20 Most Banned Books in Florida

Florida’s Book Ban Crisis

Florida leads the nation in book banning for the third consecutive year with 2,304 book bans during the 2024-2025 school year – more than any other state. Over 700 books were removed from Florida K-12 schools in 2023-2024.

Source: PEN America Index of School Book Bans, Florida Department of Education

Top 20 Most Banned Books in Florida

( Click here to shop banned books)

1. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Banned in: 31+ Florida counties
Why: Explores racism, sexual violence, and Black identity
Notable: Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison’s first novel

2. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Banned in: Multiple districts statewide
Why: LGBTQ+ memoir discussing Black queer identity
Notable: New York Times bestseller

3. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Graphic memoir about nonbinary identity
Notable: Most banned book nationwide

4. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Banned in: 18+ instances
Why: Fantasy novel with romantic/sexual content
Notable: Part of bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series

5. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Banned in: 23+ instances nationwide, multiple FL districts
Why: Violence and disturbing content
Notable: Classic dystopian novel

6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Depicts teen sexuality, drug use, mental health
Notable: Modern coming-of-age classic

7. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Addresses sex trafficking and prostitution
Notable: Ellen Hopkins is one of most banned authors

8. Forever… by Judy Blume

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Teen sexuality without negative consequences
Notable: Been challenged for 50 years since 1975

9. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Drug addiction and its consequences
Notable: Based on author’s daughter’s addiction

10. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: LGBTQ+ graphic memoir
Notable: Tony Award-winning musical adaptation

11. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Suicide and sexual assault
Notable: Netflix series adaptation

12. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: School shooting and its aftermath
Notable: New York Times bestselling author

13. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Sexual assault and trauma
Notable: Award-winning YA novel, National Book Award finalist

14. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Transgender identity and romance
Notable: Stonewall Book Award winner

15. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Banned in: 19+ instances
Why: Lesbian relationship in 1950s San Francisco
Notable: National Book Award finalist

16. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Fantasy romance series
Notable: Sarah J. Maas is 3rd most banned author

17. Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Supernatural romance
Notable: Bestselling fantasy author

18. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Trans character, monsters/demons
Notable: Award-winning Nigerian-American author

19. The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

Banned in: Multiple districts
Why: Trans main character
Notable: Middle grade novel

20. Sold by Patricia McCormick

Banned in: 20+ instances
Why: Sex trafficking in Nepal
Notable: National Book Award finalist

Additional Frequently Banned Florida Titles

Classic Literature

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Beloved by Toni Morrison

Contemporary Fiction

Multiple Stephen King novels (87 titles affected, 206 bans)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Multiple Sarah J. Maas fantasy novels
Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Memoirs & Non-Fiction

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Why These Books?

According to PEN America’s analysis, Florida’s book bans disproportionately target:

Primary Targets:

65% – Books with LGBTQ+ characters or themes
40% – Books by authors of color or featuring characters of color
38% – Books addressing racism and racial justice
25% – Books with sexual content (often age-appropriate)

Secondary Reasons:

Mental health discussions
Drug/alcohol use
Family dysfunction
Religious diversity
Historical trauma (slavery, Holocaust)
Teen sexuality and relationships

The Legal Framework

HB 1069 (2023)

Bans books that:

Depict or describe “sexual conduct”
Are “inappropriate for grade level”
Can be challenged by any county resident (not just parents)

HB 1285 (2024)

Limits challenges from non-parents
Does NOT reverse existing bans
Florida Department of Education claims “no books are banned”

Impact Statistics

2024-2025 School Year:

2,304 book bans in Florida
Nearly 4,000 unique titles affected nationwide
33 of 70 Florida districts removed books
Zero removals in Miami-Dade County (state’s largest district)

Most Affected:

Districts in conservative counties
Middle and high school libraries
Books by/about marginalized communities

Notable Observations

Classics Under Attack:

Even award-winning, critically acclaimed literature by Nobel Prize winners and National Book Award recipients are being removed.

Author Impact:

Stephen King – Most banned author (206 instances, 87 titles)
Ellen Hopkins – Second most banned
Sarah J. Maas – Third most banned
Jodi Picoult – Frequently challenged bestselling author

The “Sexual Content” Excuse:

Many banned books address sexual violence as a problem, not a glorification. Books like Speak and Sold deal with assault and trafficking from a survivor’s perspective.

LGBTQ+ Targeting:

Books with LGBTQ+ characters are disproportionately banned, even when age-appropriate and critically acclaimed.

What Florida Says

Florida Department of Education (2024):

“There are no books banned in Florida and sexually explicit materials do not belong in schools. Far left activist groups are pushing the book ban hoax on Floridians.”

Reality:

Florida leads the nation in book removals
Over 2,300 documented bans in one school year
Books are removed, not accessible to students
PEN America: “Never before in the life of any living American have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries”

Resources

Track Florida Book Bans:

Florida Freedom to Read Project: floridafreedomtoread.com
PEN America Index: pen.org/banned-books-list-2025
American Library Association: ala.org

Take Action:

Support your local library
Attend school board meetings
Read banned books
Speak up for intellectual freedom

Compiled: November 2025
Sources: PEN America, Florida Department of Education, Florida Freedom to Read Project, CBS News, NPR

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”
— Oscar Wilde

“There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.”
— Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451