PEN America’s Inflated Book Ban Numbers: A Flawed Methodology

This week, PEN America announced that 11,982 books were “banned” in public schools during the 2025–26 academic year. As was the case in 2023 and 2025, I have to criticize the flawed methodology in the organization’s annual report: It operates on a ridiculously expansive notion of a “ban,” thereby allowing the “experts” to inflate the total number of supposedly “banned” books.

As it did in previous years, PEN America says the following in its methodology section:

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Abigail Anthony

Abigail Anthony is a staff writer at National Review.

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This week, PEN America announced that 11,982 books were “banned” in public schools during the 2025–26 academic year. As was the case in 2023 and 2025, I have to criticize the flawed methodology in the organization’s annual report: It operates on a ridiculously expansive notion of a “ban,” thereby allowing the “experts” to inflate the total number of supposedly “banned” books.

As it did in previous years, PEN America says the following in its methodology section: