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Yesterday marked the beginning of Banned Books Week, an initiative launched in 1982 to call national attention to the harms of book banning and censorship. And for the second year in a row, the Banned Wagon is hitting the road.
In a collaboration between Penguin Random House, Unite Against Book Bans (UABB), First Book, and Little Free Library, the Banned Wagon tour will make stops at libraries and bookstores in nine American communities across the Midwest and the South. These communities are among the many being impacted by a wave of book banning efforts that first surged in late 2020. Book bans have continued to rise since then with more and more right-wing legislation targeting queer books, books by authors of color, books about sexual health, and more. The Banned Wagon invites readers to join the fight against censorship and assert their right to read.
The tour kicked off yesterday in Des Moines, Iowa and will conclude on October 15 in Austin, Texas. At each stop, the Banned Wagon will give away copies of 20 books that are currently banned or challenged across the United States, including Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, and All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman.
The remaining tour stops and dates are:
September
- 9/24: Milwaukee Public Library in Milkwaukee, WI
- 9/27: Chicago Public Library in Chicago, IL
- 9/29: 4 Kids Books & Toys in Zionsville, IN
October
- 10/2: Lakewood Public Library in Cleveland, OH
- 10/5: Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA
- 10/8: The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC
- 10/11: The Lynx Books in Gainesville, FL
- 10/15: Black Pearl Books in Austin, TX
Check out the Banned Wagon tour site for details on each stop as well as more information on each partnering organization, the full list of books the Banned Wagon will feature, and other helpful resources. Then go over our toolkit for fighting book bans in 2024 if you’re looking for ways to make an impact.
