Earlier this month, PEN America released the latest iteration of what books have been deemed “inappropriate” by school districts across the United States and have been banned from school libraries.
The PEN America Index of School Book Bans – 2024-2025 identified 6,870 instances of books that were either temporarily or permanently banned during the last school year.
Looking at the data, the vast majority of the bans have been implemented by only three states: Florida, Tennessee, and Texas.
One of my favorite authors, Stephen King, had his work censored 206 times. That total was tallied from 87 of his published works.
What was the most-banned book for that school year? A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess.
PEN America determined most banned titles could be attributed to one of the following themes:
- LGBTQ+ themes
- Racial themes
- Sexual violence
- Violence
It’s sad to see so many books being banned by school district leadership.
I believe it is important for people to challenge their beliefs and consider other viewpoints, instead of just accepting the learned beliefs each of us “inherits” as children.
Now, we may not agree with another’s viewpoint, but it is their truth as much as your beliefs are your truth. That diversity and difference of opinion is what can make the world so interesting and worthwhile to explore.
I just think back to a recent trip to a secondhand store where I walked out with several hardcover Stephen King titles as I start to rebuild my recreational reading library. I look forward to cracking the cover on each of them, going on a journey the author has crafted, and seeing how my worldview might be changed.
PHOTO CREDIT: A collection of open books. (by Hn1718 via Wikimedia)
