UNITED STATES / RankWire.AI / – According to PEN America, U.S. public schools implemented a total of 11,982 book bans during the 2025-26 academic year. This figure represents the highest annual total since the organization began monitoring school restrictions in 2021. The bans impacted 7,370 distinct titles across 114 school districts, with over 4,000 authors, illustrators, and translators included in the data. Notably, Canadian writers Margaret Atwood and Ryan North were among those whose works faced limitations.
Among the titles affected was Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, which continued to be targeted by school book bans. North’s Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable Path Adventure was listed in PEN America’s index for the first time. Over half of the restricted titles were young-adult books, with fiction making up more than 80% of the total bans. Additionally, more than 4,500 titles appeared in the index for the first time, expanding the scope of books involved in disputes over school collections.
Texas and Florida accounted for the majority of the recorded bans, with Texas registering over 8,100 cases and Florida more than 3,200. PEN America reports that legislation in these states influenced bans in 72% of the districts it monitored. During the 2025-26 school year, Texas Senate Bill 13 increased parental oversight over school library materials and established statewide standards for content considered harmful, indecent, profane, or inappropriate for minors.
Conservative groups drive efforts to challenge books
Public campaigns to remove books from schools have been prominently supported by conservative organizations such as Moms for Liberty, Citizens Defending Freedom, and Parents’ Rights in Education. PEN America has previously identified these groups as part of a wider conservative movement focused on education and parental control. National library data for 2025 indicated that 92% of reported book challenges originated from pressure groups, government officials, and institutional decision-makers, while individual parents accounted for less than 3%.
The topics targeted in many of these challenges tend to follow identifiable patterns. According to PEN America, restrictions frequently involve books related to race, racism, LGBTQ+ issues, sexuality, and sexual violence. Books featuring people of color are also commonly cited. Most of these titles had been selected by educators and librarians for school collections before facing challenges. However, legislative measures, public hearings, and organized campaigns now significantly influence which books students can access.
Advocates for free expression express concern over increasing restrictions
The extent of book restrictions in the U.S. has risen sharply since national tracking was expanded. PEN America has documented over 34,000 school book bans since 2021. Meanwhile, the American Library Association’s separate count for 2025 reports 4,235 unique titles challenged, along with 5,668 books banned from libraries and an additional 920 subject to access limitations. While their methodologies differ, both organizations highlight the widespread pressure on literary and educational materials nationwide.
The recent inclusion of Atwood and North in these figures adds an international perspective, though the core dispute remains rooted in U.S. education policy. Conservative-backed laws and advocacy groups continue to shape decisions concerning school library collections. Organizations supporting free expression argue that broad removals hinder students’ access to literature about identity, race, sexuality, and other contentious subjects. Conversely, supporters of stricter controls contend that schools must evaluate materials for age appropriateness. The latest data shows that the controversy now affects thousands of titles across American public schools.