Florida has again been rated No. 1 in the nation for book bans. The state had more than 4,500 instances of book banning in public schools during the 2023-24 school year, according to a new report from national free speech group PEN America. That's a dramatically higher number than the year before: 1,406 bans.

The number of books banned in public schools over the past year skyrocketed to more than 10,000, with two states—Iowa and Florida—responsible for most of them, according to preliminary findings released by PEN America on Monday.

The movie musical "Wicked" captivated audiences around the nation — but the usual debate about whether "the book is better than the movie" falls flat in some Florida schools. Several districts have banned the 1995 novel that inspired the stage musical and film.