More books banned. More districts. More states. More students losing access to literature.

The book ban movement is spreading like wildfire: In the 2021-22 school year alone, nearly 140 school districts in 32 states issued 2,500+ book bans—1,000 more since our original report on book bans in April.

In our latest report, PEN America documents the rapid acceleration of book censorship nationwide, which now touches more than 5,000 individual schools enrolling a total of nearly 4 million students. See coverage of our report in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. 

The rising wave of book bans undermines our freedom to read and learn, and it’s especially harmful to young people from historically marginalized backgrounds. Overwhelmingly, if unsurprisingly, books targeted for removal highlight issues of race and racism, feature LGBTQ+ characters and protagonists, or contain sexual content. 

By removing these narratives from school shelves, book ban advocates are drastically limiting learning opportunities in classrooms and attacking free expression. 

All throughout Banned Books Week (September 18 - 24), PEN America is holding events to raise awareness of censorship in schools. Check out these resources to learn more about how you can help us #FreeTheBooks. 

In solidarity,

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