Book removals in American public schools have reached a new high. PEN America, a free-expression organization that tracks school book bans, recorded 11,982 instances in the 2025-26 school year, the most since it began counting five years ago.

The report, called “Banned in the USA,” was released on October 5 during Banned Books Week, an annual event organized by libraries, booksellers and educators to draw attention to censorship. A separate tally from the American Library Association (ALA) also shows challenges staying near historic levels, even if the two groups count them differently.

The Numbers

PEN America’s findings for the 2025-26 school year include:

  • 11,982 book bans, the highest total since tracking began in 2021
  • 7,370 individual titles affected
  • More than 4,500 titles banned for the first time
  • 58% of removed books aimed at young adult readers
  • 14% of bans targeting graphic novels, including manga

PEN counts a book as banned when students’ access to it is removed or restricted, even temporarily.

The ALA, which tracks challenges in public, school and academic libraries, reported that 8,596 books were targeted for removal or restriction in 2025, and 5,668 were actually removed. The ALA counted 4,235 unique titles, according to Education Week.

The Most-Banned Books and Authors

Stephen King was the most-banned author for the second year in a row, with 312 removals, including “The Shining” and “The Green Mile,” the Associated Press reported.

The most-banned single title on both PEN’s and the ALA’s lists was “Sold” by Patricia McCormick, a 2006 young adult novel about a Nepalese girl who is trafficked. Other frequently targeted books include:

  • “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
  • “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson
  • “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins

Some new additions to the list surprised observers, ranging from Charlotte Brontë’s 19th-century classic “Jane Eyre” to the “Tokyo Ghoul” manga series. Two manga authors appear on PEN’s list of the top 10 most-banned authors, reflecting a newer trend of challenges against graphic novels.

Where Bans Are Happening

The bans are heavily concentrated. According to PEN America, 95% of the nearly 12,000 bans occurred in Florida and Texas, two states that have passed laws restricting certain school library content.

PEN cites Texas’ SB 13, a 2025 law that bars “profane” or “indecent” content from school libraries. It found that bans in 72% of the districts it tracked can be tied to state legislation. PEN also received reports from 114 school districts this year, up from 87 the year before.

ALA’s data shows a similar pattern, with Texas and Florida together accounting for 4,737 challenges and Tennessee ranking third with 1,035.

Who Is Requesting Removals

The ALA’s data offers a look at who starts challenges. Of nearly 8,600 challenges in 2025:

  • 40% came from school boards or district administrators
  • 31% came from elected or government officials
  • About 1 in 5 came from outside organizations such as Moms for Liberty and Take Back the Classroom
  • 4% came solely from parents or library patrons

The AP also reported a new development: some school district administrators are increasingly using AI tools to help decide which books to pull.

The most common reasons for challenges involve themes of race, racism, sexuality and gender identity. About 40% of the titles the ALA recorded challenges against were about LGBTQ+ people or people of color.

Two Sides of the Debate

Supporters and critics disagree sharply on what the numbers mean.

Amelia Aldred, deputy director of state and local advocacy at the ALA’s Office of Public Policy and Advocacy, argued that the challenges are largely organized rather than spontaneous. “It’s not an organic movement. It’s not a grassroots movement,” she told Education Week. She also said the ALA has received reports of “silent censorship,” where officials or librarians remove books preemptively to avoid conflict.

Groups that review and flag books see their role differently. Karen England, founder and president of Take Back the Classroom, said her organization is informing families. “We’re letting parents know what’s in these books,” she told Education Week. “Supplying parents with information for them to choose or not choose to do something with it is totally organic.”

Why the Numbers Differ

PEN America and the ALA often report different figures, and that’s mainly due to methodology. PEN counts any removal or restriction in public schools, even a temporary one, as a ban. The ALA covers public, school and academic libraries but counts only permanent removals in its removal totals, according to the AP.

Both organizations agree on the broad trend: challenges surged in the early 2020s, as several states passed laws restricting certain lessons and materials on race, gender and other topics, and they remain close to record levels.

Why It Matters

For students, the impact is practical. Book removals determine which titles are available in school libraries and classrooms, especially for young adult readers, who are the most affected group. For teachers and librarians, new state laws and frequent challenges create uncertainty about what they can offer.

With most bans concentrated in a few states and tied to legislation, the debate is likely to keep playing out in statehouses and school board meetings across the country.