Good News that Wentzville School District Returns 200 Temporarily Banned Books to Shelves But PEN America Raises Concern that 17 Removed Books Are Still Inaccessible
“When legislation and threats of criminalization are enacted without guidelines, what we see are librarians and school officials operating out of fear and excess caution,” said Kasey Meehan, program… More
Letter to Duval County, FL Schools from PEN America and We Need Diverse Books— Signed by 70 Authors—Calls for Return of 176 Book Titles Pulled from Classroom Libraries
(NEW YORK)—In a letter sent to Duval County Public Schools in Florida, PEN America and We Need Diverse Books, along with 70 authors, questioned the removal of 176 book… More
PEN America Finds Missouri Schools Banned Nearly 300 Books Since August, in Response to New Law Criminalizing “Explicit Sexual Material”
The letter reminds school district officials that, “Book bans limit opportunities for students to see themselves in literature and to build empathy for experiences different from their own. They… More
PEN America Responds to Questions Raised about Book Bans in the Central York, PA Schools
(NEW YORK)-- In response to questions raised about the banning of books in the Central York, PA school district, PEN America issued the following statement: In fall 2021, a list… More
PEN America Applauds Congressional Resolutions Condemning Book Bans and Affirming the Right to Free Expression in Schools
"Book bans are a blatant affront to free expression, the lifeblood of our democracy,” said Nadine Farid Johnson, managing director of PEN America Washington and Free Expression Programs. “Encroachments… More
Banned in the USA Q&A: Varian Johnson asks if book bans are meant to ‘keep a certain population of our country down’
For Banned Book Week, PEN America interviews Varian Johnson, author of The Parker Inheritance, which has been banned twice in the 2021-2022 school year. More
Banned in the USA Q&A: Kyle Lukoff on the ‘desperate importance’ of fighting book bans
For Banned Book Week, PEN America interviews Kyle Lukoff, author of Call Me Max, which has been banned twice in the 2021-2022 school year. More
Banned in the USA Q&A: Ashley Hope Pérez on how book bans are failing our children
For Banned Book Week, PEN America interviews Ashley Hope Pérez, author of Out of Darkness, which has been banned 23 times in the 2021-2022 school year. More
What Is a Book Ban? And More Frequently Asked Questions
What is a book ban? How is a book ban different from a challenge? What is the history of book bans? We answer frequently asked questions about book bans. More
Banned in the USA Q&A: Kalynn Bayron calls challenges ‘clearly homophobic’
For Banned Book Week, PEN America interviews Kaylnn Bayron, author of Cinderella is Dead, which has been banned at least three times in the 2021-2022 school year. More