A newly released report from the Florida Department of Education shows 620 books were removed, restricted or discontinued from public schools across the state during the 2025-26 school year.
The books were removed or discontinued in 10 counties, with Clay accounting for the most at 261, followed by Escambia with 150 and Nassau with 102. Polk County reported 33, Santa Rosa 32, Sumter 22, St. Johns 11, St. Lucie six, Collier two and Orange one.
For most districts, the department says the books were challenged by parents or community members and then reviewed by school districts under state laws governing what materials students can access.
In Sumter, the district reviewed the books under state laws restricting materials considered sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate for students.
The list includes works by Stephen King, Jennette McCurdy and Sarah J. Maas, along with popular titles including "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" and "The Freedom Writers Diary."
William Johnson, director of PEN America's Florida office, which advocates against book censorship, said the consequences of removing books can be different in rural communities.
Students in larger metropolitan areas may have access to public libraries, bookstores and other places to find a book that is no longer available at school. Johnson says those alternatives can be harder to reach in rural areas.
"The options are fewer and farther away in rural communities, so removing a book from a school library can have a greater practical effect on whether a young person can obtain it," he said.
Johnson said rural districts can also have fewer librarians and media specialists available to review challenged books, along with smaller library collections and fewer institutions where students can access books.
He said that creates an "undue burden" for the people conducting the reviews, while also potentially limiting students' access to books.
The process comes from changes to Florida law governing materials available in public schools. Under state law, parents or guardians can challenge books or other materials, which school districts then review under state requirements.
Johnson said some challenges focused on individual passages, particularly those involving sexual content, rather than the book as a whole.
"When you do that, when you don't understand literary merit, context, you are unfortunately removing books that have real, true literary and cultural value," he said.
The American Library Association documented 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, the second-highest number it has recorded. The organization says 5,668 books were ultimately removed from all libraries that year, while another 920 faced access restrictions.
The ALA also found that 92% of book challenges in 2025 were initiated by pressure groups, government officials or decision-makers. Less than 3% originated with individual parents, according to the organization.
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