PEN America reports book-ban surge as A Clockwork Orange tops the list

PEN America released its annual banned books report on October 1, 2025, documenting a record surge in school and library book bans across the United States. A Clockwork Orange topped the most-banned list for the first time. The report found that bans had increased 40 percent over the previous year, with the highest concentrations in Florida, Texas, and Missouri. Most bans were initiated through formal challenges under state laws passed since 2021.