About this book
Life As We Knew It is a young adult survival novel by Susan Beth Pfeffer about a family trying to survive after an asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth, triggering global environmental disaster. The story is told through diary entries and focuses on scarcity, fear, family, and social collapse.
Why it was banned
Listed on PEN America's Escambia County, Florida banned-books list during the district's mass removals pending investigation.
Censorship history
United States school ban context: Life As We Knew It appears on PEN America's Escambia County banned-books list, part of the district's mass removal of more than 1,600 titles pending investigation. The case is useful because the book is not primarily about sexuality or identity; it is a disaster-survival novel. Its inclusion demonstrates how broad administrative sweeps can remove large numbers of books without a transparent, title-specific explanation of educational harm.
Bans
| Country | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2024 | Other |