American Public Schools Face More than 4,000 Book Bans Since 2023

design: Olivia Rosen

Public schools across the U.S. are experiencing a surge in book bans, with many of the targeted books addressing topics related to marginalized communities.

by Annabel Adams ★ november 9, 2024

An influx of book banning began when Ron Desantis, the Governor of Florida, signed the "Don’t Say Gay" bill, which prohibits public elementary school teachers in Florida from teaching students about gender identity and sexual orientations. Desantis signed the bill in March of 2022 after using a page from Call Me Max, a children's book about being transgender, as an example of the kind of literature that is not appropriate for children. However, debates on book banning have been commonplace for a while. In 1982, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that allows for schools to ban books at their own discretion as long as the First Amendment is respected. Schools can ban books based on their understanding of ‘community good’. Unfortunately, there were 4,349 book bans across the U.S. last fall.

However, most book-banning is now instigated by small groups of adults in southern states, such as parents calling for certain books to be banned. For example, a parent in Wisconsin caused a temporary ban on 444 books, including books like The Color Purple, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, Animal Farm, and The Bluest Eye. Many books that were called into question critique the government in some way, such as The Handmaid's Tale--the story of a dystopian future where the U.S. government is overthrown and women are treated as a subspecies for breeding--or 1984--a cautionary tale concerning the dangers of totalitarianism and mass surveillance in the government. These books are crucial for the youth as they serve as guideposts for how not to govern society. Democracy is weakening as public schools and libraries have been cleared of any literature that questions our government. 

Similarly, books that have nothing to do with government or social policies are being banned as well, such as And Tango Makes Three, a children's book about two male penguins raising a baby penguin together. Banning books like And Tango Makes Three robs children of their safe spaces in which they can learn about various identities and family structures, and feel seen if they are a marginalized individual. These books also shape children into more tolerant and educated individuals. 

Hope is not lost. Many high school-age students are protesting book banning through walkouts, read-ins of banned books, and forming banned book clubs. The American Library Association also details ways to get involved in the fight against book banning. It can be as easy as spreading the word on social media through hashtags, forming banned book clubs at school, and working with your local library to proclaim a stance against book banning.