Number of nonfiction books banned in schools has doubled, report says

Nonfiction books were censored at schools at more than double the past rate in the 2024-2025 school year, according to a new report by PEN America.

The organization, whose stated mission is to “celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible,” began monitoring book bans in 2021.

The May 7 report, “Facts & Fiction: Stories Stripped Away By Book Bans,” found that 3,743 unique titles were removed from school classrooms and libraries from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. There were 6,780 total bans across 23 states during that period, according to the organization.

More than 1,000 of the titles – 29% – were nonfiction works, which the organization said was more than double the number from the previous year.

The organization defines the term "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 book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished.”