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.

Expanded Context
Brimstone Report is tracking this as a curated politics brief. The source report from The Hill says: 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.
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Key Facts
- Primary source: The Hill
- Published: Oct 5, 2026, 7:28 PM UTC
- Coverage area: Politics
- Brimstone role: curated summary, explanation, and source attribution
- Topic signals: developing story metadata
Timeline
- Source published: Oct 5, 2026, 7:28 PM UTC
- Brimstone indexed: Added to the curated Brimstone feed and linked to related coverage.
- Next update to watch: Additional sourcing, official confirmation, court or agency records, or follow-up reporting.
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