Jodi Picoult remembers the time when everyone seemed to praise her novel Nineteen minutesa 2007 bestseller about a school shooting, which now tops a PEN America list of the most banned books in schools.

“Not only was reading recommended for young adults, but it was also on the curriculum in schools where it is now banned,” the author said in a recent telephone interview.

On November 1, PEN released a report that expands on figures released in September to mark Banned Books Week in the United States, during which libraries and stores across the country highlighted censored works.

PEN has compiled more than 10,000 cases of books temporarily or permanently removed during the 2023-2024 academic year, about four times more than for 2021-2022. The bans affected around 4,200 individual titles, compared to around 1,600 two years ago.

“What students read in schools provides the foundation for their lives, whether it is critical thinking, empathy for differences, personal well-being or long-term success,” said Kasey Meehan, director of PEN’s Freedom to Read program.