Banned Books Week 2025: Read for Your Rights—and Act

Banned Books Week 2025 runs October 5–11 under the theme “Censorship Is So 1984 — Read for Your Rights,” a timely reminder that the freedom to read is essential for democratic life. The week is coordinated by a national coalition of authors, librarians, booksellers, educators, and free-expression groups to highlight attempts to remove or restrict access to books in schools and libraries. And to celebrate those who protect open access to ideas. ala.org+2bannedbooksweek.org+2

Why 2025 feels urgent

The data show sustained pressure on access. In 2024, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded 821 censorship attempts involving 2,452 unique titles, a level that remains far above pre-2020 norms. This is the context in which communities are debating intellectual freedom and the freedom to read. ala.org+1

At the same time, school-specific monitoring paints a sharper picture of where bans cluster. PEN America’s 2024–25 Index of School Book Bans documents 6,870 bans across 23 states and 87 public school districts, with concentrations in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee. This school-year lens complements ALA’s library-focused tracking and helps families and educators understand local dynamics. PEN America+1

By the numbers: the latest lists

ALA’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024

(Released April 7, 2025, as part of National Library Week; library challenges and removals.) ala.org

1. All Boys Aren’t Blue — George M. Johnson
2. Gender Queer: A Memoir — Maia Kobabe
3. The Bluest Eye (tie) — Toni Morrison
4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (tie) — Stephen Chbosky
5. Tricks — Ellen Hopkins
6. Looking for Alaska (tie) — John Green
7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (tie) — Jesse Andrews
8. Crank (tie) — Ellen Hopkins
9. Sold (tie) — Patricia McCormick
10. Flamer — Mike Curato ala.org

Common reasons cited include alleged sexual explicitness, LGBTQIA+ themes, and content addressing race and equity, according to ALA’s most challenged books notes. ala.org

PEN America: Most Banned in U.S. Schools, 2024–25

(Public-school removals; different methodology than ALA.) PEN America

1. A Clockwork Orange — Anthony Burgess (23 bans)
2. Breathless — Jennifer Niven (20) (tie)
3. Sold — Patricia McCormick (20) (tie)
4. Last Night at the Telegraph Club — Malinda Lo (19)
5. A Court of Mist and Fury — Sarah J. Maas (18)
6. Crank — Ellen Hopkins (17) (tie)
7. Forever… — Judy Blume (17) (tie)
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Stephen Chbosky (17) (tie)
9. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West — Gregory Maguire (17) (tie)
10. All Boys Aren’t Blue — George M. Johnson (16) (tie)
11. A Court of Thorns and Roses — Sarah J. Maas (16) (tie)
12. Damsel — Elana K. Arnold (16) (tie)
13. Storm and Fury — Jennifer L. Armentrout (16) (tie)

Why list both? ALA surfaces library censorship statistics, while PEN America focuses on PEN America book bans in schools; together they give a fuller national picture. ala.org+1

What “banned” really means

“Banned” in this context refers to book challenges that result in removal or restricted access in public institutions. ALA’s methodology combines media accounts and reports from communities. PEN America compiles district-level actions by school year. Understanding scope, process, and venue (library vs. school) helps us debate policy without losing sight of students’ and patrons’ rights. ala.org+1

How to participate. practical actions

• Check out a display and talk about why a title was targeted. Many libraries and bookstores mount Banned Books Week shelves. Borrow one new book and share what you learn. bannedbooksweek.org
• Host a short “read-out.” A 15-minute reading plus reflection keeps the focus on ideas, not outrage. Toolkits from partners make it easy. bannedbooksweek.org
• Ask for your school district’s written review policy. Clear, transparent procedures ensure decisions aren’t made in the heat of a single meeting. PEN America
• Support your librarians and teachers. Public thanks, letters to boards, and testimony matter—especially when review standards are under pressure. ala.org

A quick starter trio (read + discuss)

• Classic lens: 1984 by George Orwell — a touchstone for understanding the mechanics of censorship. (It’s echoed in this year’s theme.) bannedbooksweek.org
• Modern flashpoint: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe — widely challenged yet meaningful to many readers navigating identity. ala.org
• American history & empathy: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison — challenges often spark necessary conversations about race, trauma, and compassion. ala.org

As you plan programs for Banned Books Week 2025, consider pairing a read-out with a short conversation on how challenge policies work locally; it’s a respectful way to bring stakeholders together around the freedom to read. ala.org+1

The bigger picture

Disagreement is healthy. Access is essential. Each time we protect a book we personally wouldn’t choose, we practice the civic discipline of making space for others. That’s the everyday courage of librarians, educators, families, and readers. Banned Books Week 2025 asks us to read widely, think critically, and act locally so that the next generation can do the same. ala.org