Ohio ranks third in book bans, but Cincinnati tells a different story

Zoom in: A Cincinnati Enquirer investigation documented 56 book challenges across nine Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky school districts back in 2024, the same year the debate over banned books reached Ohio's state legislature.

• Four books were removed, including "I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother" from Lebanon's Bowman Primary School and three titles from Campbell County High School.

• Northwest Local retained three challenged books, including Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," but required parental permission.
• Kings Local moved "The #MeToo Movement" to a library serving older students.

Between the lines: PEN America's definition of a ban extends beyond outright removal to include certain restrictions on access, meaning some books retained in local schools could qualify under its criteria.

What they're saying: Bestselling horror author R.L. Stine, whose "Goosebumps" series was among the most frequently challenged books of the 1990s, tells Axios that inspiring children to read has always been his priority.

• "My whole career is about getting [kids] to read. That's all it's about," Stine said during an interview before his recent appearance at Cincinnati's downtown library.
• "Goosebumps isn't about terrifying kids. It's not about that. It's about showing them that books can be really easy to read and really entertaining."