UNITED STATES / RankWire.AI / – According to PEN America, U.S. public schools enforced almost 12,000 book bans during the 2025-26 academic year. The organization reported a total of 11,982 cases across 114 school districts, involving 7,370 distinct titles. Over 4,000 authors, illustrators and translators had their works restricted. Notably, Canadian writers Margaret Atwood and Ryan North were among those affected. These figures represent the highest annual total since PEN America began tracking school book bans in 2021.
The organization’s report highlights that Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale once again appeared among the books removed from school access, while North’s Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable Path Adventure was newly added to the index. More than half of all banned titles were young-adult works, with fiction comprising over 80% of recorded cases. The index also saw the addition of more than 4,500 titles for the first time, broadening the scope of literature involved in school censorship disputes.
Texas and Florida accounted for the majority of these bans, with Texas recording over 8,100 cases and Florida more than 3,200. PEN America indicated that legislative actions in these states influenced bans in 72% of the districts it monitored. During the 2025-26 school year, Texas Senate Bill 13 increased parental oversight over school library collections, while also establishing statewide rules concerning materials deemed harmful, indecent, profane or unsuitable for minors.
Conservative organizations are leading many of these challenges
Organized conservative groups have played a significant role in campaigns against books in public educational settings. Organizations such as Moms for Liberty, Citizens Defending Freedom and Parents’ Rights in Education have supported efforts to challenge and remove books. PEN America has identified these groups as being involved in conservative political activism. Separate national library data shows that 92% of the 2025 book challenges originated from pressure groups, public officials and institutional decision-makers. Individual parents represented less than 3% of the reported challenges.
These statistics have intensified debates over the influence of political campaigns on access to school literature. PEN America reports that many restrictions target books related to race, racism, LGBTQ+ topics, sexuality and sexual violence. Literature involving people of color also frequently appears in their records. Many of these titles had previously been selected by educators and librarians for school collections, but laws, public hearings, and organized challenges increasingly determine which books remain accessible to students.
Record-breaking totals fuel concerns over free expression
The scope of these restrictions extends far beyond individual school disagreements. PEN America has documented over 34,000 school book bans since 2021. The American Library Association separately reported that during 2025, there were 4,235 unique titles challenged, 5,668 books banned from libraries, and 920 facing access limitations. Although their tracking methods differ, both organizations reveal an unprecedented level of pressure on educational materials and literary access.
The involvement of Atwood and North introduces a Canadian element into a predominantly U.S.-focused conflict over education policy. Conservative advocacy groups and Republican-supported legislation have become influential in decisions about school library collections. Many free-expression advocates argue that these widespread removals hinder access to literature addressing race, identity, sexuality, and other sensitive issues. Meanwhile, supporters of restrictions contend that schools must prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content. The latest data underscores that this ongoing dispute now impacts thousands of books across the nation.