EducationBreaking
PEN America reports record high of nearly 12,000 school book removals in 2025-2026
By Mantle News
Coverage spectrum
Covered by 5 outlets across the spectrum.
6 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias
PEN America, a free-expression nonprofit, released a report finding nearly 12,000 book removals in U.S. public schools during the 2025-2026 school year — 11,982 cases, the highest annual total since it began tracking removals five years ago, up from 6,870 the prior year. Texas recorded the most removals, more than 8,100, followed by Florida, which had ranked first in the previous three years. The removals covered more than 7,000 unique titles and works by roughly 4,000 authors, illustrators and translators, across a record 114 school districts. Stephen King was again the most-removed author. PEN America said school district administrators are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to help identify books for removal.
Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works
What happened
Key points
Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.
PEN America recorded 11,982 book bans in U.S. public schools in the 2025-2026 school year, the highest since it began tracking five years ago
Reported byLeftCenterRight
Stephen King was the most-banned author for the second straight year
Reported byLeftCenterRight
Texas had the most bans, more than 8,100, while Florida, previously ranked first for three years, came in second
Reported byLeftCenter
Administrators are increasingly using AI tools to evaluate or flag books for removal
Reported byLeftCenterRight
The bans spanned a record 114 school districts and more than 7,000 unique titles
Reported byLeftCenter
The prior school year saw 6,870 bans, far fewer than the new total
Reported byCenter
How each side tells it
Compare views
the left
2 outlets
The Guardian frames the bans as part of an escalating 'censorship crisis' tied to new state laws, while NBC publishes an Associated Press report that emphasizes Florida and Texas lawmakers and conservative activists pushing removals.
US Partisan shorthand“book bans”Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)Disagree with this highlight? in public schools reach record annual high of 12,000
The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines the center
2 outlets
Straight Arrow News and The Hill present the findings as a straightforward record-breaking statistic, citing PEN America's data on totals, states and authors.
Partisan shorthand“Book bans”Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)Disagree with this highlight? reach all-time high, led by Texas and Florida and fueled by AI
The HillCenterAll center headlines the right
1 outlet
The Washington Times reports the same AP-style findings in a neutral, fact-forward headline pairing the record total with King's ranking and AI use.
Partisan shorthand“Book bans”Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)Disagree with this highlight? hit record near 12,000 as Stephen King tops list again and schools turn to AI
The Washington TimesRightAll right-leaning headlines
The words they chose
Language to notice
Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.
Left2
Book bansrestrictive laws
Center2
Book bansbanned books
Right1
Book bans
In the outlets’ own words
Partisan shorthand
Book bansMore neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)
Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.
Book bans hit record near 12,000 as Stephen King tops list again and schools turn to AI
Used byThe Washington Times (Right)The Guardian (Left)Straight Arrow News (Center)The Hill (Center)
Partisan shorthand
banned booksMore neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)
Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.
…nonprofit drew comparisons to previous years, which saw between 2,500 and 10,000 banned books.
Used byStraight Arrow News (Center)
Loaded modifier
restrictive lawsMore neutral: new state laws governing school library content
Characterizes the laws as restrictive rather than describing their specific provisions, implying a judgment on their intent
Many of the bans took place in Florida and Texas, where restrictive laws have been passed and both politicians and conservative activists have pushed for…
Used byNBC News (Left)
Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words
Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.
Partisan shorthand
Quotedbook censorship crisisMore neutral: increase in book removals
Labels the phenomenon with a loaded term that presupposes a contested characterization, even though it is attributed to PEN America
…of book bans since the organization started tallying the increasing “book censorship crisis” across US schools in 2021.
Quoted byThe Guardian (Left)
Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.
See for yourself
Side by side
What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.
From the left
2 outletsLeads with
- Texas's SB13 law
- rising use of AI in removals
- political activism behind bans
Leaves out
- Previous year's total of 6,870 bans
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
Stephen King is the most banned author as school book removals hit record high
Nearly 12,000 bans took place in public schools over the past year, according to a new study from PEN America, the highest total since the free expression organization began tracking removals five years ago.
- The GuardianLeft
US Partisan shorthand“book bans”Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)Disagree with this highlight? in public schools reach record annual high of 12,000
Texas tops list with 8,100 bans while Stephen King is again most banned author, PEN America finds The US saw almost 12,000 Partisan shorthand“book bans”Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)Disagree with this highlight? in public schools during the 2025-2026 school year, the highest number in a single year, according to the free-expression non-profit PEN America . …
From the center
2 outletsLeads with
- record number of bans and districts
- Texas and Florida as top states
- comparison to prior years' totals
Leaves out
- Guardian's framing of a broader 'censorship crisis'
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
- The HillCenter
Partisan shorthand“Book bans”Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)Disagree with this highlight? reach all-time high, led by Texas and Florida and fueled by AI
Partisan shorthand“Book bans”Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)Disagree with this highlight? reached an all-time high this year as political pressure and AI fuel a spike in titles taken off the shelves. Almost 12,000 books were banned between 2025 and 2026, a 5,000-book jump from the previous year, according to a Monday report by PEN America, a free-speech …
1 more from The Hill
- Straight Arrow NewsCenter
Partisan shorthand“Book bans”Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)Disagree with this highlight? in US schools hit record high of nearly 12,000, PEN America says
PEN America found that some of the most banned authors were Stephen King, Sarah J. Maas, Jodi Picoult and Ellen Hopkins.
From the right
1 outletLeads with
- record total of bans
- Stephen King topping the list
- schools turning to AI
Leaves out
- Texas's specific ban count
- Florida's prior top ranking
- district-level details
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
- The Washington TimesRight
Partisan shorthand“Book bans”Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)Disagree with this highlight? hit record near 12,000 as Stephen King tops list again and schools turn to AI
Nearly 12,000 bans took place in public schools over the past year, according to a new study from PEN America, the highest total since the free expression organization began tracking removals five years ago. …
Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?
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Who reported it when
How the coverage built up
Left
1 hr 48 min later
Its first report, Oct 5, 10:18 AM EDT
Center
3 hr 35 min later
Its first report, Oct 5, 12:05 PM EDT
Right
First to report
The Washington Times, Oct 5, 8:30 AM EDT
See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
- The Washington TimesRightOct 5, 8:30 AM EDT
- The GuardianLeftOct 5, 10:18 AM EDT
- Straight Arrow NewsCenterOct 5, 12:05 PM EDT
- NBC NewsLeftOct 5, 1:39 PM EDT
- The HillCenterOct 5, 3:28 PM EDT
Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.
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