15 books banned in American schools
The most common books in American schools include LGBTQ titles, teenage sales singles, romantic stories in adolescence, and classic in 1962, according to a new report that compares modern censorship with Macareth during the Cold War era.
More than 6800 books were enacted during the 2024-25 academic year in 87 public schools in 23 states, according to a report issued on Wednesday by Pen America, a non-profit institution calling for freedom of expression. The report was issued before Boiled Books WeekWhich begins Sunday.
“The pressure of censorship has expanded and escalated,” said Cassi Mihan, director of the Pen America’s Freedom Program in reading. The disturbing “daily ban” has worsened and the normalization of censorship has spread over the past four years.
The annual of the organization “It is banned in the United StatesThe report says that the current environment of “banning an unrestricted book reminds us of the red fear in the fifties.” It defines the banning of the textbook as “any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of the challenges of parents or society, or administrative decisions, or in response to taking direct or threatened measures by government officials” that leads to its removal or restriction.
The latest report found that 3,752 unique titles were affected by the embargo in the school year that ended in June. the Most of the banned titles “A Clockwork Orange” and “Wicked” included, while the most prohibited authors included Stephen King and Sarah J. Diaming my presence Picolt. More than 80 % of all the ban in only three states arose: Florida, Texas and Tennessee.
The last academic year witnessed less than the total ban in 2023-24, with more than 10,000, although the number is much higher as it was in 2021-22 (more than 2500 ban), when Pen America started collecting an annual report. Since Jul 2021, Pen America has tracked 22,810 books in 45 states.
One of the reasons why the total number of books has decreased this year is that some titles are proactively removed from the shelves.
“This acts as a form of” obedience to “the expected restrictions from the state or administrative authorities, which are rooted in fear or just the desire to avoid topics that may be considered controversial,” says the report.
Another possible reason, as the author Malinda Lu pointed out, is that the previously banned titles are not returning to the shelves. Lu, whose book was “last night at Telegraph Club” No. 4 in the new Pen America list, said on Instagram that her novel for 2021 made the pieces “partially because all the usual titles such as” the sex of the stranger “have been banned and removed.”
“Once a book is banned, gold”, she is He wrote on Wednesday. “This is why we should continue to fight these attacks on our first amendment rights.”
“Sex’s sex”, graphic notes appeared for the first time in 2019, was the first rank in Pen America’s List of banned books In 2022, although she did not make the best 15 in this year’s list.
Books that contain LGBTQ themes and characters – such as “Gesier’s race” and “last night in the Telegraph Club” – are constantly among the most banned books that are highlighted in the annual reports on Pen America and the American Library Association, and this year is not different.
Here are more than 15 banned books in the past academic year as followed by Pen America, ranked in the ranking of those who were banned by most regions of public schools throughout the country:
A “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgis
Burgis Distopian satire was banned around the leader of a social teen obsessive in Beethoven on 23 provinces in the 2024-25 academic year. The 1962 novel was adapted to Oscar -nominated movie Written by Stanley Kubrick in 1971 and one was named from Best 100 novels in English And one of Best 100 novels modern library.
“Blind” by Jennifer Nevin
Niveen 2020 is a coming love story banned in 20 school regions. on Its website on the InternetThe best -selling author describes “breath” as “the book that I needed when I was sixteen, seventeen, eighteen years. Frank picks up sex and love, parental divorce, find yourself, and the importance of writing your story.
“Sell” by Patricia McCorkik
The young McCramick’s novel, about a girl from Nepal, who was sold in sexual slavery in India, was banned in 20 school regions last year. The title of 2006 was this Final National Book Award And it was on Best weekly books for publisher in the year List and ala’s Top books for adult youth existing.
“Last night at the Telegraph Club” written by Malinda Lu
LO, the young LO, was banned from Love and Duty in the fifties of the last century in San Francisco in 19 school regions in the 2024-25 academic year. The 2021 novel that won the approval of critics won a long list of awards, including the National Books Award, the Stonnol Book Award and the Asian/Asian/Pacific Award for Literature.
“The Court of Fog and anger” by Sarah C. diamond
This best-selling romantic novel, which was banned in 18 provinces in the 2024-25 academic year, is the second book in the famous Maas series “A Thorns and Roses”. Diamond, the only author with more than one title in the list of the best 15 years, also distinguishing between being one of the most banned authors this year, with 162 total prohibitions, only Stephen King and the author of “Crank” Eline Hopkins.
“Krank” by Ellen Hopkins
The 2004 young Hopkins novel was banned in 17 school regions. On its website, the author revealed that this is the best -selling books that relied loosely on “the story of her older daughter Empering on crystal Met.” She said that “Crank” began “a personal exploration of” Why “behind my daughter’s decisions, and what part I may have played.”
“Forever …” by Judy Bloom
The 1975 award -winning Blume, which was banned in 17 provinces in the last academic year, was a target of control 50 years ago, according to Pen America. Bloom said she wrote the book – which was called The best 100 teen novels from NPR and Time 100 Best Ya Books in all ages – Because her daughter “asked a story about two nice children who have sex Without death“
“Privileges from being a flower flower” by Stephen Chaposky
The upcoming 2009 Chbosky novel about “Wallflower” is the note that moves “A strange world between adolescence and pubertyIt was banned in 17 school regions in the academic year 2024-25. The best sales of the New York Times-which deals with topics including the first dramas, family drama, sex, drugs, and suicide-in the 2012 movie starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Azra Miller.
“The Bayers” by Gregory Maguire
This first place was banned in the New York Times, which first appeared in 1995, and is a re -visualized pre -conceived of “The Whost Wonderful Wizard of Oz” in 17 school regions. However, the “Wicked” story may have been known because of its adaptation to Broadway musician Tony and an Oscar -winning music movie starring Senteia Evo and Ariana Grande.
“All the children are not blue” by George M. Johnson
Johnson’s 2020 notes about adolescence as a strange black man who was banned in 16 provinces in the last academic year, and topped the ALA list, which includes 10 more challenging library books in 2024.
“A court of thorns and roses” by Sarah J. diamond
The first book in the most -selling Maas series was banned in the level of Roman books, such as the remaining books on this list, in 16 school regions. The central character in 2015, “Thorns and Roses Court” is a 19 -year -old, and she is an ethical fisherman who was dragged into a magic land and falls to its immortal families.
“The girl” was written by Ena K. Arnold
This dark and twisted fictional story is a book of honor for the Michael L. Before “Damsel”, the book “What Girls made from” A final of the 2017 National Books Award in Youth Literature.
“The Duff” by Cody Kibbrenger
In Keplinger 2010, 17 -year -old Bianka discovers her high school in her high school.Titi School“He gave her a DUFF, or an ugly fat-fat-but she still ends in” complex enemies’ relationship-taking into account. ” It was adapted in the movie 2015.
“Nineteen minutes” written by Judy Picolt
This is the first place in the New York Times on the aftermath of the shooting at a small school in New Hampshire. It was published in 2007, this is one of 29 novel written by PicoltHer other works include “my sister’s guard”, “small, small things” and “agreement”.
“Storm and anger” by Jennifer L. Armenotrot
Armentrout 2019 is the first book in it Three books “Harbinger”. “Storm and anger“Focuses on the 18 -year -old Trinity Marrow, which” may be blind “but” can see and communicate with ghosts and lives, “according to Armentrout.