US School Libraries Ban Over 1,100 Non‑Fiction Titles in 2024‑25

*TL;DR: More than 1,100 non‑fiction books were removed from U.S. school libraries in 2024‑25, doubling the previous year’s count.

Context A PEN America analysis of 3,743 unique titles removed from school libraries and classrooms between July 2023 and June 2024 reveals a sharp rise in non‑fiction bans. The surge follows a broader national trend of increasing challenges to school reading material.

Key Facts - Non‑fiction titles accounted for 29% of all removals, exceeding 1,100 books, more than twice the figure recorded a year earlier. - The most frequent theme among the banned non‑fiction was activism and social movements, with titles such as *Challenges for LGBTQ+ Teens*, *Aztec, Inca, and Maya*, and Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust memoir *Night* on the list. - Books addressing sex education, including *You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty and Other Things*, saw the removal rate double compared with the prior year. - Marginalised perspectives remain over‑represented among challenged works: 39% feature LGBTQ+ characters and 44% focus on people of colour. - Content on death and grief made up 48% of the banned titles, while empowerment and self‑esteem topics comprised 39%. - Fiction also faced pressure, with dystopian works like *Fahrenheit 451* and *The Hunger Games*, as well as classics such as *To Kill a Mockingbird*, listed for removal. - Since 2021, PEN America has logged more than 23,000 ban incidents nationwide.

What It Means McKenna Samson, co‑author of the report, warned that the removed titles “help students learn about their rights and the stories of those who confronted injustice.” The data suggests a growing willingness to censor material that addresses social issues, potentially limiting students’ exposure to diverse viewpoints and historical realities. Critics argue the trend reflects an anti‑intellectual stance that undermines public education and erodes reading proficiency, a concern echoed by a recent national assessment showing a third of 12th‑graders lacking basic reading skills.

The pattern aligns with the American Library Association’s finding of a record high in library bans for 2025, where 40% of challenged books featured LGBTQ+ or people‑of‑colour representation. As school districts continue to navigate community pressures, the next school year will reveal whether the surge in non‑fiction bans stabilises or accelerates further.