Book Bans Surge in US Schools, Targeting Diverse Works Including gabriel García Márquez
A wave of book removals is sweeping across American schools, with a new report detailing a record 6,870 titles censored during the 2023-2024 school year-a significant increase from previous years. The bans are impacting 2,308 authors, 243 illustrators, and 38 translators, and represent what PEN America calls “the normalization of book banning,” a climate reminiscent of the Red Scare of the 1950s. Notably, works by Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez-Love in the Time of Cholera and One Hundred Years of Solitude-are among the titles facing restrictions.
As July 2021, a total of 22,810 books have been removed in 45 states and 451 public school districts. The bans aren’t limited to any single genre; while literature is most frequently targeted,even a biology textbook faced opposition in Florida for its discussion of climate change,evolution,and COVID-19. This surge in censorship isn’t driven by educational concerns, according to PEN America, but by external forces “exploiting the fears and anxieties of parents to exert ideological control over public education.”
Texas, Tennessee, Idaho, and Iowa lead the nation in book removals, with 1,781, 1,622, 150, and 113 titles removed respectively.Stephen King is the most frequently censored author, with 206 instances of his books being banned, followed by Ellen Hopkins (167) and Sarah J. Maas (162). Other frequently banned titles include Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange (23 districts) and Jennifer Niven’s Breathless (20 districts).
Florida, under Governor Ron DeSantis, has emerged as a focal point for censorship, with the 2022 law HB 1467 limiting literary works with sexual allusions or LGBTQ+ content in classrooms. The report underscores a pattern of repeated title bans and coordinated tactics aimed at shaping the curriculum and limiting student access to diverse perspectives.