UNITED STATES / RankWire.AI / – According to PEN America, nearly 12,000 books were banned in U.S. public schools during the 2025-26 academic year. The total reached 11,982 instances across 114 school districts and involved 7,370 distinct titles. Over 4,000 authors, illustrators, and translators experienced restrictions on their work. Among those affected were Canadian writers Margaret Atwood and Ryan North. These figures marked the highest annual total since PEN America began monitoring school book bans in 2021.
The banned titles included again Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, while North’s Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable Path Adventure was recorded in the index for the first time. Titles aimed at young adults comprised more than half of all banned books, with fiction making up over 80% of cases. Over 4,500 titles were listed for the first time, broadening the spectrum of literature caught in school censorship debates.
The majority of bans occurred in Texas and Florida, with Texas reporting more than 8,100 cases and Florida more than 3,200. PEN America highlighted that state legislation influenced bans in 72% of the districts it tracked. During the 2025-26 school year, Texas Senate Bill 13 increased parental oversight over school library collections. The legislation also introduced statewide regulations to restrict materials deemed harmful, indecent, profane, or unsuitable for minors.
Conservative organizations are pivotal in driving many challenges
Conservative advocacy groups have played a significant role in efforts to challenge and remove books from public school collections. Organizations such as Moms for Liberty, Citizens Defending Freedom, and Parents’ Rights in Education have supported these challenges and removal campaigns. PEN America identified these groups as having conservative political activism at their core. A separate national library data indicated that 92% of the 2025 book challenges originated from pressure groups, public officials, and institutional decision-makers. Fewer than 3% of challenges were initiated by individual parents.
These statistics have intensified debates over political influence in access to educational materials. PEN America states that many restrictions predominantly target books covering topics such as race, racism, LGBTQ+ issues, sexuality, and sexual violence. Books about people of color frequently appear in the organization’s records as well. Many of these titles had already been curated by educators and librarians for school collections, but laws, public hearings, and organized campaigns increasingly determine which books are accessible to students.
Concerns over free expression escalate amid unprecedented banning levels
The scope of these restrictions extends far beyond isolated school disputes. PEN America has documented over 34,000 school book bans since 2021. The American Library Association separately reported 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, along with 5,668 books banned from libraries and another 920 subject to access restrictions. While their tracking methods differ, both organizations highlight an extraordinary surge in efforts to limit access to books and educational resources.
The involvement of Atwood and North extends the issue into a Canadian context amid a debate primarily centered on U.S. education policies. Conservative-leaning laws and advocacy groups have become influential in decisions affecting school library holdings. Free-speech organizations argue that the mass removal of titles hampers access to literature addressing race, identity, sexuality, and other sensitive subjects. Conversely, proponents of restrictions contend that minors should be protected from inappropriate material. The latest data reveals that this ongoing conflict involves thousands of books across the nation.