Non-Fiction Books Now the Fastest-Growing Target in America's Book Ban Wave

Book bans in American public schools are escalating—and non-fiction titles are now the fastest-growing target, according to a new report by PEN America, a free expression advocacy group. The surge in bans is increasingly focused on censoring factual content, including science, history, and biographies.

PEN America’s analysis of 3,743 books removed from U.S. school libraries and classrooms during the 2024-2025 academic year found that 29% (1,100 titles) were non-fiction. This marks a sharp increase from the prior school year, when non-fiction accounted for just 14% of banned books.

While fiction remains the most frequently banned category, the rapid rise in non-fiction censorship highlights a troubling new frontier in academic censorship. The portion of educational and informational books banned also grew significantly, from 5% to 13% of all banned titles.

Why This Trend Is Alarming

“This latest trend shows an embrace of anti-intellectualism, undermining public knowledge by devaluing education and expertise,” said Kasey Meehan, Program Director at PEN America, in a statement on the findings. “It is another example of how censorship sweeps broadly, leading to removals of all kinds of books, in its efforts to sow fear and distrust in our public education system.”

How Books Get Banned

Book bans are not isolated events. Titles are often flagged and removed through multiple pathways, including:

• Parent or community interventions
• Administrative decisions
• Government policies

When a single book is banned, entire collections of that title may be pulled from circulation across an entire school district, affecting hundreds of copies in libraries and classrooms.

Key Trends in Banned Books (2024-2025)

PEN America’s report identified several patterns in the books being removed:

• 57% of banned titles contained violence
• 48% addressed death and grief
• 39% dealt with empowerment and self-esteem
• 36% featured LGBTQ+ topics

Genre breakdown of banned books:

• 38% were realistic/contemporary
• 25% were dystopian, sci-fi, or fantasy
• 14% were history or biographies
• 13% were educational and informational (predominantly non-fiction)

The educational and informational category includes books written for reference or learning across diverse subjects such as art, language, politics, geography, identity, puberty, mental health, and self-help.

Debunking Common Censorship Claims

Opponents of certain books often cite concerns about exposing children to sexual content as a primary reason for bans. However, PEN America’s report found that only 10% of banned titles in the last school year featured “on the page” consensual sexual content.

Instead, the data reveals a broader pattern of censorship targeting books that discuss race, identity, and social issues. In the latest banned books, 44% featured characters or people of color—the highest percentage recorded to date. In the prior school year, 36% of banned books included characters of color.