BOOKS BANNED (USA)
According to the latest report by PEN America, the 2024–2025 school year saw a total of 6,870 book bans, affecting 3,752 unique titles in 87 school districts across the country, bringing the total number of book bans since July 2021 to 22,810 across 45 states and 451 public school districts.
Notably, this reporting period saw a marked increase in the banning of non-fiction titles for the first time since systematic tracking began in 2021. This trend is especially concerning given the broader socio-political context in the USA, where ongoing legislative measures have targeted LGBTQ+ communities and communities of colour. In parallel, there has been a rise in the removal of books featuring LGBTQ+ themes, as well as narratives centred on race, racism, migration, and social justice movements.
These developments reveal a clear and troubling pattern: literary censorship is increasingly intertwined with efforts to suppress marginalised voices and restrict access to educational content that challenges dominant narratives. As such, book bans must be understood not as isolated incidents, but as part of a wider ecosystem of control over information, identity, and public discourse.
Most Banned Books of the 2024-2025 School Year
1. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, 23 bans
2 (tie). Breathless, by Jennifer Niven, 20 bans
2 (tie). Sold, by Patricia McCormick, 20 bans
4. Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo, 19 bans
5. A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas, 18 bans
6 (tie). Crank, by Ellen Hopkins, 17 bans
6 (tie). Forever…, by Judy Blume, 17 bans
6 (tie). The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, 17 bans
6 (tie). Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire, 17 bans
10 (tie). All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M. Johnson, 16 bans
10 (tie). A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas, 16 bans
10 (tie). Damsel, by Elana K. Arnold, 16 bans
10 (tie). The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend, by Kody Keplinger, 16 bans
10 (tie). Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult, 16 bans
10 (tie). Storm and Fury, by Jennifer L. Armentrout, 16 bans