Education

Picture Books Pulled from Shelves as Book Bans Rise

In a new report, PEN America has revealed the top banned picture books during the 2023-2024 school year. Among these 23 titles, many center on LGBTQ+ themes, U.S. history, and diversity. 

PEN America defines a school book ban as “any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished, either temporarily or permanently.” Book bans override a school’s curriculum or library offerings on the basis of the book’s contents. 

According to the report, these books are part of a wider trend of increasing book bans, which PEN America has been tracking since 2021. Last year, 10,046 book bans were recorded including 4,231 titles, with 45% of these bans coming from Florida and 36% from Iowa. While young adult and adult books were the primary targets of censorship, approximately 2% of the bans focused on picture books aimed at the youngest readers—books often filled with joy, whimsy, and lessons of empathy.

This increase in book bans is part of a wider trend that has escalated since 2021. Over the past few years, more than 16,000 book bans have been documented in U.S. public schools—a surge not seen since the Red Scare of the 1950s. The majority of these bans come from conservative groups pushing to restrict books on race, racism, LGBTQ+ issues, and sexual violence. 

These censorship efforts disproportionately affect marginalized communities and underrepresented narratives. The banned books overwhelmingly included stories with people and characters of color (44%) and books with LGBTQ+ people and characters (39%). 

Meehan, the Program Director at PEN says,“The increase in book bans is a serious threat to intellectual freedom and free expression. Books are meant to challenge, educate, and expand the worldview of young readers, and banning them only narrows their understanding of the world around them.”

As the battle over what children are allowed to read rages on, the importance of defending these books remains clear. They are more than just stories; they are tools for empathy, understanding, and growth. By pushing back against the forces of censorship, advocates for free expression hope to preserve a future where children can learn about love, history, and even goblins—without fear of being silenced.

Here’s a few of the most banned picture books from 2023-2024

  • “And Tango Makes Three,” by Peter Parnell, Justin Richardson, and Henry Cole
  • “The Family Book,” by Todd Parr
  • “Julián Is a Mermaid,” by Jessica Love 
  • “When Aidan Became a Brother,” by Kyle Lukoff and Kaylani Juanita
  • “Draw Me a Star,” by Eric Carle
  • “This Day in June,” by Gayle E. Pitman and Kristyna Litten
  • “Prince and Knight,” by Daniel Haack and Stevie Lewis
  • “Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress,” by Christine Baldacchino and Isabelle Malenfant
  • “Milo Imagines the World,” by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson
  • “In the Night Kitchen,” by Maurice Sendak
  • “Baseball Saved Us,” by Ken Mochizuku and Dom Lee
  • “A Is for Activist,” by Innosanto Nagara

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