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Utah has banned two Stephen King titles—"Bag of Bones" and "Different Seasons"—from all public schools under its "sensitive materials" regulations, pushing the total number of statewide banned books to 36.
"Different Seasons" is the newest addition to the list, following the statewide removal of "Bag of Bones" in February 2026.
Utah’s sensitive-materials legislation was first adopted in 2022 and significantly expanded through amendments passed in 2024. The current rules require a title to be removed from every public and charter school once at least three school districts, or two districts and five charter schools, determine that it contains “objective sensitive material.”
The law defines objective sensitive material through statutory standards covering certain descriptions or depictions of sexual acts, genital stimulation or erotic touching. Unlike materials subject to a broader contextual review, titles placed in this category can be removed without officials weighing their literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
The statewide action against “Different Seasons” was triggered after the Davis, Jordan, Tooele and Washington school districts separately removed the book. Before the decision, the collection could be made available to Utah students in grades seven through 12.
Published in 1982, “Different Seasons” consists of four novellas: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” “Apt Pupil,” “The Body” and “The Breathing Method.” Unlike many of King’s best-known novels, the collection moves beyond conventional horror and explores imprisonment, corruption, childhood and mortality.
Two of its stories became landmark American films. “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” was adapted into the 1994 prison drama “The Shawshank Redemption,” while “The Body” inspired Rob Reiner’s 1986 coming-of-age film “Stand by Me.”
The adaptations demonstrate King’s influence beyond literary horror, with his stories providing the foundation for some of the most enduring dramas in modern American cinema.
The addition of “Different Seasons” continues a sharp rise in statewide removals during 2026. Seventeen books have been prohibited this year alone, exceeding the 14 titles removed in 2024, the first year in which Utah began maintaining its statewide list.
Of the 36 books currently prohibited across Utah’s public schools, 26 were written by women. The list includes works by Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, Jodi Picoult, Rupi Kaur and Sarah J. Maas, alongside King’s “Bag of Bones” and “Different Seasons.”
The Utah State Board of Education said its statewide removal list was last updated on July 6, 2026. Once a title meets the statutory threshold, schools are instructed to remove it from student access across the state.
The removal coincides with a broader national debate over school library content. PEN America identified Stephen King as the most frequently censored author in U.S. schools during the 2024–2025 academic year, documenting 206 removals across 87 of his titles.
Proponents of Utah's law argue it establishes consistent standards and shields minors from sexually explicit material. Conversely, free-expression and education advocates contend the mechanism permits a small number of districts to dictate access for students statewide, regardless of age, local preferences, or a book's overall literary merit.
With 17 titles added in just over half of 2026, Utah's prohibited-books list is expanding faster than at any point since the statewide system was implemented
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