22,810. That's how many instances of books were banned in U.S. public schools from 2021–2025, according to PEN America. Behind every number is a student who lost access to a book and new ideas. Read. Learn. Speak up. Defend the freedom to read. #FreedomToRead #BookBans #RightToRead

“Deleting accounts of the past not because they are false but because they are true betrays a curious lack of confidence. Do the censors fear that Americans will cease to love their country once they know the full story?” www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

For the last installment on youth library privacy and library card access, Amy Mikel and I created a Q+A to what libraries (and patrons!) should think about regarding library card registration, young people, and library access: bookriot.com/youth-librar...

Let's choose our workbook winners! If you didn't win, don't worry, you can download our digital version FOR FREE on our website: www.freedomtoreadproject.org/turning_the_...

What happens when one person's objection to a book doesn't stay local? Our newest article explores how a single challenge can ripple far beyond one school or district, influencing access to books across an entire state. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/when_one_obj...

"Book bans are now systematized efforts to fundamentally change what people know and how they know it," writes @andizeisler.bsky.social in @salon.com www.salon.com/2026/06/20/w... #bannedbooks #censorship

On June 16, the Clay School Board held a workshop where the district’s Chief Academic Officer gave an update on the book objections and purchasing status in the libraries. www.youtube.com/live/qanR2ue...

Election season is here, and "Do you support book bans?" isn't the only question voters should be asking. Before you cast your ballot, learn what to ask and why the answers matter. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/beyond_do_yo... #FreedomToRead #BookBans #FirstAmendment #Libraries #Elections #Vote

Harriet the Spy is now age-restricted. When I was a kid, I read my copy until it literally fell apart. It was one of the books that made me want to be a writer.

ONE person, Bruce, is responsible for nearly every book banned in this district over the course of the last *several years*.

Clay County Schools updated their objection tracking this week. 73 objections were filed this month (tied to one man). 69 of the titles were removed or restricted. Example: Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul (ages 9-13) was restricted to High School shelves.

Why does the Freedom to Read Project defend the First Amendment? Because the freedom to read is connected to the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition. We believe people, not politicians or pressure groups, should decide what they read and what ideas they explore.

While adults debate book challenges in Florida school districts, one Duval County student decided to do something about it. www.news4jax.com/news/local/2...

When does library weeding become censorship by another name? Our latest article explores how controversial books can disappear through "routine" collection practices, why transparency matters, and how future librarians inherit the consequences. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/when_a_curat...

Pride Month is the perfect time to discover a new LGBTQ+ book! Whether you're looking for a mirror that reflects your own experiences or a window into someone else's, queer stories offer insight, empathy, and unforgettable characters. Read widely. Read boldly. Celebrate the freedom to read.

The Upside of Unrequited is a funny, heartfelt YA novel about family, friendship, first love, and finding where you belong. Its authentic LGBTQ characters and relatable themes help readers feel seen, build empathy, and celebrate the many ways people create family and community.

Fun little fact I learned: apparently, Utah's State Board of Education didn't bother telling the schools that they added LUCKY to their state-mandated ban list. This is outside of their normal process. bookriot.com/utah-has-ban...

“One piece of data about banned books that always surprises people is that the vast majority of the books being banned are not new books. That means the average publication date of the books banned over the last five years is 18 years old...

As the school year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to thank the educators who dedicate themselves to helping students learn, grow, and discover the power of books. Thank you for all that you do. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/an_open_lett...

CEMETERY BOYS by Aiden Thomas is a moving story about identity, family, and belonging. Through fantasy, mystery, and Latinx cultural traditions, it offers readers both representation and empathy. Every reader deserves the freedom to choose stories that help them understand themselves and others.

“Public libraries are funded primarily through local revenues and serve more than 23 million Floridians through 541 library locations, 22 bookmobiles, millions of annual visits, workforce development programs, digital access services, literacy initiatives, and educational programming.”

We are proud to co-sign on this statement by @historians.org. Florida’s students deserve better and we can’t afford to throw taxpayer money away on Temu US History - not when schools are closing and high-demand programs are being cut.

What happens when publishers begin avoiding LGBTQ+ stories before a book is ever challenged? This article explores how years of censorship efforts are creating a chilling effect across the publishing industry, making it harder for queer voices & stories to reach readers bookriot.com/queer-books-...

Nonfiction censorship has grown dramatically recently. Check out some of these targeted titles. people.com/pen-america-...

Orange County Library System offers free book to kids in June as part of summer reading challenge

What happens when censorship starts shaping books before they’re even published? Explore the hidden consequences of book bans, from authors softening stories to publishers avoiding risky topics & the growing pressure of self-censorship. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/the_books_we...

BRAVE NEW WORLD still sparks important conversations about censorship, conformity, technology & independent thought nearly a century later. Books like this matter not because they provide easy answers, but because they challenge readers to think critically about society, freedom & power.

