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Texas recorded more than 8,100 instances of school book bans during the 2025-26 school year, accounting for the largest share of a record-breaking national total, according to PEN America.
PEN America’s annual report, "Banned in the USA: National Findings for the 2025-2026 School Year Show Continued Assault on Books in Public Schools," documented 11,982 instances of book bans in public schools nationwide — the highest number in a single school year since the organization began tracking bans in 2021.
PEN America draws on the data from the annual "Index of School Book Bans" and documented 11,982 instances of book bans in public schools nationwide during the 2025-26 school year, the highest total since the organization began tracking bans in 2021. Florida ranked second behind Texas, with more than 3,200 bans.
The bans affected 7,370 unique titles and the works of more than 4,000 authors, illustrators and translators. More than 4,500 titles were newly added to the index, and 114 school districts banned books during the school year, both record highs, according to the report.
PEN America, a nonprofit organization that advocates for free expression, describes the findings as evidence of a growing book banning crisis. Fiction accounted for more than 80% of all book bans. Among young adult titles, more than 90% were fiction.
Political influence
Florida led the nation in school book bans for three consecutive years before Texas took the lead in 2025-26, according to PEN America.
The organization attributes much of the increase to state laws, political pressure and campaigns by special interest groups seeking to restrict or remove books they consider inappropriate for students in Texas.
PEN America points to pressure from government leaders that it says has limited students’ access to literature. The organization describes some of these efforts as “intimidation campaigns” that can lead to new legislation, including Texas Senate Bill 13.
Although Texas and Florida recorded the highest numbers of bans and provided more comprehensive data, PEN America cautions that its analysis likely undercounts restrictions nationwide.
The organization cites several reasons for gaps in the data, including a lack of transparency from school districts, what it calls “quiet censorship,” restrictions on school book purchases and the targeted removal of titles that have not received formal complaints.
Outsourcing to artificial intelligence
School districts are increasingly turning to generative artificial intelligence to determine which books are appropriate for students, according to PEN America. The organization says administrators often rely on AI in response to what it describes as “vague and unclear” directives from state education agencies and lawmakers.
But AI tools do not always flag books because their content meets legal definitions of obscenity or other prohibited material. Instead, PEN found, some tools may flag titles because other school districts have banned them.
PEN warns that this practice could accelerate the spread of book bans, compounding a trend the organization says is already growing too quickly.
Flagging manga and graphic novels
PEN America’s "Index of School Book Bans" finds that graphic novels, particularly manga, a Japanese style of graphic storytelling, are frequently targeted for removal from schools.
According to the report, illustrations are often taken out of context and labeled offensive because of depictions of sex, violence or gender identity. PEN describes this practice as “context stripping,” which it says is used in campaigns that spread misinformation about manga.
Repeat offenders
The 2025-26 school year saw many of the same authors and titles targeted for bans in previous years, according to PEN America’s analysis. Those titles include “Sold” by Patricia McCormick and “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood.
Some authors are experiencing what PEN calls the “Scarlet Letter” effect, in which an entire body of work is targeted after a single book is banned. Among them are Stephen King, Jodi Picoult and manga artists Atsushi Ohkubo and Hajime Isayama.
Over the past five years, PEN America has tracked widespread efforts to ban books featuring characters and people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The organization also reports continued challenges to books addressing racism and sexuality.
PEN America says school libraries introduce students to stories that inform, challenge and broaden their perspectives. Book bans, the organization argues, limit students’ ability to engage with diverse voices and viewpoints.
The organization’s annual report documents national trends in school book bans, providing information to help the public understand the issue and decide how to respond.
