PEN America Reports Record 12,000 Book Bans in 2025–26 School Year, AI Tools Blamed
In the academic year 2025–26, PEN America documented close to 12,000 instances of book bans, impacting 7,370 different titles across 114 school districts in the United States, marking the highest number since 2021. Released during Banned Books Week, the report links this increase to the influence of AI tools, with Texas and Florida leading in bans. Texas alone accounted for over 8,100 removals, outpacing Florida due to SB13, which targets "broad categories" of literature. AI chatbots have been creating lists of books deemed "indecent," fueling censorship. The title most frequently banned was Patricia McCormick's Sold, followed by Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak and Ellen Hopkins's Crank. Since 2021, PEN has recorded 34,000 bans, with many remaining unreported.
Key facts
- PEN America recorded nearly 12,000 book ban instances in the 2025–26 academic year, affecting 7,370 unique titles across 114 U.S. school districts.
- Texas alone accounted for more than 8,100 removals, overtaking Florida as the state with the most bans, largely due to SB13.
- AI tools are increasingly used by schools to generate lists of titles with 'indecent' or 'profane' content, accelerating censorship.
- The most banned title was Patricia McCormick's Sold (25 districts), followed by Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak (23) and Ellen Hopkins's Crank (22).
- More than 4,500 titles were newly indexed, including Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and Bonnie Garmus's Lessons in Chemistry.
- Manga series by Atsushi Ohkubo, Hajime Isayama, and Rumiko Takahashi were frequently targeted, with entire series removed.
- The number of districts enacting bans increased from 87 in 2024–25 to 114 in 2025–26.
- PEN has documented 34,000 book ban instances since 2021, noting its data is an undercount due to lack of reporting.
Entities
Artists
- Patricia McCormick
- Laurie Halse Anderson
- Ellen Hopkins
- John Green
- Margaret Atwood
- Sarah J. Maas
- Charlotte Brontë
- Bonnie Garmus
- Atsushi Ohkubo
- Hajime Isayama
- Rumiko Takahashi
- Kasey Meehan
- Philomena Polefrone
Institutions
- PEN America
- Texas Freedom to Read Project
- Florida Freedom to Read
Locations
- Texas
- United States
- Florida