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. 

Book bans are a problem throughout the country, even as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis falsely calls them a “hoax.” The 2023 update to our book ban research series Banned in the USA found more than 4,000 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.

Oppose Book Bans With Amanda Gorman 50-50 Image (450 × 350 px)

WE CLIMB THIS HILL TOGETHER

Amanda Gorman’s book of the poem, The Hill We Climb, was recently removed from elementary school shelves in Miami Lakes, FL, based on the complaint of a single individual who claims the poem “is not educational and have indirectly hate messages.” Also, the ABC’s of Black History by Rio Cortez, Love to Langston by Tony Medina, and Cuban Kids by George Ancona were also removed from school shelves. Tell Miami-Dade County Schools Superintendent and the administrators at the Bob Graham Educational Center that Amanda’s inaugural poem most certainly belongs on all school shelves.

ADD YOUR VOICE

 

Litigation 50 50 Content Block

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.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LAWSUIT

TELL ESCAMBIA COUNTY TO PUT BOOKS BACK ON SHELVES

SPEAK UP

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FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS

Are you a student whose school or library has proposed or already removed or restricted access to books?

Books Laid Out Unsplash

FOR AUTHORS

Are you an author whose book has been restricted, banned, or threatened for removal?

books in a library

FOR LIBRARIANS

Are you a librarian facing threats, harassment, or pressure to remove books from your shelves?

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.

Free The Books Sign

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 TwitterFacebookInstagram, 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

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.
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Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools

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.
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America’s Censored Classrooms

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.
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Literature Locked Up: How Prison Book Restriction Policies Constitute the Nation’s Largest Book Ban

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.
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The Index

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

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 – May 2023

TueMay 232023
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 May! 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 […]

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.

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.
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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.