Recapping This Year's Banned Books Week

Since 2021, across 45 U.S. states and 451 public school districts, there have been nearly 23,000 cases of book banning, and--according to ABC news--this trend is only increasing (Zaru). The majority of banned books include characters of marginalized identities and may feature themes of race, sexuality, or gender expression, often pulled from shelves due to fear of "radical indoctrination" of the United States' impressionable youth.

Some of the most notable titles which have been targeted include works by Toni Morrisson such as The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved, as well as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera.

A display of banned books at a press conference in Washington, D.C. March 24, 2023. Photographed by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Interestingly, however, most books are banned not due to parental complaints to school districts, but as a result of pushes by outside organizations such as Moms for Liberty, No Left Turn in Education, and MassResistance (Pendharkar). Additionally, states like Florida have recently passed restrictive legislation which discourages diverse representation in literature. This has been achieved a number of ways. In one example, teachers in Florida can be charged with a felony for distributing books deemed "inappropriate"--an ill-defined label that leaves too much guesswork for educators (Chernikoff). Because of the threat of funding cuts or personnel being criminally charged, some school districts are forced to preemptively ban books.

Ever since this uptick of book bans in 2021, there has been pushback from organizations such as PEN America, the Americal Library Association, Public School Strong, and Unite Against Book Bans. This movement holds a certain resemblance to a similar countermovement in the eighties that was also a result of increased book censorship.

In 1982, the first Banned Books Week was launched. Every year, Banned Books Week "highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas." (Banned Books Week). Usually the last week of September or the first week of October, this years Banned Books Week was October 5th through the 11th, and the theme was Censorship is So 1984--Read for your Rights.

The 2025 flyer for Banned Books Week. Retrieved from https://bannedbooksweek.org/banned-books-week-2025-theme-unveiled/.

This year's theme is both a commentary on the book banning of the eighties that seems to be making a comeback in the modern age as well as a play on George Orwell's 1984 in which an oppressive regime exacts extreme censorship (Gomez).

Literature--especially literature found in young adult and children's books--not only educates and inspires but also outlines a roadmap for our children's futures. In YA and children's literature, young people overthrow dystopian regimes through their belief in themselves and each other, characters from diverse backgrounds find friendship and understanding amongst one another, and anybody can be the hero.

These stories are responsible for giving children of all colors, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, abilities, and cultures the tools they need to be the hero. When we censor identities and restrict narratives that provide these kinds of tools, there is a message within the silence: The experiences of those who are not represented are not important, and meaningful stories don't have room for people like them--a message that our children should never have to learn.

I believe it was best put by American astronomer and planetary scientist Carl Sagan when he stated, "Every book has the power to light the flame of knowledge in its reader. To ban them is to extinguish that flame.”

Sources:

Banned Books Week. “About | Banned Books Week.” Bannedbooksweek.org, 2018, bannedbooksweek.org/about/.

Chernikoff, Sara. “Most Banned Books Feature People of Color and LGBTQ+ Characters: Graphics Explain the Data.” USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025, www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2025/03/12/banned-books-analysis-people-of-color-lgbtq-characters/81430767007/.

Gomez, Betsy. “BANNED BOOKS WEEK 2025 THEME UNVEILED | Banned Books Week.” Bannedbooksweek.org, 2025, bannedbooksweek.org/banned-books-week-2025-theme-unveiled/.

Pendharkar, Eesha. “Who’s behind the Escalating Push to Ban Books? A New Report Has Answers.” Education Week, 19 Sept. 2022, www.edweek.org/leadership/whos-behind-the-escalating-push-to-ban-books-a-new-report-has-answers/2022/09.

Zaru, Deena. “Report Warns of “Disturbing” Normalization of Book Bans in US Schools.” ABC News, 2 Oct. 2025, abcnews.go.com/US/report-warns-disturbing-normalization-book-bans-us-schools/story?id=126152594.