New Report: Book Bans Spike by 33% Over Last School Year
“The toll of the book banning movement is getting worse. More kids are losing access to books, more libraries are taking authors off the shelves, and opponents of free… More
PEN America Comments on Federal Government Appointment in Response to School Book Bans
PEN America has been at the forefront of documenting and defending against the unprecedented rise of school book bans nationwide. Texas, Florida and Missouri lead with the most books banned currently.… More
Media Advisory: PEN America Experts on Book Bans Available, Ahead of Senate Hearing 9/12
PEN America has been at the forefront of documenting and defending against the unprecedented rise of school book bans nationwide. Texas, Florida and Missouri lead with the most books… More
PEN Tulsa Hosts Community Freedom to Read Summit Sat., 9/9
“We are at a critical crossroads in our community and state,” said PEN America Tulsa Chapter leader Jeff Martin. “Given the threats to our literary liberty from state officials… More
PEN America: Using Artificial Intelligence to Ban Books Only Makes the Problem Worse
“There’s no good method for banning books, but the Mason City School District's decision to use AI technology to review and remove books is deeply misguided, undercuts free expression,… More
Hundreds of Books Targeted for Removal in Iowa School District Over New ‘Age Appropriate” Law
“Our letter to Urbandale Community School District signals to district leaders and others across the state that ‘broad interpretations’ of vague laws threaten the freedom to read for students… More
Additional Parents Join Lawsuit Against Book Bans in Florida’s Escambia County
"As a Black mother of two teenage girls, I know how important it is for our children to have access to books like The Freedom Writers Diary and Beloved,"… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression This Week
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
PEN America Rejects Move by Huntington Beach, CA Government to Consider a Legal Study to Restrict Books from Minors
Elana K Arnold, one of the most frequently banned authors in the country in the first half of this school year, spoke, urging a rejection of the proposal. “When… More
Missouri School Board’s Decision to Retain Maus is a Positive Move But Removing Six Other Books is Unfortunate, Says PEN America
“While Maus will thankfully remain on bookshelves, there is no reasonable basis for blocking student access to the other six books. These new bans are an unfortunate – and… More
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