Ever since the passage of Senate Bill 13 in 2025, more books—including classic works of literature—are being stripped from public school library shelves in Texas.
The law requires that school boards, rather than librarians, have the final say over which books or materials can be put in school libraries, banning anything that doesn’t adhere to “local community values.”
It also creates an advisory committee made up of parents the board can delegate decision making to, and requires school districts remove books with “indecent,” “profane,” or “sexually explicit” material, allowing board members to veto new library purchases.
As a result, over 100 titles, including Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize in Literature winners, have been removed across districts during the 2025-2026 school year, according to a new analysis by the Texas Freedom to Read Project.
Classics such as “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy, “Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry, “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess have all been removed.
New Braunfels Independent School District led the charge, banning 48 titles after making headlines last October for shuttering their middle and high school libraries to review nearly 200,000 materials.
The decision sparked backlash, as the new law doesn’t require schools to close libraries while books are under review, or for a school to audit its entire collection. The Texas Freedom to Read Project previously warned SB 13 would result in overcompliance
Pilot Point, Brazosport, and North East ISDs also removed several titles last school year.
Some books, such as George Orwell’s “1984” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams have been removed in Brazosport and New Braunfels ISDs, respectively, despite both works being frequently mentioned in AP English Literature and Composition exams.
Last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who made SB 13 a priority during last year’s legislative session, has charged the Senate Education Committee with monitoring the implementation of the new law, and making “recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, or complete implementation” of those laws.
Texas continues to help lead the nation in book bans, across both public libraries and school libraries. April 2026 data from the American Library Association shows the most challenged books in 2025, and Texas is among the top three states leading the charge.
See the full list of removed classics during the 2025-2026 school year here.