There are two different, but aligned motivations that benefit from continued attacks on our public schools. We don’t talk enough about the people that financially benefit from these attacks. Scare or frustrate families into using a voucher. Demand increases, supply doesn’t. Tuition skyrockets.

Members Maia Kobabe and Malinda Lo, and others spoke with The Guardian about book banning. I think the pull quote really gets to the heart of it, "They're trying to narrow the worldview of young people."

Want to make your voice heard in the fight against censorship? Writing a letter to the editor is one of the most effective ways to engage your local community and bring attention to book bans and intellectual freedom issues. bookriot.com/examples-of-...

I really wish that this piece, written by a teen who has been working with her peers to protest her school board's relentless book censorship and the erasure of their school library's budget, would get the attention it deserves. bookriot.com/elizabethtow...

Two regions of the state have high censorship activity orchestrated by just two people (neither of them parents of current public school students). Northeast FL: Duval has new challenges to books by Stephen King and @jodipicoult.bsky.social (plus a few others). Clay’s includes a lot of A.S. King.

After years of censorship headlines, many advocates are feeling something difficult but deeply human: exhaustion. Our newest article explores “freedom to read fatigue,” why constant outrage can be unsustainable & what long-term advocacy looks like. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/freedom_to_r...

“I Cannot Let These Doctrines Be The Face of My Education”: Elizabethtown (PA) Students Protest Book Bans This is a moving and honest piece from a high schooler who has been protesting book bans in her school–and the defunding of their library–for months. bookriot.com/elizabethtow...

This powerful novel explores racism, police violence, friendship, identity, and what it means to speak up when something is wrong. It gives teens the opportunity to confront difficult realities with empathy, honesty, and critical thinking.

Six years ago today, Banned Book Club was released. This book changed Hyun Sook and I's lives. And we have a special announcement to celebrate. This September, Iron Circus Comics is releasing a new full color edition, with colors by @amandalafrenais.com and a brand new 20 page followup story...

A national book rating system may sound simple, but it could lead to bias, oversimplification, self-censorship, and restricted access to important stories and information. Parents, librarians, and educators already have tools to help guide reading choices without reducing books to warning labels.

PEN America and five library, booksellers, and anti-censorship organizations along with a major publishing house urged Congress today to oppose H.R. 2616, a bill intended to censor speech and instruction in schools related to gender and LGBTQ+ identities. pen.org/press-releas...

I both think it's important to tell this story but also: I have done so much work SINCE THEN to try and create a world where it doesn't happen again, along with 5,000 other book creators in @authorsabb.bsky.social. And I feel like that's the more important story by a mile.

Two generations. Same conclusion. Whether you say “book bans undermine critical thinking” or “book bans are giving dystopian nightmare,” the truth is the same: restricting access to books hurts everyone. The freedom to read matters at every age. #FreedomToRead #BookBans #RightToRead

Five Years of Banned Books Data and What Do We Know? A look at the most banned authors across these five years, the most targeted books, and the actual ages and publication dates. Spoiler: they're NOT new books. That, plus this week's lengthy book censorship news. bookriot.com/5-years-of-b...

Five years. Thousands of bans. Countless students impacted. Read what we’ve learned from five years of book ban data & why the fight for the freedom to read is far from over. The numbers tell a powerful story about censorship, access & who gets targeted most. bookriot.com/5-years-of-b...

“But for reading, statewide performance has gotten worse since 2022, and students are even farther behind pre-pandemic performance.” In 2022, HB 1467 made it a lot harder for students to access books for voluntary reading in their classrooms and school libraries. www.tampabay.com/news/educati...

In Utah, nearly all statewide book bans originate from just 2 school districts, sending novels to the shredder, Tribune finds. www.sltrib.com/news/educati...

Book bans are no longer just targeting stories. They’re targeting information itself. Our newest article explores PEN America’s alarming findings that bans on nonfiction books have doubled in schools. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/the_shift_fr...

This heartfelt middle grade novel by Ashley Herring Blake explores grief, identity, friendship, and what it means to finally feel seen. Banning books about LGBTQ+ kids does not protect children. It tells some children their experiences are too unacceptable to even be acknowledged. #FreedomToRead

PEN America today expressed alarm over Duval County, Florida Public Schools’ removal of dozens of books without a clearly defined or transparent review process. Titles removed include The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and Nineteen Minutes by @jodipicoult.bsky.social. pen.org/press-releas...

A new report from PEN America shares that the rate of book bans for nonfiction has doubled, leading to what they claim is “anti-intellectualism.” When NF books are banned, students lose access to history, lived experiences, journalism, science & the tools to better understand the world around them.

Real horror is not kids reading books. Real horror is limiting ideas, silencing voices, and leaving library shelves empty. Every child deserves the chance to discover stories that inspire curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking. #BooksNotBans #FreedomToRead

Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America's Freedom to Read program, told PW that the new report “pushes back on the prevailing narrative around the book ban movement, that it's removing harmful, obscene, or inappropriate material. We know that to not be true.” www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...