The US experienced a staggering 12,000 book bans in public schools during the 2025-2026 school year, marking the highest number recorded in a single year, according to a report by the free-expression non-profit PEN America released on Monday. Since 2021, when the organization began tracking the growing "book censorship crisis" in US schools, there have been a total of 34,000 instances of book bans.

Key Findings

  • Texas topped the list with over 8,100 bans, largely driven by the Texas law SB13, which restricts numerous categories of books in schools.
  • Florida, which held the top position for book bans for the previous three years, has now fallen to second place.
  • The bans included a record number of unique titles, exceeding 7,000, and involved more than 4,000 authors, illustrators, and translators.
  • A total of 114 school districts implemented book bans during the school year, the highest number ever recorded in a single year.

Most Banned Titles and Authors

The most frequently banned title for the 2025-2026 school year was Sold by journalist Patricia McCormick, which tells the story of a teen from Nepal sold into sexual servitude. Stephen King was identified as the most banned author for the second consecutive year.