School book bans hit record high with nearly 12,000 removals, study finds

School book bans have hit a record high at almost 12,000 removals, according to a new report from PEN America, a free-speech organization. The group found 11,982 books banned in the 2025-26 school year, a big jump from the 6,870 the previous year. Among those almost 12,000 books were 7,370 unique titles taken out of classrooms,…