Both the Florida Department of Education and PEN America, a nonprofit advocating for freedom of expression, have released their annual lists of books removed from school classrooms and libraries, each reporting fewer removals than last year.
The Florida Department of Education reported that 444 titles were removed in some capacity across 16 counties in the state during the 2024-25 school year, down from 732 titles removed the school year before. In 2022-23, the state reported 386 removed titles.
In this, PEN’s fourth year of reporting, Florida ranked highest in the nation with 2,304 bans statewide of the 6,870 reported nationwide. Florida was responsible for 4,500 of the more than 10,000 books PEN reported the previous school year.
The state reports books as removed when material has been discontinued in response to a parent or resident of the county and the data are reported by school districts.
PEN America’s dataset comprises school book bans reported to the organization and those covered in news media. The organizations cautions that its dataset is not comprehensive — “there are likely additional school book bans that have not been reported.” It’s sum includes books that have been shelved pending review and those removed in response to direct or threatened action by government officials.
“Over the past four years, a misleading campaign to ‘protect children’ alongside advocacy for ‘parental rights’ has been weaponized to diminish students’ First Amendment rights in schools, sow distrust in librarians and educators, and diminish the ability of authors and illustrators to connect with their intended audiences,” PEN wrote in a news release.
The PEN database includes about 600 titles in Hillsborough County that are “banned pending investigation.”
The DOE list does not disclose any titles in Hillsborough County, for example, that have been removed.
The PEN list includes 500 materials in Union County “banned” in June 2025, although the DOE list does not include any titles removed in that county during the previous school year.
Volusia County, in the PEN report, saw about 180 titles “banned pending investigation” and, per the DOE methodology, one title was removed during the previous school year, “The Kite Runner.”
The bulk of the state’s reported removals were in Clay County. PEN puts about 400 titles in jeopardy there, while the state lists about 280 removed titles in Clay County.
Climate
In August, PEN America celebrated a recent lawsuit by book authors and publishers challenging the state’s law removing books from classrooms and libraries. A federal trial judge ruled that the state’s law banning books deemed “pornographic” from school libraries is, in part, “overbroad and unconstitutional.”
“It is important to recognize that books available in schools, whether in a school or classroom library or as part of a curriculum, were selected by librarians and educators as part of the educational offerings to students,” PEN America wrote. “Book bans occur when those choices are overridden by school boards, administrators, teachers, or even politicians on the basis of a particular book’s content.”
PEN America credits Florida’s rate of removals to “the passage of multiple vague laws, direct pressure from local groups and elected officials, and threats to educators’ professional licenses if they fail to comply.”
Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, for example, has taken to social media to threaten Hillsborough County Superintendent Van Ayres over books available in that county’s catalog.
According to PEN, the most frequently banned book nationwide is “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess with 23 instances. The next-most banned book is “Sold” by Patricia McCormick with 20.
Nationwide, Stephen King is the most-banned author, followed by Ellen Hopkins, Stah J. Maas, Jodi Picoult, and Yusei Matsui.
Lawmakers in 2024 acknowledged book challenges may’ve been out of control, calling abundant challenges by a small number of objectors “frivolous” when they passed a law limiting objections from non-parents to one per month. This school year was the first year that law was in effect.
–Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
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