NEW YORK, Oct. 4 -- Stephen King has become the most frequently censored author in US schools, according to a new report that underscores the country's widening divide over what students should be allowed to read.

PEN America's Banned in the USA report, released on Wednesday, recorded more than 6,800 instances of books being removed or restricted during the 2024-25 school year.

The total, while down from more than 10,000 the previous year, remains far higher than just a few years ago, when such numbers were rarely tracked. The findings were reported by the Associated Press.

Roughly 80 per cent of all bans originated in Florida, Texas and Tennessee - states that have enacted or proposed laws to remove works deemed objectionable.

In con...