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An up-to-date examination of book restrictions in US schools points to Stephen King as the most frequently banned writer, while emphasizing a growing divide between regions that actively limit availability of specific titles and those seeking to reduce such prohibitions.

Extent of Book Bans

PEN America’s newest study, released this week, records more than 6,800 cases of books being withdrawn for a period or indefinitely during the 2024-2025 academic year. Although this figure marks a drop from over ten thousand removals in the previous year, it remains much greater than numbers seen just a few years ago, when this kind of monitoring was considered unnecessary.

Geographical Differences

Roughly 80% of these restrictions originated from only three regions: Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, where regulations have been enacted or sought to eliminate books deemed objectionable. On the other hand, several other states—including Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey—lacked minimal or zero instances of literature withdrawals, thanks to legislation that limit the authority of educational and community libraries to withdraw titles.

“We are witnessing a tale of two nations,” notes the program director, director of PEN’s Freedom to Read program. “This isn’t merely about political divisions. Even in Florida, not every district complied with demands for bans. Variations exist from one county to another.”

Most Restricted Writers and Works

According to PEN, Stephen King’s works were censored 206 times, with titles like Carrie and The Stand among the eighty-seven of his novels impacted. The most banned work overall was the author’s dystopian classic the novel A Clockwork Orange, which encountered 23 bans. Other frequently restricted titles and writers included Patricia McCormick’s Sold, Forever by Judy Blume, Breathless by Jennifer Niven, and multiple books by Sarah J Maas and Jodi Picoult.

Grounds for Restrictions

Commonly cited justifications for pulling a book include LGBTQ+ themes, depictions of race, and passages containing graphic or sexual content. A continuing pattern observed by the report is the increasing tendency of libraries to remove books in expectation of community, political, or legal pressure rather than in reaction to a specific complaint.

“This acts as a kind of preemptive compliance,” the study states, “rooted in fear or simply a desire to avoid topics that might be deemed controversial.”

Federal and State Involvement

The PEN report comes amid ongoing restriction campaigns not just from regional authorities and advocacy groups, but additionally from the national administration. The Department of Education terminated an effort to investigate the lawfulness of restrictions and has dismissed the matter as fabricated. PEN’s data additionally cover withdrawals by the Department of Defense, which pulled hundreds of books from K-12 school libraries for military families as within a broader campaign against DEI initiatives and “un-American” thinking.

Impact in Florida

In Florida, where over 2,000 books were banned or restricted, a few regions were responsible for many of the author’s bans. Dozens of his works were withdrawn recently as during a evaluation for compliance with state laws.

“His books are often removed from shelves when ‘adult’ titles or books with ‘sex content’ are targeted for removal – these prohibitions overwhelmingly ban LGBTQ+ content and books on race, racism, and people of color – but also affect titles like Stephen King’s books,” Meehan explains. “Certain districts, acting out of excessive caution or fear of penalties, cast such a broad net that they eliminate access to Stephen King’s writing as well.”

Methodology and Limitations

PEN’s methodology varies compared to that of the a leading library group, which likewise releases yearly studies on bans and challenges. Their figures are greater partly because they count any books removed or restricted for any length of time, whereas the ALA only tracks permanent removals or restrictions.

Both organizations recognize that their data is far from comprehensive, as they primarily depend on news coverage and directly received information. A researcher noted that total bans are “likely much higher” than shown in PEN’s snapshot, based on continuing data collection efforts.

The PEN report lacks banning data from several states and other regions because researchers could not find adequate documentation. Meehan adds that the organization cannot determine the full impact of regional legislation.

“Assessing the full extent of the book restriction issue has grown increasingly difficult,” Meehan says. “When a state enacts a restriction law, we lack information on whether every school complied. Our findings are a snapshot—based on publicly available reports, online sources, and journalistic investigations.”