PEN AMERICA NEEDS YOUR HELP.
#FREETHEBOOKS
In classrooms, school districts, and libraries across the country, the freedom to read is under assault by restrictions and bans on books.
Even as Florida Gov. DeSantis claimed book bans are a “nasty hoax,” dozens of books are being removed from shelves across Florida. For more on why shelves are empty, read our explainer on what’s happening in Florida.
Book bans are a problem throughout the country. The third installment of our book ban research series Banned in the USA found over four thousand instances of individual books being banned since the fall of 2021. This school year alone, 874 unique titles were affected.
Join us to #FreeTheBooks by taking action and making your voice heard.
WE'RE SUING
PEN America, Penguin Random House, and a diverse group of authors have joined with parents and students from Escambia County, Florida, to file a federal lawsuit challenging removals and restrictions of books from school libraries that violate their rights to free speech and equal protection under the law.
SPEAK UP
- Join PEN America in telling Escambia County, Florida to put books back on shelves.
- Add your name to the growing band of activists working and striving to protect the written word.
- Stay informed of new threats and learn how you can help fight censorship by signing up for PEN America’s newsletter about educational censorship.
- Become a member of PEN America and join a dedicated community readers, writers, and free speech defenders.
FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
Are you a student whose school or library has proposed or already removed or restricted access to books?
- Report book bans in your community, and get in touch with our experts.
- Our tip sheet, How to Fight Book Bans, has steps you can take to organize readers, writers, and educators in your community and fight back against bans, gag orders, and restrictions.
- Learn more about our Free Expression Advocacy Institutes, PEN America’s signature educational and training programs which are designed to provide students with innovative opportunities to learn about and take action on free expression issues in the United States and worldwide.
- Help other learn about book bans by sharing our book bans FAQ.
- Learn how to plan a peaceful protest.
FOR AUTHORS
Are you an author whose book has been restricted, banned, or threatened for removal?
- Start with our tip sheet for authors, So, Your Book Has Been Challenged.
- Stay in touch with PEN America and other writers who believe in the power of free speech by becoming a professional member today.
FOR LIBRARIANS
Are you a librarian facing threats, harassment, or pressure to remove books from your shelves?
- Start with our tip sheet for librarians, which is intended to equip librarians with strategies to navigate online abuse.
DONATIONS FROM ACTIVISTS LIKE YOU PROVIDE THE ESSENTIAL RESOURCES WE NEED TO DEFEND THE FREEDOM TO WRITE WORLDWIDE. PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION IN SUPPORT OF THIS VITAL WORK. THANK YOU.
BE HEARD
- Download this sign and post a photo of yourself holding it with the hashtag #FreeTheBooks to show you cherish the right to read.
- Follow PEN America on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for updates on the latest news in attempts to restrict the freedom to read.
STAY INFORMED
Banned in the USA: State Laws Supercharge Book Suppression in Schools
PEN America recorded more book bans during the fall 2022 semester than in each of the prior two semesters. This school year also saw the effects of new state laws that censor ideas and materials in public schools, an extension of the book banning movement initiated in 2021 by local citizens and advocacy groups.
Read more 
Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools
PEN America’s latest report on book bans, Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools, explores the forces behind localized efforts to target books.
Read more 
America’s Censored Classrooms
PEN America’s latest report on educational gag orders, America’s Censored Classrooms, analyzes the landscape of educational censorship as of August 2022 and predicts the future of these punitive assaults on education.
Read more 
Literature Locked Up: How Prison Book Restriction Policies Constitute the Nation’s Largest Book Ban
This report details the types of book bans prisoners face, the arbitrariness with which they are implemented, and the lack of transparency and oversight that leads to bans.
Read more 
The Index
Books are disappearing from library shelves and being decreed off-limits by school boards, legislators, and private citizens. PEN America tracks book bans in libraries and classrooms across America in our Index of School Book Bans.
Read more 
The Reading List
This list spotlights 78 of the most banned books in America (at least 4 times from libraries and classrooms). Books by authors of color, LGBT+ authors, and women. Books about racism, sexuality, gender, and history.
Read more JOIN US
Freedom to Read Student Ambassadors Town Hall – July 2023
ThuJuly 132023
Free Event Online Student Town Hall Town Halls Virtual
PEN America and Brooklyn Public Library are excited to continue our Freedom to Read Student Ambassadors Town Halls for high school students this July! This collaborative forum for our certified Freedom to Read Student Ambassadors and other young advocates will allow participants to connect with each other and share successful advocacy solutions in the […]
2023 Pride Picnic with Next Gen PEN America
FriJune 162023
Free Event Student Summit
PEN America and the Artists at Risk Connection “Let’s Say Gay! Picnic and Play” will celebrate LGBTQ+ literature and activism during Pride.
PEN America’s Freedom to Learn Student Summit – Southern California
SatMay 202023
Free Event In Person Student Summit
PEN America is coming to the San Francisco Public Library this March to host our first-ever Freedom to Learn Student Summit for high school students in Northern California.
READ THE LATEST
PEN America Files Lawsuit Against Florida School District Over Unconstitutional Book Bans
May 17, 2023
“Children in a democracy must not be taught that books are dangerous. The freedom to read is guaranteed by the constitution,” said Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America. “In Escambia County, state censors are spiriting books off shelves in a deliberate attempt to suppress diverse voices. In a nation built on free speech, this cannot stand. The law demands that the Escambia County School District put removed or restricted books back on library shelves where they belong.”
Outdoor Art Installation 5/11 and 5/13 in NYC Draws Attention to Crisis of Book Bans in Public Schools
May 4, 2023
Across the United States, local and state initiatives are regulating what can and cannot be taught to students. School boards are limiting students' access to books, and elected leaders are passing laws to suppress education about history, race, and LGBTQ+ themes, among other topics.
The 11 Most Banned Books of the Start of the 2022-2023 School Year
April 20, 2023
These were the 11 most banned books at the start of the 2022-2023 school year, according to PEN America's Index of Banned Books.
Report A Book Ban
Stay In Touch
PEN America is hard at work fighting the the educational gag orders, book bans, and “transparency” bills that threaten free expression and academic freedom in the classroom. Sign up to receive email updates about PEN America’s vital work on these issues, including reports, legislative roundups, media coverage, and advocacy alerts.