The 2024-25 school year saw over 6,800 book bans across 87 districts in 23 states, according to PEN America’s report, highlighting a rise in censorship reminiscent of Cold War-era McCarthyism, with LGBTQ themes and popular titles like “A Clockwork Orange” and “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” among the most banned. The trend reflects a normalization of censorship, with significant bans concentrated in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, and many titles preemptively removed from shelves to avoid conflict.