As of March 2026, 27 books are now officially banned in Utah’s public schools. This newest figure reflects the recent banning of four books: “Breathless” by Jennifer Niven; “The Carnival at Bray” by Jessie Ann Foley; “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood; and “Red Hood” by Elana K. Arnold.

These titles are the latest to join a growing list of books banned statewide in Utah, one that also includes “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, and “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult.

The four newest titles were officially banned in early March 2026, after three districts, Davis, Granite, and Washington County removed the titles from their institutions. Following their removal, a statewide ban was implemented after receiving further approval from the Utah State Board of Education.

The banning of certain books is a longstanding practice that has occurred in various societies and civilizations across the globe. According to Harvard University, the first book ban in the United States occurred in Quincy, Massachusetts circa 1637, when the Puritan government ordered the prohibition of “New England Cannan” by Thomas Morton. Morton was an early American colonist and a staunch opposer of Puritanism. The Puritan government claimed that Morton’s book was a harsh and heretical critique of the Puritan power structure and its customs.

Nearly four centuries later, book banning in the United States remains a highly contentious practice, with adversaries and supporters standing firmly on both sides of the issue. According to PEN America, an organization that defines itself as a nonprofit dedicated to defending free expression and “supporting persecuted authors,” during the 2024-25 academic school year it was reported that 22,810 instances of book banning had occurred in 45 states and 451 school districts since 2021. Multiple agencies have reported that Utah is among the states with the highest number of banned books in public schools, comparable to Florida, Texas and Missouri.

Given that decisions about removing books from schools are largely governed by state laws and local school district policies, each state operates under its own guidelines that influence which titles may be challenged or banned. Following the passing of HB 29 in early 2024, Utah state law now mandates a book’s removal from all public schools if at least three school districts (or two districts and five charter schools) determine the book to contain “objective sensitive material.” 

Utah law defines “objective sensitive material” as inherently pornographic or otherwise indecent that holds no “literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors.” Back in 2024, opposers of HB 29 argued these parameters were intentionally vague. Furthermore, as a state with 163 school districts, many opposers felt that the threshold number of school districts required to ban a book demonstrated an inherent lack of balance.

“House Bill 29 infringes on parents’ rights to decide which books are best for their own children,” said Gretchen Zaitzeff in 2024, president of the Utah Educational Library Media Association. “And that infringes on a student’s right to exercise intellectual freedom and their constitutional right.”

Still, HB 29 had garnered widespread support by legislators, passing in both the Utah House of Representatives and the Utah Senate before it was ultimately signed into law by Gov. Spencer J. Cox. Most lawmakers seemed to agree that HB 29 was a step in the right direction, a law that would protect children by limiting their access to potentially graphic, non-age-appropriate material. Even so, certain lawmakers felt its reach was overbearing and infringed on individual liberties.

“This is the antithesis of local control,” said Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, a former teacher. “With this bill, just a couple of individuals can take away the rights of parents statewide to make choices that best fit their children’s needs.” 

Contrary to the beliefs of certain lawmakers and a vocal public opposition, most legislators in Utah believed the bill would protect children from indecent material and/or descriptions of a sexual nature. However, many opposers argued that HB 29 could be weaponized to erase any depiction of LGBTQ+ identity. Many lawmakers pushed back on this claim, arguing that the overall goal was to keep X-rated material out of Utah schools and had nothing to do with furthering a specific agenda.

"Illicit pornography is often graphic, X-rated descriptions or depictions of sexual acts that are designed to arouse and excite people. We're not trying to ban books simply because sexuality is mentioned or a sexual encounter is briefly described," said. Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross.

The latest banned books explore a wide range of themes and topics. Niven’s “Breathless” follows a soon-to-be high school graduate reconciling routine teenage challenges such as deciding where to attend college and navigating interpersonal relationships and family dynamics. Foley’s “The Carnival at Bray” is about a teenager whose life has been uprooted when her family makes a move from Chicago to Ireland. “Red Hood” by Elana K. Arnold is a gritty retelling of the classic tale “Little Red Riding Hood.”

Perhaps the most well-known and controversial of all is “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood. “The Handmaid’s Tale” has often been subject of intense scrutiny given its inherently political messaging. The story, classified as one of dystopian fiction, depicts a society that exists in the near-future, one where women are forced into reproductive slavery to offset a worldwide declining birthrate. 

Atwood has long yielded complaints and criticisms over her literature, yet her response has remained consistent and she herself feels strongly about the practice of banning books. Atwood recently spoke out about book banning after “The Handmaid’s Tale” was recently banned in Alberta, Canada, a decision that was triggered by Alberta’s Education Ministry after it ordered the banning of any books containing “explicit sexual content.”

“You ban a book and it has a way of going underground,” Atwood stated on NPR’s “Up to Date” podcast. “So sure, it gets kicked out of schools and libraries, but that does not stop people from reading it if they go in search of it.”