Book bans are sharply on the rise, according to a new study by PEN America.
PEN America, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness for the protection of free expression through the advancement of literature and human rights, has released statistics on book bans in schools this past year.
According to the organization, which was founded in 1922, schools have seen a 200% increase in the banning of certain types of literature — which translates into roughly 10,000 books between 2023-2024.
A vast majority of those affected by the ban are BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors, said writer Jodi Picoult in a joint social media post with PEN America on Monday, Oct. 28.
In the Instagram video, Picoult, 58, says her book, Nineteen Minutes, “was the most banned book in the country last year.”
The book tells the story of a school shooting, however, Picoult claims that had little to do with the reasoning behind the ban.
Picoult explained that the decision was “usually because of a single page that depicts a date rape, and uses anatomically correct words for the human body.” The Princeton and Harvard grad said her book “has been challenged as porn.”
“Books are on the ballot Nov. 5,” the caption read. “Join the fight against book bans at pen.org/action and be sure to vote — all the way down to your school board.”
In addition to Picoult, the next most frequently banned titles included Looking for Alaska by John Green and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
PEN America states that book banning has seen a significant increase, much higher than in previous years.
“Florida and Iowa led all states in K-12 book bans during the 2023-2024 school year, due to laws in both states that censor books in public schools. Books are increasingly being banned that depict topics young people confront in the real world: substance abuse, suicide, depression and mental health concerns and sexual violence,” PEN America said in a press release shared with PEOPLE.
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“This crisis is tragic for young people hungry to understand the world they live in and see their identities and experiences reflected in books,” Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, said in a statement.
“The passage of time when you’re in 6th grade or 11th grade is very fast — with much to learn about. What students can read in schools provides the foundation for their lives, whether critical thinking, empathy across difference, personal well-being or long-term success. The defense of the core principles of public education and the freedom to read, learn and think is as necessary now as ever,” she continued.
To learn more about book bans, visit PEN America’s website.
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