Book Bans

Book Bans

PEN America tracks book bans and fights censorship in public schools and libraries across the country.

Books are under profound attack in the United States. Since the fall of 2021, PEN America has counted more than 10,000 book bans in public schools. And everywhere, 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. PEN America pushes back against censorship and the intolerance and exclusion that undergird it.

Join PEN America and a coalition of education and rights organizations in fighting against censorship and book restrictions across the country. You can send letters to your elected officials, learn more about fighting bans in your community, even get some swag!

Research & Resources

Cumulative book bans in the United States, July 1, 2021 – December 31, 2023

Primer: The Latest on Book Bans

PEN America has documented thousands of book bans since 2021, when the scope of censorship expanded dramatically, tied to directives from elected officials & pressure from local groups. Hear from our book ban expert, Kasey Meehan.



Latest Blogs & Commentary

  • Craftivisim: In Crafting A Better World, Diana Weymar Shows How Creativity Can Inspire Change

    Tuesday October 1
  • Memo on School Book Bans from PEN America

    Monday September 23
  • PEN America Free Expression Advocacy Institutes Train the Next Generation

    Monday September 16
  • The State of Book Bans: Utah’s ‘No-Read List’

    Thursday August 22
  • Local no longer: 4 new laws and policies bring book banning to the state level

    Monday July 29
  • “Thank you for not giving up on Florida”: A rallying cry at the Unified Voices Summit in Orlando

    Monday July 22