When comic book banning took off in the late 1940s and continued through the 1960s, the earliest targets were the horror comics. Those coordinating the panic across the country called them vile and pointed to the hallmarks of horror–vampires, blood, serial killers, and so forth–as the inspiration for juvenile delinquency. Kids should not be able to read these ghastly stories because they planted ideas for how those kids could do terrible things.

Panic over horror and youth books didn’t end when comic book burnings did. They evolved, and as various horror franchises grew in popularity, so too did attempts to ban them. Goosebumps elicited a lot of panic in the 90s; recently, a video of a single father speaking up at a Minnesota school board meeting in defense of the books went viral. What he says is important and reflective of why defending access to books, even and especially ones you don’t like, matters: you never know which book will hook a reader and turn them on to the joy and value of reading.

As a life-long horror reader who cut my teeth on Goosebumps before moving on to Stephen King in middle and high school, I’ve always loved the scary. Being able to address terrifying things on the page directly is and has been a way to step away from the horrifying things happening in real life. Horror is escapism as much as it is a potent tool for building the skills to think through and navigate challenging situations. That’s not to touch on the emotional intelligence developed through reading horror, including developing empathy and compassion for others in these stories.

But where horror was blamed for juvenile delinquency in comics and where horror was deemed “inappropriate” or “too scary” or “a tool of the devil” for readers in earlier book censorship eras, things are different today. Horror is still being banned by the armload. The reasons, though, aren’t the same.

The reasons are instead the same big three for banning books across genres and moods right now: allowing people of color to be fully human, acknowledging and providing space for LGBTQ+ stories and characters to be told, and inclusion of sex and sexuality. Sure, sometimes there’s a nod to the fact that horror can have violence in it, but that’s a far smaller offense in the eyes of banners than a gay kid. Groups that ban books are themselves violent, even if that violence isn’t physical.

So what horror books are being banned in America right now? Here’s a look at a number of the books that were yanked from shelves across the country. Due to poor reporting–outlets frequently share when books are challenged or banned because that can bring in traffic, but they fail to keep on the beat or update readers on the outcome of those reviews because it doesn’t–it’s possible that in some cases, titles have been put back on the shelf following review. I’ve pulled this from my own records, as well as with the help of partners who’ve been tracking this information. What you will see here may be surprising, but it shouldn’t be. The books themselves don’t matter to those who want them banned. The books have never mattered. What matters to the censors is the silencing and erasure of the people and stories these books represent. Books are but a tool for that.

This isn’t intended to be comprehensive, and it cannot be comprehensive. We have no way of knowing which books have been silently pulled, and we have no way of knowing which books were removed less silently but which have no records accompanying them.

I’ve loosely arranged these by intended audience, with the giant caveat that books published for adults can be perfectly appropriate for teen readers. That’s why they are available in many school libraries–or at least were until partisan interests decided they knew better than trained, educated, and experienced professionals did. I’ve also included some notes with each title, adding context to removal where possible.

Adult Literature

It should come as no surprise that Stephen King dominates this list. His books have been in public schools for generations, and yet, now they’re a problem. PEN America’s latest report, published earlier this month, notes King is the most-banned author in public schools for the second school year in a row.*

• Bag of Bones by Stephen King–this one’s banned from all public and public charter schools in Utah, based on it being pulled from four districts (Davis, Granite, Tooele, and Washington)

• Different Seasons by Stephen King–another title banned from all public and public charter schools in Utah, based on it being pulled from Jordan, Davis, Tooele, and Washington school districts.

• Doctor Sleep by Stephen King–this one’s been removed in Davis and Tooele County, Utah, schools. I would put money down that this will be banned statewide before too long.

Young Adult Literature

Two major things stand out: the books are by and/or about queer people, and there is an abundance of comics.

• Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray–restricted in an Ohio public school as part of a sweep of nearly 100 books.

• Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas–A slew of Texas public schools have banned this one because, you know, queer people.

• Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics–This one runs afoul of Texas laws, as it’s been removed from at least one public school in the state.

• Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White–a trans main character written by a trans author means it’s been targeted and removed in numerous Texas public schools.

• The Honeys by Ryan La Sala–pulled from several Texas districts because of LGBTQ+ content.

• The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline–challenged in a Texas public school district, and access for students was restricted. It centers Native/Indigenous voices.

• The Merciless by Danielle Vega–gone from a Tennessee public school due to the state’s “Age Appropriateness” law.

• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel by Ransom Riggs–banned in the sweep of removals from Knox County schools.

• The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin–removed from an Arizona public library.

• Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner–banned in a Texas public school because it is by and centers trans voices.

• Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection by Matt Dembicki–challenged in a Texas public school under SB 13.

• She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran–banned in a Texas public school district due to SB 13. There are bisexual themes in the book.

• The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White–like the previous title by the author, the queer content is why it has been yanked from several Texas public school libraries.

• Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and illustrated by Lisa Sterle–banned in Knox County schools in Tennessee for being against the state’s Age Appropriate Content law.

• Supermutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki–removed in a Texas public school district due to SB 13.

• The Weight of Blood by Tiffany Jackson–removed in a Tennessee public school under the “Age Appropriate Content” law. It’s a YA retelling of Carrie with a Black female lead.

• What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell–challenged in an Ohio school and labeled for its queer content.

• The White Guy Dies First edited by Terry Benton-Walker–challenged but retained in an Ohio public school.

• The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa–Banned in a Texas public school because of queer representation.

Middle Grade Literature

• An Angry Spirit by Anita Croy, illustrated by Ludovic Sallé–This comic is a ghost story–and explores ghost stories cross-culturally–based on a true story. It was challenged in a Texas school, but it was fortunately retained.

• Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne–This comic is queer-friendly, and it’s been removed from a Texas school district.

• The House That Whispers by Lin Thompson–this haunted house story is about gender, which means it’s been banned in several Texas public schools.

• The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans–LGBTQ+ content is why this was banned in a Texas public school district.

Juvenile Literature

• BatCat, Volume One and BatCat, Sink or Swim by Meggie Ramm–this humorous comic with all of the seasonal Halloween creatures was banned in a Texas school district and received a label in a Michigan public library. This one’s targeted for queer content.

If you’re looking at this list and thinking it doesn’t look too bad, given what we know about the nearly 40,000 documented book bans in public schools since 2021–perhaps I should have led with the fact this list is only for titles banned in the 2025-2026 school year. Imagine that it is much longer over the course of the previous five additional years. . . because it is.

It’s overwhelming to think about.

Handing out books for Halloween won’t stop book bans, no matter how cute and shareable that sentiment is on social media. The problem is much deeper.

This year, make a plan to get to the polls and vote in favor of books, libraries, and public education. Then, continue to keep tabs on what’s happening with books in your community, showing up in support of them when necessary–and that can be well before any challenge ever arises. Remember that telling your local library or school board that the staff is doing a good job or that they had a great Halloween display matters very, very much. Complaints take up far more time than compliments. In an era where educators and librarians are called a variety of cruel and inappropriate names, good feedback makes a world of difference for morale–not to mention that that going on the record counters the complaints.

What’s truly scary is how much work remains ahead of us, despite nonstop, exhausting efforts since 2021. When our rights are being stolen from us, it is our most sacred duty to claw them back.

Notes:

*And he’s still mostly not bothering to get his legion of followers to DO something about this. I wrote this in 2023, before he was twice named as the most banned author in US public schools.