Stephen King Tops 6,870 Book Bans Across 23 US States

Stephen King was the most banned author in U.S. schools during the 2024-2025 school year, with 206 instances of his books removed, including titles like "Carrie" and "The Stand." PEN America reported 6,870 total book bans across 23 states, primarily concentrated in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, states that have enacted laws targeting books considered "inappropriate," often due to LGBTQ+ content or depictions of race and sexual conduct. While the number of bans declined from over 10,000 the previous year, censorship remains significantly higher than several years ago, reflecting a growing normalization of book banning as a form of censorship. The bans have financial and creative impacts on authors and limit student access to diverse stories, with many districts removing books preemptively out of fear of political or community backlash. These measures have been linked to executive orders signed by President Trump aimed at curbing what is described as "racial indoctrination" and "gender ideology extremism" in schools. King, who has criticized these bans, encouraged readers to explore his work despite efforts to restrict it, emphasizing that censorship should not prevail in America.