Texas leads the nation in attempts to ban books, sparking a heated debate over educational freedom and censorship.

Two new reports provide a mixed but compelling outlook on the wave of book removals and challenges as the annual Banned Books Week begins for schools, stores and libraries nationwide.

Across the country, book bans and attempted bans have soared to the highest levels in decades.

Lorrie Moore has won the prize for fiction and Judy Blume received a lifetime achievement award from the National Book Critics Circle.

The nationwide surge in book bannings continues.

More libraries are cutting ties with the American Library Association as the professional group stands up for books some say children shouldn't have access to because of their content.

The read-in is expected to begin at 4:30 p.m. in the HISD Lobby and continue in the HISD Board room and lobby when the board meeting begins at 5:30 pm.

Salman Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed, Carl Hiassen and Ibram X.

The American Library Association's annual conference is underway in Chicago, where librarians are discussing topics including countering book challenges, fighting legislative censorship, and ensuring information access and the freedom to read.

A new report from the American Library Association says attempted book bannings and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022.

The wave of attempted book banning and restrictions continues to intensify, the American Library Association reported Friday.

Accounts of book bannings and attempted book bannings, along with threats against librarians, have soared over the past year.

Lauren Groff’s novel “Matrix” is among the finalists for an Andrew Carnegie Medal for fiction.

“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families," it said. Within hours of Tuesday's announcement, Dr. Seuss books filled more than half of the top 20 slots on Amazon.com's bestseller list. Ad“Research in recent years has revealed strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss,” the school district said in a statement. In 2018, a Dr. Seuss museum in his hometown of Springfield removed a mural that included an Asian stereotype. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, however, said it is “committed to listening and learning and will continue to review our entire portfolio."

This combination image shows "Deacon King Kong" by James McBride, left, and "Fathoms: The World in the Whale" by Rebecca Giggs. The American Library Association has announced its winners of the Carnegie medals for literary excellence, awarding McBride in the fiction category and Giggs in nonfiction. (Riverhead Books, left, and Simon & Schuster via AP)NEW YORK – This year's winners of the Carnegie medals for fiction and nonfiction, presented by the American Library Association, have each checked out a few books in their time. But in Philly, you can,” explained McBride, whose novel last year was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club. With a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the library association established the award in 2012, with winners in each category receiving $5,000.

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2016 file photo, author and filmmaker Sherman Alexie appears at a celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day at Seattle's City Hall. Alexie is included in a list of authors who wrote books that were among the 100 most subjected to censorship efforts over the past decade, as compiled by the American Library Association. All wrote books that were among the 100 most subjected to censorship efforts over the past decade, as compiled by the American Library Association. The association does not formally count the number of times books are actually removed from a library shelf or from a school reading list. “There are actually two lines of objections to the Anne Frank diary,” Caldwell-Stone says.