual high of 12,000

A record surge in book bans swept U.S. public schools last year, with nearly 12,000 individual titles removed in a single school year—the highest total since tracking began in 2021. Texas led the nation in restrictions, accounting for over 8,000 of those bans, while Stephen King remained the most frequently targeted author amid growing concerns over book censorship. The free-expression group PEN America documented 34,000 total bans since 2021, marking a sharp escalation in challenges to classroom reading materials. The latest report underscores a deepening national debate over what students should be allowed to access in schools.

Texas tops list with 8,100 bans while Stephen King is again most banned author, PEN America findsThe US saw almost 12,000 book bans in public schools during the 2025-2026 school year, the highest number in a single year, according to the free-expression non-profit PEN America.In a report released on Monday, PEN America said that there had been 34,000 instances of book bans since the organization started tallying the increasing “book censorship crisis” across US schools in 2021. Continue reading...