New: Restrictions on Books Rise 2021-2024

Following trends from previous years in which books were targeted for including diverse perspectives, book bans from the 2023-2024 school year overwhelmingly featured stories with people or characters of color and/or LGBTQ+ people. We also observed how cases of book bans increasingly target stories by and about women and girls and/or that include depictions of rape or sexual abuse.

Don’t Censor America

The warning signs are clear. Free expression, a cornerstone of American democracy, is at risk: books are being banned, facts distorted, and journalists are facing growing threats. So what can you do to fight back and safeguard free speech? Stand with writers, journalists, artists, and educators across America.

Ask your elected officials to take the #DontCensorAmerica pledge.

Get Out the Reader Vote!

Tell everyone: “I AM PRO-BOOKS AND I VOTE!” The PEN America shop has tee shirts, sweaters, tote bags, puzzles, onesies, and works of original literature which highlight our free expression advocacy. Show your support for the freedom to read today with exclusive designs by Todd Parr, Mike Curato, Art Spiegelman, Lingua Franca, and more!

Read Banned Books

In this reading list, we chose to spotlight the most banned books in U.S. schools. It is the books that have long fought for a place on the shelf that are being targeted. Books by authors of color, by LGBTQ+ authors, by women. Books about racism, sexuality, gender, history. Read banned books, and fight for the right to read.