Utah adds 36th book to public school ban list

8 Mwezi wa saba, 2026

Imeripotiwa na AI

Utah added Different Seasons by Stephen King to its list of books banned from all public schools late Monday. The addition brings the total number of prohibited titles to 36. The move comes as the state continues to enforce its strict book removal law.

The state has banned more books in 2026 than in any previous year. Officials added the Stephen King title after it met the criteria set by House Bill 29, which requires removal statewide once a book is flagged in enough districts.

HB 29 took effect in July 2024 and allows parents to challenge material they consider sensitive. It mandates that books deemed pornographic or objectively sensitive by multiple districts must be removed everywhere. The law applies retroactively to titles already on shelves.

A lawsuit challenging the bans was filed in February and held its first hearing in May. Utah now leads the nation in state-sanctioned removals, ahead of South Carolina which maintains a list of 21 titles.

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30 Mwezi wa sita, 2026 Imeripotiwa na AI Picha iliyoundwa na AI Imethibitishwa ukweli

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Utah adds two books to public school statewide ban list, totaling 34

Utah has added two more titles—A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard and A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin—to its statewide list of books prohibited in public schools, bringing the total to 34. This follows the addition of four books just 10 days ago and continues the rapid expansion under House Bill 29.

Utah adds four books to statewide public school ban list

20 Mwezi wa nne, 2026 Imeripotiwa na AI

Utah has banned four additional books from all public schools, increasing the total number of prohibited titles to 32. The new additions, made late last week, include Life Is Funny by E.R. Frank, The Haters by Jesse Andrews, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins. This development follows the implementation of House Bill 29 in 2024.

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