PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans Fall 2022 provides a comprehensive list of books banned in the first half of the 2022-2023 school year.

From July to December 2022, PEN America found 1,477 instances of individual books banned, affecting 874 unique titles. This represents an increase from the prior six months, from January to June 2022, in which 1,149 instances of book banning were recorded. The bans occurred in 37 states, with Texas, Florida, Missouri, Utah, and South Carolina leading the nation, according to PEN America’s latest Banned in the USA: State Laws Suppression in Schools report.

The fall 2022 banned book list is a searchable index of each documented book ban in the first half of the school year. The Index lists instances where students’ access to books in school libraries and classrooms in the United States was restricted or diminished, for either limited or indefinite periods of time. Some of these bans have since been rescinded and some remain in place. More information about PEN America’s definition of school book bans can be found here.

• Download the index
• Read the full analysis in the Banned in the USA report
• See the complete Index of Banned Books from the 2021-2022 school year.

See also: 11 Most Banned Books of the Start of the 2022-2023 School Year

PEN America defines a school book ban as any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished. Read more in our Frequently Asked Questions.