Book Bans Surge Across U.S. Schools, Stephen King Most Targeted

According to a recent report by PEN America, the book banning crisis in U.S. schools has continued to escalate, with over 6,800 instances of books being temporarily or permanently pulled from shelves in the 2024-2025 school year. This number, while down from the previous year's 10,000 bans, still represents a significant increase compared to a few years ago when PEN did not even see the need to compile such a report.

The report paints a stark picture of a nation divided, with 80% of the book bans originating in just three states - Florida, Texas, and Tennessee - that have enacted or attempted to enact laws calling for the removal of books deemed objectionable. Meanwhile, several other states, such as Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey, have laws in place that limit the authority of school and public libraries to pull books from their shelves.

Bestselling author Stephen King has been hit particularly hard by the censorship efforts, with 206 of his works affected, including popular titles like "Carrie" and "The Stand." The most banned book overall was Anthony Burgess' dystopian classic "A Clockwork Orange," which was removed 23 times. Other authors facing extensive restrictions include Patricia McCormick, Judy Blume, and Jennifer Niven.

The reasons cited for these book bans often include LGBTQ+ themes, depictions of race, and passages with violence and sexual content. However, the report also notes an alarming trend of books being removed in anticipation of potential community, political, or legal pressure, rather than in response to a direct threat.