A recent study published by the free expression organization PEN America reveals that nearly 12,000 book bans occurred in American public schools over the past year. This figure marks the highest total recorded since the organization began tracking school book removals five years ago. The report was released to coincide with international Banned Books Week, which runs from October 4 to October 10 under the theme “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” Events across U.S. schools and libraries are drawing attention to ongoing censorship efforts. For the second consecutive year, American author Stephen King emerged as the writer most likely to have his work restricted, with his books pulled 312 times, including titles like The Shining and The Green Mile. Among the newly impacted literature are prominent works by Canadian authors, including Margaret Atwood’s classic dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale, which depicts a totalitarian society in a former part of the United States. Also appearing in PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans for the 2025-2026 school year is Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable Path Adventure, a 2016 graphic novel written by Ottawa-born comic book author Ryan North. Other frequently targeted titles include Patrick McCormick’s Sold, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, and Ellen Hopkins’ Crank. A significant portion of these restrictions occurred in Florida and Texas, driven by restrictive state legislation alongside pressure from conservative activists and politicians. The report notes that school district administrators are increasingly utilizing artificial intelligence tools to decide which titles to pull from shelves. Themes concerning race, racism, sexuality, and gender identity continue to form the primary reasons for challenging literature. According to PEN America, school libraries serve to provide knowledge and ideas regardless of political ideologies, while book bans ultimately restrict students’ access to diverse views and perspectives. Overall, the organization documented 11,982 instances of bans impacting 7,370 distinct works, with more than 4,500 titles appearing on the restriction list for the very first time. These range from 19th-century classics like Jane Eyre to Sui Ishida’s manga series Tokyo Ghoul. Both PEN America and the American Library Association have documented historic surges in censorship since the early 2020s, though their methodologies vary regarding temporary versus permanent removals.
Source: cbc.ca
