School book bans hit record high with nearly 12,000 removals, study finds

School book bans have hit a record high at almost 12,000 removals, according to a new report from PEN America, a free-speech organization. 

The group found 11,982 books banned in the 2025-26 school year, a big jump from the 6,870 the previous year. 

Among those almost 12,000 books were 7,370 unique titles taken out of classrooms, removing the work of 4,000 authors. The most-banned categories were the young adult section and the fiction section. 

The vast majority of bans came from Texas and Florida, where PEN America says political pressure has been greatest.  

While those states have been targeting certain books for years, the use of AI in book removals has apparently risen significantly. 

PEN America found district administrators are using AI to evaluate books........

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