Top Banned Books: The Most Banned Books in U.S. Schools – Pen America

Summary

The 52 most banned books of the last four school years include National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winners, bestsellers, and beloved books by authors including Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, and Judy Blume. Since PEN America began tallying school book bans in 2021, thousands of books have been targeted repeatedly – as many as 147 times for John Green’s popular young adult novel Looking for Alaska and 142 for bestselling author Jodi Picoult’s book centered around a school shooting, Nineteen Minutes. Seven of bestselling author Sarah J. Maas’ books appear in the top 52, along with seven by young adult author Ellen Hopkins. PEN America has documented 22,810 cases of book bans in U.S. public schools since it began counting in 2021, wiping out everything from classic literature to children’s picture books. Bans have occurred in 45 states and 451 public school districts. Censorship proponents frequently frame their movement as a drive to remove “porn” from schools, but many of the most banned books don’t contain so much as a kiss. Instead, many explore themes of race and racism or reflect LGBTQ+ identities, particularly those of the transgender community. Others reflect the realities of sexual abuse and violence, something far too many children experience outside the pages of a book. If groups pushing censorship consider widely read classics indecent, if they can come for the likes of John Green and Toni Morrison, is anything off limits? See the most banned books in 2025, the most banned authors in 2025, and PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans. Most Banned Books 2021-2025 1. Looking for Alaska, by John Green. 147 bans. “Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A modern classic, this stunning debut marked bestselling author John Green’s arrival as a groundbreaking new voice in contemporary fiction.” Michael L. Printz Award winner New York Timesbestseller NPR’s Top Ten Best-Ever Teen Novels TIME magazine’s 100 Best...