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. In the 2023-2024 school year, 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

2023-2024 Book Bans by State

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

  • Beyond the Shelves: Three Years of Book Bans and Educational Censorship

    Friday November 1
  • The Censor’s Cut: Ellis Angel Makes Art From Banned Books

    Friday November 1
  • Freedom to Read Day of Action 2024: Working Together to Stop Book Bans

    Wednesday October 30
  • From Howl to Now: Tracing the History of Censorship

    Thursday October 10
  • Still from The ABCs of Book Banning

    Book Bans Hit the Big Screen: 6 Documentaries Take on Educational Censorship 

    Thursday October 3
  • Banned Books Week 2024: PEN America Rallies to Turn the Page on Book Bans

    Wednesday October 2