It's banned book week and we're taking a moment to hear our listeners' comments regarding their experiences with books that are challenged in schools and public libraries.
Nearly 140 school districts in 32 states issued more than 2,500 book bans during the 2021-22 school year, according to Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools, released today by the free expression group PEN America. The report documents the rapid acceleration of book censorship nationwide, which now touches more than 5,000 individual schools enrolling a total of nearly 4 million students.