Happy Banned Books Week! In today’s edition, we’ll dive into all-things banned books in Texas, including new data shared by PEN American that shows Texas is leading the charge in book bans across the country, a breakdown of some of the most banned books in the state, and you’ll find interviews with authors and professors about the impact book bans have on students. 

You’ll also find information on an open letter Fort Worth ISD students sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and the district’s state-appointed leadership that voices concerns over changes made under their district’s state takeover.

But first, in case you missed it, a new report shows that public schools in Texas could lose close to $300 million in funding due to private school vouchers. Around 30% of voucher recipients were previously enrolled in public schools, which means as they leave their district to attend a private school or home school, a significant amount of revenue is leaving with them. Learn more here.

If you missed last week’s edition, you can read it here. 

Before we start a new banned book for the month of October, we first have to celebrate Banned Books Week, which runs from Oct. 4-10, and celebrates the freedom to read and brings attention to the consequences of book bans.

Nearly 12,000 books were banned in public schools during the 2025-2026 school year, according to new data from PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans. It’s the highest number of recorded bans in a single year since PEN America began tracking book bans in 2021, and Texas is leading the charge with over 8,000 books banned last school year.

The massive number is the result of several new laws, such as Senate Bill 13 and Senate Bill 412, which take power away from librarians and give it to parents and community members instead. 

This Banned Books Week, the Courier Texas team is breaking down some of the most banned books in Texas and chatting with professors and authors about the impact book bans have on students. Check it all out below. (Last year we ranked the dumbest banned books in Texas, see that here.) Plus, there are still some Banned Books Week events taking place this week, find one near you.

By Anna Raj

In school libraries across Texas, the number of books on the shelves is shrinking under the latest Republican-led campaign to pull titles that policymakers don’t like. 

Banned Books Week (Oct. 4-10) was created as a national grassroots movement in 1982 to call attention to the harm censorship can cause when books are challenged, restricted, or banned.

In Texas, Over 100 books have been banned from public school libraries in the last year alone, including Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning titles. Instead of letting librarians choose what books end up on shelves, a Texas law passed in 2025 gives that authority to school boards and an advisory board of parents. The law prohibits books that don’t adhere to “local community values,” which are undefined in the bill authored by McKinney Republican Sen. Angela Paxton.

The law bans literature that could even remotely be categorized as “profane,” “indecent,” or “sexually explicit.”  This law is the latest development in a Republican-led initiative to ban books that contain topics about LGBTQ+ and communities of color since they are seen as examples of DEI materials. 

While board control is new in Texas, the banning of books isn’t. One of the most restrictive book-banning laws in the state was passed in 2023 and intended to keep students from reading “sexually explicit material.”  It mandates that book vendors working with Texas public schools label books with references to gender identity, sexual orientation, or intimate relationships as “sexually explicit.” The ratings themselves lack clear definition and aren’t standardized across the state.  

Fifty-seven students ranging from second graders to high school seniors at Fort Worth ISD wrote an open letter to Superintendent Peter Licata,  district leadership, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott this week to share their concerns about classroom changes under the district’s state takeover, specifically over-scripted lesson plans.

The 1,300 word letter argues the changes, which include teachers reading from scripted slides, curriculum with AI-generated content that has errors, and extreme micromanagement, have “drained the life” from their classrooms.

Students are asking the district to:

The state took over Fort Worth ISD in 2025 after one campus received failing academic ratings for five consecutive years.

When asked about the letter, Fort Worth ISD Board President Pete Geren praised the effort and said student feedback comes at an important time for the district, according to CBS News.