WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Book bans and attempts to restrict library materials across the United States remain near historic highs, underscoring a shift toward more coordinated, politically driven efforts to remove books from shelves, according to new data released by the American Library Association.
The association said it documented challenges to 4,235 unique book titles in 2025, just shy of the all-time record set two years earlier. While the total number of reported challenges has declined slightly from its peak, the breadth of titles targeted remains far above pre-2021 levels, reflecting what library advocates describe as a sustained national campaign against certain categories of books.
Topping the list of the most frequently challenged titles was “Sold,” a 2006 novel by Patricia McCormick that tells the story of a Nepali girl trafficked into sexual exploitation in India. Critics of the book have cited its depiction of sexual violence, though supporters argue the novel is widely used in schools to address human rights and global exploitation…