It’s no exaggeration when PEN America says that the freedom to read “is under attack in the United States.” In a recent report, the free speech organization found 3,362 cases of book bans in the 2022-2023 school year, 40 percent of which occurred in Florida alone.
Top 20 Banned Books
“Book bans overwhelmingly target books about race or racism or featuring characters of color, as well as books featuring LGBTQ+ characters,” PEN America said.
Last year, the organization joined with Penguin Random House, a group of authors, parents and students, to sue the school district in Escambia County, Florida, over a widespread book ban. In January of this year, a U.S. district judge allowed the case to proceed.
Meanwhile, book bans have become so widespread that TV fans may not even be able to find the source material for their favorite shows at their local library. Here are 11 banned books that inspired TV shows.
