Challenges to books are not new, but the scale changed after 2021. PEN America counted 10,046 instances of books banned in public schools during the 2023-24 school year, about triple the year before. It counted 6,870 instances in 2024-25. Many removals came from state laws in places like Florida, Tennessee and Iowa that require schools to pull books on broad grounds.
The targets follow a pattern. Frequently banned titles include Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, books about racism and civil rights history, and books with LGBTQ+ characters. Many bans follow lists circulated by advocacy groups rather than complaints about a book a parent's own child was reading.
Supporters say they are protecting children from inappropriate material. Critics, including librarians, authors and free speech groups, say the bans violate the First Amendment and erase the histories and lives of students of color and LGBTQ+ students. Book bans matter because what students can read shapes what history they learn and whose stories count.