'Jane Eyre' and Manga Join List of 11,000 Banned Books in America
Summary
Nearly 12,000 books were banned from public schools in the United States during the 2025-26 school year, the highest number since tracking began. States like Texas and Florida removed the most books, many of which are young-adult fiction including classics, manga, and titles with LGBTQ+ themes.Key Facts
- A total of 11,982 books were banned during the 2025-26 school year in U.S. public schools, including 7,370 unique titles.
- Texas banned over 8,000 books, and Florida banned over 3,000 during the same period.
- Popular banned books include Charlotte Brontë’s "Jane Eyre," Bonnie Garmus’ "Lessons in Chemistry," and the manga "Tokyo Ghoul."
- More than half of the banned books were young-adult titles, and over 80% were fiction.
- Book bans are often linked to state laws and pressure from advocacy groups and politicians, with 72% of bans connected to such policies.
- Books with LGBTQ+ characters, people of color, discussions of race, and sexual content are most often targeted.
- Manga and graphic novels face bans especially for isolated images of sex, violence, or gender identity, sometimes taken out of context.
- Some schools are using AI tools to help decide which books to ban, often basing decisions on books banned in other districts rather than on the actual content.
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