These titles lead PEN America’s compilation of the most frequently contested and banned books in U.S. public school classrooms for the 2024-2025 school year.
PEN America
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PEN America
On Wednesday, PEN America unveiled its annual report highlighting the surge in book bans across public schools nationwide for the 2024-2025 academic year, emphasizing a dramatic escalation in censorship over the last two years.
The organization, which champions free speech, documented 6,870 instances of book removals or restrictions during the past school year. Although this figure is lower than the 10,046 bans recorded in 2023-24, it remains significantly higher than the roughly 3,000 annual bans averaged between 2021 and 2023. PEN America describes this trend as a troubling acceptance of censorship within educational institutions.
According to PEN America, a school book ban encompasses any measure taken to limit or eliminate student access to a book due to its content, often triggered by parental or community objections, administrative rulings, or governmental pressure. This can result in complete removal or restricted availability of the material.
The report identifies Anthony Burgess’ 1962 dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange as the most banned book during the 2023-24 school year. It is followed by Patricia McCormick’s 2006 young adult novel Sold, which narrates the fictional story of a girl trafficked into sexual slavery in India and has been recognized by the American Library Association as one of the top young adult books. Jennifer Niven’s coming-of-age novel Breathless ranks third on the list.
Among authors, horror legend Stephen King faced 206 challenges, young adult writer Ellen Hopkins encountered 167, and fantasy author Sarah J. Maas was challenged 162 times during the 2024-25 academic year. Other frequently targeted writers include Jodi Picoult, manga creator Yusei Matsui, and children’s and YA author Elana K. Arnold.
The states with the highest frequency of book bans in 2024-25 are Florida with 2,304 cases, Texas with 1,781, and Tennessee with 1,622.
The PEN America report stresses, “Never before in American history have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries nationwide. Nor have so many states enacted laws or policies to facilitate widespread book bans, including statewide prohibitions on specific titles.”
The report also highlights federal involvement, noting that although many bans occur at local and state levels, the federal government has utilized executive orders signed by former President Trump to eliminate nearly 600 book titles from Department of Defense schools on military bases. These removals were justified by claims that the books conflicted with directives concerning diversity, racial discourse, and what is termed “gender ideology extremism.”
In January, the Department of Education dismissed claims about book bans as a “hoax” and withdrew federal guidance that suggested removing “age-inappropriate” books might violate civil rights protections.
PEN America further points out that books featuring LGBTQ+ themes are often labeled as “sexually explicit.” Examples include the picture book And Tango Makes Three, which tells the true story of two male penguins raising a chick together at a zoo, and The Purim Superhero, which centers on a child with two fathers deciding on a costume for the Jewish holiday Purim.
