Book Banning Trends in the US - Pen America reports 23,000 active book bans in the United States [1] - A single parental objection can lead to a book's removal from school syllabi or libraries [1] - Banned books often include acclaimed works like Tony Morrison's "Beloved" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" [1] First Amendment and Legal Challenges - The removal of books is being challenged based on the defense of the First Amendment [1] - Court cases are often succeeding in opposing the book bans [1] Perspective and Representation - Many banned books share a common thread: they present America from the perspective of non-white individuals [3] - There is a perceived attempt to erase viewpoints of people who are not white [4]