A record number of books were banned in districts across the country during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a free speech organization.
Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” a novel about the aftermath of a school shooting, was banned in 98 school districts across the country in the last school year, making it the most frequently removed book in a period that saw a record number of book bans across the country, according to PEN America.
When the novel was first published, in 2007, it was lauded for its nuanced depiction of bullying and violence in schools, incorporated into many high school curriculums and awarded multiple teen book awards.
“It’s really alarming,” Picoult said of the shift. “What’s crazy is that the book hasn’t changed.”
“Nineteen Minutes” was among 4,231 unique titles that were banned in schools across the country during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a new report from PEN America, a free speech organization.
In total, when accounting for books that were banned in multiple districts, there were more than 10,000 book removals in schools across the United States during the school year, a rise of around 200 percent compared with the previous year, the report found.
In addition to “Nineteen Minutes,” the most frequently banned titles included “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, “Sold” by Patricia McCormick and “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher. Other frequently banned authors include the blockbuster fantasy author Sarah J. Maas, Ellen Hopkins and Stephen King. King’s books were banned in 173 instances across 26 school districts.
Classics like Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse Five” were also removed in multiple school districts.
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