U.S. school districts are facing a massive surge in censorship, with 7,370 titles now banned for the 2025-2026 academic year. This record-breaking wave heavily targets fiction and graphic novels, including popular manga series.
A record 7,370 titles face censorship in the 2025-2026 school year
U.S . school districts are entering a period of unprecedented censorship, with 7,370 titles banned for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. According to PEN America's latest research, this surge represents a second consecutive year of record-setting bans across the country. The movement is heavily weighted toward creative works, with fiction making up approximately 80% of all banned material.
Teen and young adult readers are the primary demographic affected by these restrictions. The report notes that 58% of the banned titles are aimed at this age group, potentially limiting their access to complex and challenging narratives. Furthermore, 14% of the banned works fall under the category of graphic fiction,signaling a specific crackdown on visual storytelling.
Manga like Attack on Titan Volume 34 fall victim to arbitrary bans
The banning of Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan Volume 34 illustrates a growing trend of targeting high-profile graphic novels. This specific volume, which compiles the final chapters of the popular series,was added to the list alongside other controversial titles such as Assassination Classroom. Analysts suggest these decisions often appear arbitrary, frequently focusing on graphic violence or themes regarding gender identity without considering the broader narrative context.
The targeting of graphic novels often ignores the literary merit and nuanced themes present in the works. For example, while Assassination Classroom explores heavy concepts like responsibility and redemption,it has been swept up in the same wave of censorship as more overtly violent titles. This pattern of cherry-picking specific scenes or panels has become a hallmark of recent banning campaigns.
The Bookmarked AI tool and the rise of "context stripping"
Automated software such as the Bookmarked tool is increasingly being used to facilitate these censorship efforts. These AI-driven systems flag books as "potentially problematic" based on surface-level keywords and content. while such tools are designed to help categorize mature material, they often result in a "context stripping" effect where individual scenes are judged in total isolation from the rest of the story.
This reliance on automation threatens to diminish literary diversity in American schools. By allowing algorithms to dictate what is appropriate, districts risk removing works that contain rich, albeit controversial, thematic depth. This technological approach to censorship often bypasses the nuanced analysis required to distinguish between gratuitous content and meaningful storytelling.
Unresolved questions in Texas and Florida's sweeping bans
Texas and Florida have emerged as the primary drivers of this national trend, leading the charge with sweeping bans that often bypass traditional review processes. As the report indicates, decisions in these states are frequently concluded before any meaningful human review can take place.. This raises significant questions about the accountability of local officials and the specific political groups driving these mandates.
Several critical questions remain unanswered by current reporting. It is still unclear exactly how many decisions are being made purely by automated flags versus organized political pressure campaigns. additionally, there is a lack of clarity regarding the specific long-term impact these bans will have on student literacy rates and whether they will successfully prevent students from accessing banned material through online, unregulated channels.
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