The most commonly banned books in American schools include LGBTQ titles, international bestsellers, teen romantic novels, and 1962 classics, according to a new report comparing contemporary censorship with Cold War McCarthyism.
A report released Wednesday by Pen America, a nonprofit advocating for free expression, found that 87 public school districts in 23 states had bans on more than 6,800 books from 2024 to 25. This report was released before the week of Banned Books, which begins on Sunday.
“The pressure of censorship has grown and escalated,” Casey Meehan, director of Penn America’s Freedom Program, said in a news release. “The past four years have seen worsening and normalization of “banning everyday life” and censorship. ”
The organization’s annual “Prohibition in the United States” report states that “the current environment of the ban on free books is reminiscent of the red horror of the 1950s.” The ban on school books involves actions taken against the books as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or direct or threatened actions by government officials, which leads to the book being deleted or restricted.
The latest report found that 3,752 unique titles were affected by the ban for the academic year that ended in June. The most banned titles included “Clockwork Orange” and “Evil Things,” while the most banned writers included Stephen King, Sarah J. Mars and Jody Picoll. More than 80% of all bans occurred in just three states: Florida, Texas and Tennessee.
This past grade has been far above the age of 22 and above (2021-22 (a ban of over 2,500) since 2023, when Penn America first began compiling its annual reports, but there have been fewer total bans for ages 24 and above since 2023. Since July 2021, Penn America has tracked the ban of 22,810 books in 45 states.
One reason why the total number of book bans has soaked this year is that some titles are preemptively off the shelf.
“This serves as a form of “following ahead” to anticipated restrictions from fear-based states or administrative authorities, or as a desire to avoid topics that may be deemed controversial,” the report states.
Another potential reason pointed out by author Malinda Lo is that previously banned titles have not returned to the shelves. LO, who was number four on Penn America’s new list for “Last Night at Telegraph Club,” said on Instagram that the 2021 novel “was banned and removed all the usual titles like “genderqueer””.
“When a book is banned, it’s gone,” she wrote Wednesday. “This is why we must continue to fight these attacks on First Amendment rights.”
The graphic memoir “GenderQueer,” which debuted in 2019, was number one on Penn America’s most banned book list in 2022, but did not create the top 15 on this year’s list.
Books on LGBTQ themes and characters such as “Genderqueer” and “Last Night’s Telegraph Club” are among the most banned books highlighted in the Penn America and the American Library Association’s annual report, and this year is no exception.
The 15 books from this past grade tracked in Penn America are ranked in order of bans by the most public school districts in the nation.
“Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess
Burgess’ Dystopian satire was banned in 23 districts from 2024-25 on teen gang leaders who were obsessed with Beethoven. The 1962 novel was adopted in a film that was nominated for an Oscar by Stanley Kubrick in 1971, and was named one of Time’s 100 best English novels and one of Modern Library’s 100 best novels.
“Getting out of breath” by Jennifer Niven
Niven’s 2020 novel is an adult love story that was banned in 20 school districts. On her website, the bestselling author wrote, “Breathless,” “The book I need when I’m 16, 17, and 18.
“Sales” by Patricia McCormick
McCormick’s young adult novel about a Nepali girl sold to sexual slavery in India was banned in 20 school districts last year. This 2006 title was a national book award finalist, featured on the publisher’s weekly Best Book of the Year list, and was the top 10 books on ALA’s young adult list.
“Last night at The Telegraph Club” Malinda Lo
Lo’s young adult historical novel about love and duty in the 1950s San Francisco was banned in the 19th school district from 2024 to 25. The acclaimed 2021 novel won a long list of awards, including the National Book Award, the Stonewall Book Award, and the Asia/Pacific America Award.
“The Court of Fog and Anger” by Sarah J. Mars
This bestselling adult romantic novel, banned in 18 districts between 2024 and 25, is the second book in Mars’s hugely popular “The Court of Thorns and Roses” series. The only author with multiple titles on this top 15 list, Maas is one of the most banned authors of the year, with the distinction that there is a total of 162 bans behind Stephen King and “Crank” author Ellen Hopkins alone.
“Crank” by Ellen Hopkins
Hopkins’ 2004 young adult novel was banned in 17 school districts. On her website, the author revealed that the bestseller is loosely based on her “The Story of an Old Daughter with an Addiction to Crystal Meth.” She said “crank” began as “a personal quest for the ‘why’ behind my daughter’s decision, and a personal quest for the parts I might have played with them.”
“Forever…” Judy Bloom
According to Penn America, Bloom’s award-winning 1975 Young Adelto novel, which was banned in 17 districts last year, has been a target of censorship for 50 years. Blume said she wrote the book – this is one of NPR’s greatest 100 teen novels of all time and one of the 100 best YA books of all time.
“Personal benefits of being a wallflower” by Stephen Cibosky
A 2009 adult novel about “Wallflower,” an observer navigating the “strange world of adolescence and adulthood” in 17 school districts from 2024 to 25. The No. 1 New York Times bestseller covers topics such as first dates, family dramas, sex, drugs, suicide, and more, but was adapted into a 2012 film starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller.
“Evil” by Gregory Maguire
This No. 1 New York Times bestseller debuted in 1995 and was banned in 17 school districts, the prequel to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” But the “Wicked” story is perhaps best known for its Tony-winning Broadway musical adaptation and the Oscar-winning musical film starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
George M. Johnson, “All Boys Are Not Blue”
Johnson’s manifesto for his memoirs on the arrival of his age as a queer black man in 2020 was banned in 16 districts last year and was above the ALA list of 10 most challenged library books in 2024.
“The Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Mars
The first book in Maas’ internationally bestselling five Romantasy series, like the rest of the books on this list, was banned in 16 school districts. The central figure in 2015’s “The Court of Thorns and Roses” is 19-year-old Feyre. This is a moral huntress dragged into magical lands and collapsed for immortal prisoners.
“Damsel” by Elana K. Arnold
This dark, twisted fairy tale, the prestigious book of the 2019 Michael L. Print Award, is on the surface about a maiden rescued from a dragon by a handsome prince. Before “Damsel,” Arnold’s book, “What Girls Made of,” was a finalist at Young People’s Literature’s 2017 National Book Award.
Kody Keplinger’s “The Duff”
In Keplinger’s 2010 youth novel, 17-year-old Bianca discovers a high school “slim-slim school hottie.” Koeplinger was 17 herself when she wrote this bestselling book.
Jody Picoll’s “19 Minutes”
This No. 1 New York Times bestseller is about the aftermath of school shootings in a small new Hampshire town. Published in 2007, this is one of 29 novels written by Picoll, with others including “The Keeper of My Little Sister,” “The Little Great Things,” and “The Pact.”
“Storm and Fury” by Jennifer L. Armentloux
ArmentRout’s 2019 Romantasy novel is the first book in her three “Harbinger” series. According to the ArmentRout website, “Storm and Fury” focuses on 18-year-old Trinity Marrow, “although he may be blinded, he can see “ghosts and spirits” and “communication with ghosts and spirits.”
