Banned Book Week is here, and I’m putting the spotlight on the titles that are experiencing censorship across the country. According to PEN America, nearly 23,000 book bans have occurred nationwide in public schools since 2021. This censorship is mobilized predominantly against books about race and racism or ones featuring people of color and LGBTQIA+ themes. This also include books intended for older readers which have sexual references or discuss sexual violence.
In the 2024-2025 school year, PEN America recorded nearly 7,000 instances of books bans, which hit almost 4,000 titles. Florida was the number 1 state for book bans, recording around 2,300, followed by Texas with over 1,700 bans, and Tennessee with over 1,600. What books are experiencing bans? Here’s a short list:
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
- Breathless by Jennifer Niven
- Sold by Patricia McCormick
- Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
- Crank by Ellen Hopkins
- Forever… by Judy Blume
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
- All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
- Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
- The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult