Banned Books List 2025
Lisa Tolin, PEN America
PEN America has documented nearly 16,000 book bans in public
schools nationwide since 2021, a number not seen since the Red Scare McCarthy
era of the 1950s. This censorship is being mobilized by conservative groups—
and has spread to nearly every state— and predominantly targets books about
race and racism or individuals of color and also books on LGBTQ+ topics as well
those for older readers that have sexual references or discuss sexual
violence.
In the 2023-2024 school year, PEN America found more
than 10,000 book bans affecting more than 4,000 unique titles,
with about 45% of the bans occurring in Florida and 36% in Iowa. The most
banned books in the 2023-2024 school year, according to the PEN America Index of School Book Bans,
include bestselling novelist Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen
Minutes, about the moments leading up to a school shooting, and
John Green’s Looking for Alaska.
For more on what kinds of bans are happening and where,
read Banned in the U.S.A.: Beyond the Shelves.
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and
human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We
champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform
the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate
creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.
PEN America’s programs defend writers, artists, and
journalists and protect free expression worldwide. This work includes research
and reports on topical issues; advocacy on free expression challenges;
campaigns on policy issues and on behalf of individual writers and journalists
under threat; year-round festivals and events; literary awards; fellowships;
and more.
