UNITED STATES / RankWire.AI / – The 2025-26 school year saw a total of 11,982 book bans across U.S. schools, marking the highest annual count since PEN America began tracking such data in 2021. These bans impacted works by Canadian authors Margaret Atwood and Ryan North. The organization reported that 7,370 unique titles were affected within 114 districts, with over 4,000 authors, illustrators, and translators seeing their work restricted, illustrating the expanding scope of school censorship.
Among the most frequently challenged books in this period was Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, while North’s Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable Path Adventure appeared in the index for the first time. More than half of the banned titles were young-adult books, with fiction making up over 80% of all bans. Additionally, more than 4,500 titles were listed for the first time, broadening the diversity of literature being removed from student access.
The majority of these bans originated in Republican-controlled states, with Texas and Florida leading the way. Texas recorded over 8,100 bans, while Florida saw more than 3,200. PEN America linked 72% of these bans to state legislation, highlighting laws such as Texas Senate Bill 13 that took effect for the 2025-26 school year. This legislation increased parental oversight over school library collections and established statewide standards that restrict materials deemed harmful, indecent, profane, or age-inappropriate. Advocates describe these measures as parental-control and child-protection efforts.
Conservative political efforts drive censorship
The broader trend indicates that the push for book bans is closely linked to conservative political mobilization rather than isolated parental complaints. Organizations such as Moms for Liberty, Citizens Defending Freedom, and Parents’ Rights in Education have actively promoted removals. Earlier research by PEN America characterized these groups as promoting strongly conservative values. The American Library Association reported that 92% of book challenges in 2025 originated from pressure groups, government officials, and decision-makers, with fewer than 3% coming from individual parents.
This disproportion has fueled criticism that right-wing efforts are limiting the availability of diverse literature in public schools. PEN America notes that books addressing race, racism, LGBTQ+ issues, sexuality, and sexual violence are disproportionately targeted. Many of these works were initially selected by educators and librarians before facing challenges. The organization also documented political influence through legislation, hearings, and removal demands, which can turn ideological conflicts over individual titles into broad restrictions affecting entire school systems.
Rising book removals spark free-expression concerns
The national scale of removals now extends far beyond local disputes. Since 2021, PEN America has documented over 34,000 school book bans. Meanwhile, the American Library Association tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, alongside 5,668 books banned from libraries and 920 access restrictions. Although their methods differ, both groups confirm censorship at record levels, with coordinated organizations and government actions playing a significant role in many removals.
The inclusion of Atwood and North’s works adds a Canadian dimension to these figures, but the core conflict remains rooted in U.S. education politics. Laws backed by Republicans and conservative advocacy networks have altered decisions that once rested with local educators and librarians. Free-expression groups argue that these restrictions limit access to literature, especially works exploring identity, race, and sexuality. Meanwhile, supporters maintain that schools should vet materials for age appropriateness. The record-breaking totals demonstrate how these political struggles now influence access to thousands of books across public schools in the United States.