It’s not hyperbole when PEN America says that the freedom to read “is under assault in the United States.” In a recent report, the freedom-of-expression advocacy organization found 3,362 instances of book bans in the 2022–2023 school year, with 40 percent of those bans happening in Florida alone.
“Overwhelmingly, book bans target books on race or racism or featuring characters of color, as well as books with LGBTQ+ characters,” PEN America noted.
Last year, the organization joined forces with Penguin Random House, a group of authors, and parents and students to sue the school district in Escambia County, Florida, over a widespread book ban, and this January, a U.S. district judge allowed the case to proceed.
Meanwhile, book bans have become so pervasive that TV fans might not even be able to find their favorite shows’ source material at their local libraries. Here are 11 banned books that inspired TV shows.