What state has banned the most books?

Florida and Texas consistently lead the U.S. in the number of banned books in schools, with Florida often taking the top spot in recent years, followed closely by Texas and then Tennessee, accounting for the vast majority of bans nationwide, according to reports from organizations like PEN America and the American Library Association (ALA). These bans target books addressing topics like race, gender identity, and sexuality, driven by new state laws and conservative efforts.

Where are books most often banned?

In addition to Florida and Iowa, several states recorded 100 book bans or more – 538 in Texas, 408 in Wisconsin, 121 in Virginia, and 100 instances of book bans in Kentucky. Across the country, public school districts have varied in their interest or willingness to ban books.

What is the most banned book in the USA?

Discover 15 of the most famous 'banned' books from throughout U.S. history

• 'Maus' by Art Spiegelman (1986, 1991) ...
• 'Harry Potter' series by J.K. Rowling (1997-2007) ...
• 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie (2007) ...
• 'Gender Queer: A Memoir' by Maia Kobabe (2019)

Why is Charlotte's Web banned?

Charlotte's Web has faced challenges and bans, primarily in a Kansas school district in 2006, due to religious objections to its talking animals, considered "unnatural" and "blasphemous," and for themes of death and the life cycle, which some parents found inappropriate for young children. Some objections stemmed from beliefs that only humans should speak, viewing talking animals as sacrilegious, while others found the spider's death too mature for kids.
 

Are any books actually banned in the United States?

Arguably the highest profile of those groups is free-speech watchdog PEN America, which has reported that in the 2022–23 school year 3,362 books in public schools met their definition of banned: “either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished.”

Book bans in America are rising. Here's a look at what's lost.

Why was The Wizard of Oz banned in the US?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was challenged and banned at different times in the U.S., primarily for depicting strong female leaders (like Glinda and the Wizard as a woman), promoting witchcraft/magic, being "ungodly" or "untrue to life," and sometimes for perceived "socialist values" or "negativism," with a notable 1928 ban by Chicago libraries and later challenges in Detroit and by fundamentalist Christians in the 1980s. 

Why is 1984 a banned book?

1984 is banned or challenged primarily for its controversial political themes (anti-authoritarianism, totalitarianism), explicit sexual content, and anti-government messages, with ironic instances of it being challenged as "pro-communist" in places like Florida in the 1980s, despite its anti-communist roots, and more recently for its challenging depiction of surveillance and censorship. The book's depiction of constant surveillance, propaganda, and historical revisionism by "Big Brother" makes it a frequent target for those who misunderstand or fear its powerful critique of power and control, leading to its removal from schools and libraries.
 

Why was Brown Bear Brown Bear banned?

Texas State Board of Education banning

In 2010, the Texas State Board of Education removed Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See from the statewide social studies curriculum because board members mistook the author Bill Martin, Jr. with an unrelated philosopher, Bill Martin, due to their similar names.

What is the most stolen book from libraries?

The Guinness Book of World Records is widely cited as the most stolen book from public libraries due to its universal appeal, colorful content, and habit-forming facts that make people "forget" to return it, though other popular stolen items include test prep books (GED, nursing), books on sex/occult, and the Bible.
 

Why is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory banned?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Roald Dahl

This book was originally banned due to the fact that the depiction of the oompa loompas was seen as racist. Roald Dahl was taken aback by this and changed the description of the oompa loompas in a revised version.

What is the #1 selling book ever?

The best-selling book of all time is overwhelmingly The Bible, with estimated sales/distribution figures ranging from 5 to 7 billion copies, far surpassing any other single publication. For individual works of fiction, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is often cited as the top-selling novel, with over 500 million copies sold, followed by Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
 

What is the most unreadable book of all time?

Many call the fifteenth-century codex, commonly known as the “Voynich Manuscript,” the world's most mysterious book. Written in an unknown script by an unknown author, the manuscript has no clearer purpose now than when it was rediscovered in 1912 by rare books dealer Wilfrid Voynich.

What is the most controversial book of all time?

The Most Challenged and Banned Books

• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. ...
• His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (HBO Tie-In Edition) ...
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. ...
• Skippyjon Jones. ...
• Looking for Alaska. ...
• Blood and Chocolate. by Annette Curtis Klause. ...
• Out of Darkness. by Ashley Hope Pérez. ...
• Hair Love. by Matthew A.

What is the #1 most read book in the world?

The Holy Bible is widely considered the #1 most-read book globally, with billions of copies sold and distributed, followed by religious texts like the Quran and non-religious works like Quotations from Chairman Mao (the Little Red Book). For fiction, the Harry Potter series and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings are among the best-selling and most-read books worldwide, though specific "most-read" lists vary by source.
 

What is the most banned book ever?

Most Commonly Banned Books

• 1984 by George Orwell. ...
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Performed by); Emory Elliott. ...
• The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. ...
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker. ...
• The Great Gatsby by F. ...
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.

Who is the most banned author in the US?

Stephen King now holds an unsettling title: the most banned author in U.S. schools. PEN America reports 87 of his books were banned 206 times in the 2024–25 school year—part of nearly 7,000 bans nationwide.

What is the most copied book of all time?

The Bible:

The Bible is one of the oldest and most widely read books in human history, with an estimated 5 billion copies printed over its lifetime. It has been translated into hundreds of languages and it remains the most print book of all time.

What is the most overdue library book in history?

As of January 2025, the Guinness World Record for "most overdue library book" is held by a 1609 German book about the Archbishop of Bremen, which was borrowed from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge by Colonel Robert Walpole in 1667–68 and found by Professor John H.

What is the most shoplifted book in the USA?

📚 F u n F a c t F r i d a y 📚 While the Guiness World Record holds the record for the book most often stolen from libraries, the Bible is actually the most stolen book overall.

Why was Winnie the Pooh banned in the US?

6. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. Reason: Challenged by religious groups because talking animals are seen as an insult to God.

Why is The Wizard of Oz banned?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has been challenged and banned in various places due to its depiction of strong female leaders (like Glinda and the Wizard), its use of magic and witchcraft, and perceived socialist or "ungodly" themes, with major incidents in Chicago (1928) for female leadership and Detroit (1957) for lack of value/negativism, alongside later fundamentalist challenges for its witches. Ironically, its immense popularity also led some libraries to ban it because kids wore copies out too quickly. 

Why were Teletubbies banned in the USA?

The programme's magical event that features a cut-out lion chasing a cut-out bear was deemed inappropriate for children by parents for its unsettling tone, cinematography, and music. It was subsequently banned in several countries.

What was the first banned book in the United States?

The book in question is Thomas Morton's New English Canaan or New Canaan, published in Amsterdam in 1637, and I was pleased to discover that the Bell Library has a copy – one of about 25 copies that have survived.

Can I buy 1984 in the US?

1984 (paperback) - Walmart.com.

What makes 1984 so disturbing?

Thematically, it centres on totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repressive regimentation of people and behaviours.