The 15 most banned books in U.S. schools
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The most commonly banned books in U.S. schools include LGBTQ titles, international bestsellers, teen romantasy novels and a 1962 classic, according to a new report that compares modern-day censorship to Cold War-era McCarthyism. Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.
AI Summary
Main Idea: PEN America says book bans in U.S. public schools stayed high in the 2024-25 school year, with LGBTQ books and Sarah J. Maas titles among the most targeted.
Key Points:
- PEN America counted more than 6,800 book bans across 87 public school districts in 23 states, though that was lower than the year before.
- The report says 3,752 unique titles were affected, and more than 80% of the bans came from Florida, Texas and Tennessee.
- The 15 most banned books included both classics and newer bestsellers, such as “A Clockwork Orange,” “Wicked,” “Breathless” and several Sarah J. Maas novels.
- PEN America said the trend shows growing censorship pressure, and some books may be disappearing from shelves before formal bans happen.
Impact on the People
Negative Impact
Book bans can limit what students and families can read, narrowing ideas in public schools and adding to culture fights that affect voters and communities.
Positive Impact
PEN America’s reporting may help parents and local leaders spot censorship trends and defend free expression in schools.
How did each entity affect people?
Rate how each entity in this article affected the American people.
- Primary:PEN Americanonprofit / NGO
Candidate Entities6 candidates · 5 weighted vote min · 70% decision
- PEN Americanonprofit / NGOPrimaryEvaluated
Central organization releasing the report and driving the article’s discussion of book bans.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Kasey MeehanpersonMajorAI selected
Named PEN America director quoted on the rise in censorship pressures and the report’s findings.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Sarah J. MaaspersonMajorAI selected
One of the most banned authors and singled out for having multiple titles on the list.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - American Library Associationnonprofit / NGOContextCandidate
Mentioned as another organization tracking banned books and used for comparative context.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Jodi PicoultpersonContextCandidate
Named among the most banned authors, but not a central actor in the reporting.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Judy BlumepersonContextCandidate
Named as a historically censored author with a current example, but not a main focus.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold
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