Texas schools banned more than 8,000 books, report says

Texas public schools banned 8,193 books during the 2025-26 school year, more than twice as many as any other state, according to PEN America.

By the numbers:

Texas public schools banned 8,193 books, while Florida had the second-highest number of banned books at 3,212. In total, 11,982 books were banned in public schools across 23 states. The bans encompass 7,370 unique titles.

State legislation aids book bans in Texas

PEN America says Senate Bill 13 can be attributed to the increase in book bans in Texas. The bill, passed in 2025, allows for the creation of local school advisory councils to "assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in each school library catalog in the district."

A district is only required to establish an advisory council if it receives a petition from the parents of 10% of enrolled students or 50 parents, whichever is fewer.

In August, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said most districts in the state were not complying with SB13 and said legislation could be introduced that would allow for lowering a school's accountability score if an inappropriate book was on a library shelf.

AI choosing books to ban

PEN America said that more districts are using artificial intelligence to help them choose which books to ban. 

What they're saying:

"As districts respond to vague and unclear directives from state departments of education and state legislation, district administrators are increasingly turning to AI to evaluate books for removal," the organization said.

Records obtained by the Texas Freedom to Read Project show that generative AI is repeatedly recommending a book's removal because other districts have banned the books and not because they are obscene under the legal standard.

PEN America claims AI tools scrape lists of titles without consideration of context or nuance.

What books were banned?

PEN America listed 11 titles that were banned for the first time. They did not specify where these titles were banned:

• "Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World" by Kelly Jensen
• "Romeo and/or Juliet: A Choosable Path Adventure" by Ryan North
• "Be More Chill" by Ned Vizzini
• "Tokyo Ghoul" by Sui Ishida
• "The Brightest Night" by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• "The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer" by Gary Paulsen
• "Rabbit and Robot" by Andrew Smith
• "Lore" by Alexandra Bracken
• "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus
• "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
• "Attack on Titan, Volume 34" by Hajime Isayama

They also listed the titles that were banned in the most districts across the United States:

• "Sold" by Patricia McCormick (25)
• "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson (23)
• "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins (22)
• "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood (21)
• "Looking for Alaska" by John Green (21)

PEN America also listed the most commonly banned authors.

Stephen King has had the most titles banned at 81 and is banned as an author in 30 districts across the U.S.

Ellen Hopkins is banned in the most districts at 42 and has 22 banned titles.

What books are targeted?

PEN America said that book banning efforts over the past five years have overwhelmingly targeted books about race and racism, LGBTQ+ people and characters, people or characters of color, and sex.

"Book bans impede the freedom to read, cutting students’ access to a diversity of views, voices, perspectives, and literature they deserve to encounter," PEN America said.

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