PEN America reports book bans in Florida and U.S. grow by the thousands. What we know

Does it seem like there are a lot of books getting challenged and banned in public schools in Florida?

According to nonprofit organization PEN America's latest report, "Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor," there are more books bans here than in any other state, by a wide margin. The number of public school bans in the U.S. under PEN America's definition increased 33% in the 2022-23 school year compared to the previous year, the report said, and over 40% of those happened in Florida.

Florida governor and GOP presidential candidate hopeful Ron DeSantis has made parental rights a keystone of his gubernatorial career. In 2022 he signed the Parental Rights in Education Bill, dubbed "Don’t Say Gay” by opponents, which barred discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grades, later expanded through K-12. This year DeSantis signed HB 1069, which restricts books that include “sexual conduct” from grades that are not age-suitable. In August the state released a compiled list of books that had been challenged in Florida school districts, which some have feared will increase the chances of schools removing books without a formal challenge.

PEN America and other advocates claim that the growing book-banning movement is meant to erase narratives by and about LGBTQ people and people of color while whitewashing American history. Proponents say the restrictions are meant to protect children from sexually graphic and explicit stories and provide parents with control over what their children see.

Here's what you need to know, by the numbers.

PEN America: Florida is the nation's book banning leader, according to national free speech group

How many books have been banned in U.S. schools?

Nearly 6,000: Banned books in the U.S. since July 2021

3,362: Books banned in the 2022-23 school year, compared to 2,532 the year previous

1,557: Unique titles banned in the 2022-23 school year

1,480: Authors, illustrators and translators affected

Over 75%: The number of banned books that were young adult books, middle-grade books, chapter books, or picture books

153: Number of school districts with book bans

8: Number of states that enacted legislation that either directly facilitated book bans or created conditions for local people or groups to pressure educators and librarians into removing books in the last 12 months.

63%: Percentage of all book bans that occurred in those eight states

How many books have been banned in Florida during the 2022-23 school year?

40%: Percentage of all book bans that happened in Florida

1,406: Number of book ban cases in Florida, compared to 625 in Texas, 333 in Missouri, 281 in Utah and 186 in Pennsylvania

33: Florida school districts with book ban cases

386: Books removed from Florida schools, according to the Florida Department of Education (see book ban definitions, below)

Why are books being banned?

Among books banned during the 2022-2023 school year:

48%: Percentage of banned books that dealt with violence or physical abuse, including books that include sexual assault

42%: Percentage of banned books that cover topics on health and wellbeing, including mental health, bullying, suicide, substance abuse, sexual wellbeing and puberty

33%: Percentage of books banned that detail sexual experiences between characters

30%: Percentage of banned books that included characters of color and themes of race and racism

30%: Percentage of banned books that included representations of LGBTQ+ identities

29%: Percentage of book bans that include instances or themes of grief and death

6%: Percentage of banned books that included a transgender character

"As with previous reporting, books concerning difficult topics that young people might face have continued to be among the most targeted for suppression during the 2022–23 school year," the report says. "This year’s book bans also disproportionately affect books about the experiences of marginalized identities."

PEN America points out that many of the banned books in their index fit into multiple categories.

What do Americans think about book bans?

According to a May 2023 Ipsos/NPR poll:

65%: Americans who said they oppose book bans by school boards

69%: Americans who said they oppose book bans by state lawmakers

According to an August 2023 We Believe x Ipsos poll:

7%: Parents who believe books should be removed at the objection of a single parent

'A chilling effect': What happens to our culture when books are banned

Who is calling for book bans?

At least 50: Groups involved in pushing for book bans at the national, state, and local levels

284: Number of chapters of Florida-based Moms for Liberty, in 44 states

20: Local affiliates claimed by Citizens Defending Freedom mostly in Texas and Georgia

15: States with local affiliations of Oregon-based Parents' Rights in Education

81%: Percentage of the 153 school districts with book bans that are near a chapter or affiliate of one of these groups

Over 100: Number of books a single person challenged in Escambia Public Schools.

How does PEN America define a book ban?

Unlike Gov. DeSantis and the state Board of Education, who consider a book banned only if the state specifically blocks it, PEN America defines a school book ban as "any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished."

In PEN America's view, if a student is prevented from accessing a book in a school classroom or library or a teacher is prevented from including it in a curriculum, for whatever reason, it's the same as a ban. The numbers also include books classified as "banned pending investigation," or books that have been removed while they are reviewed, as those books remain unavailable to students and reviewed books can remain off school shelves for long periods of time.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Books bans in Florida: Report details rise in book banning in schools