It is becoming increasingly difficult to find certain classic and contemporary novels on school library shelves across the United States. According to recent estimates from PEN America, a staggering 12,000 books have been banned or restricted in schools recently. This movement isn’t just targeting niche titles either; it is hitting widely read works that many students have turned to for generations.
Surprisingly, horror legend Stephen King remains the most targeted author on these lists. Even literary staples like Jane Eyre and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale are facing scrutiny and removal. This growing trend has sparked significant concern about censorship in education and what it means for students’ access to diverse ideas and classic literature.