Book banning in the United States (2021–present)

Starting in 2021, there have been thousands of books banned or challenged annually in parts of the United States, a sharp increase over previous years. Most of the targeted books have to do with race, gender, and sexuality. Unlike most book challenges in the past, whereby local parents or other stakeholders in the community engaged teachers and school administrators in a debate over a title, mass challenges begin with national advocacy organizations that then support and mobilize local parent groups. Challenges in this era have also been more likely to involve legal and legislative measures rather than just conversations in local communities. Journalists, academics, librarians, and others commonly link the coordinated, often well-funded book challenges to other efforts to restrict what students should learn about systemic bias and the history of the United States. Hundreds of books have been challenged, including high-profile examples like Maus by Art Spiegelman, New Kid by Jerry Craft, and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

The American Library Association (ALA) documented 1,269 demands of book censorship in 2022. It was the highest the organization had ever recorded since it began collecting censorship data more than 20 years prior. Challenges peaked in 2023, with 4,240 different book titles challenged nationwide, as part of 1,247 reported requests filed against books, and other library resources, such as educational research databases. This represented an 11% increase in titles targeted at school libraries, and a 92% increase in the number of titles targeted at public libraries, compared to 2022.