By Madison Markham, Program Coordinator, Freedom to Read with PEN America, a Unite Against Book Bans partner
Four years into the book banning crisis in American public schools, it is well known that book bans are targeting specific content. This February, PEN America released Cover to Cover, a brief sharing our most comprehensive content analysis of the books banned in United States public schools—offering a deeper look into patterns we have previously reported.
As a result of the campaign to dismantle education—backed by a network of organizations largely espousing white supremacist and Christian nationalist ideology—over 10,046 books were banned in the 23-24 school year. In Cover to Cover, we look at the content of the 4,218 unique titles banned in the 23-24 school year, including new categories like genre and illustrations.
Much of our data reiterated findings from our previous analyses: books with diverse representation and that tackle difficult real-world situations are being banned at significant rates. In the 23-24 school year, 36% of banned titles featured characters or people of color, 25% had LGBTQ+ characters or people, and 10% featured disabled or neurodivergent characters or people. The top banned topics included violence (65%), death and grief (55%), abuse (43%) and sex-related content (43%). Other frequently banned topics included activism and social movements (15%), religion (14%), incarceration and policing (17%), and immigration and refugeeism (7%).
Our new data on genre and illustrations further illuminates where diversity in books is being targeted by bans. Of all history and biography titles, for example, 44% featured people of color, impacting popular titles like The Watsons Go To Birmingham. Of all books with illustrations or images—like graphic novels, art books, and picture books—73% had images or illustrations featuring LGBTQ+ characters or people and/or characters or people of color.
Additionally, we found concrete data debunking claims that books targeted for bans are “explicit” or unfit for young readers. Of all titles, 67% were for younger audiences, and within the adult titles were many books that were classics or frequently taught in schools, like The Bluest Eye and The Handmaid’s Tale. And when looking at books with consensual sexual experiences between characters, just 13% had “on the page” sexual scenes, the majority of which dealt with topics like consent and healthy relationships–such as Judy Blume’s Forever.
As we note in Cover to Cover, the continued acceleration of these bans is disturbing and echoes dark chapters in American history. However, we still have time to learn from this history and rise up against the ongoing attacks on libraries, writers, and readers. A great place to start is with organizations like ours and coalitions like Unite Against Book Bans.
