UNITED STATES / RankWire.AI / – According to PEN America, during the 2025-26 academic year, public schools across the U.S. imposed 11,982 bans on books. This figure represents the highest annual total since the organization began monitoring school restrictions in 2021. These bans encompassed 7,370 individual titles spread across 114 school districts. Over 4,000 authors, illustrators, and translators appeared in the data, including Canadian writers Margaret Atwood and Ryan North, whose works faced restrictions.
Among the titles impacted by school book bans was Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, while North’s Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable Path Adventure was newly listed in PEN America’s index. During the year, more than half of the restricted titles were young-adult books, with fiction making up over 80% of the bans recorded. Additionally, over 4,500 titles appeared in the index for the first time, expanding the diversity of books embroiled in disputes over school collections.
The majority of the bans originated in Texas and Florida, with Texas accounting for over 8,100 cases and Florida more than 3,200. PEN America reported that legislation in these states influenced bans in 72% of the districts it tracked. During the 2025-26 academic year, Texas Senate Bill 13 increased parental oversight of school library materials, establishing statewide rules concerning content deemed harmful, indecent, profane, or inappropriate for minors.
Conservative Movements Drive Book Challenges
Conservative groups have actively participated in campaigns aimed at removing books from public school shelves. Organizations such as Moms for Liberty, Citizens Defending Freedom, and Parents’ Rights in Education have supported efforts to challenge school materials. PEN America previously described these groups as part of a larger conservative movement that emphasizes education and parental control. National library data for 2025 revealed that pressure groups, government officials, and institutional decision-makers accounted for 92% of reported book challenges, with individual parents contributing less than 3%.
Patterns emerge in the subjects targeted by these challenges. PEN America states that books addressing race, racism, LGBTQ+ topics, sexuality, and sexual violence are often involved. Works featuring people of color frequently appear in their records as well. Many of these books had already been selected for school collections by educators and librarians before facing challenges. Today, legislative measures, public hearings, and organized campaigns increasingly influence which titles are accessible to students.
Free-Expression Groups Issue Warnings as Restrictions Grow
Since expanding its tracking efforts, PEN America has documented more than 34,000 school book bans nationwide since 2021. The American Library Association separately identified 4,235 unique titles challenged during 2025, along with 5,668 books banned from libraries and another 920 with restricted access. While their methodologies differ, both organizations highlight the widespread pressure exerted on literary works and educational resources across the United States.
The inclusion of Atwood and North in these figures adds an international dimension, yet the core issue remains centered on U.S. education policy. Laws supported by Republicans and conservative advocacy groups currently influence many decisions regarding school library collections. Free-speech advocates argue that broad removals limit students’ access to literature on identity, race, sexuality, and other sensitive topics. Supporters of tighter controls contend that schools must evaluate materials for age-appropriateness. The latest data reveal that the ongoing conflict involves thousands of titles across American public schools.