In its third annual iteration, in partnership with EveryLibrary and First Book, Penguin Random House's Banned Wagon hits the road during Banned Books Week visiting bookstores and libraries in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, Pa., "two cities central to American democracy." At each stop, the Banned Wagon will showcase " a selection of 30 books--from picture books to novels--that are currently being banned and challenged across the country and distribute free copies (while supplies last) to event attendees. Attendees will be able to take further action by sending a note to local representatives through Penguin Random House's partnership with EveryLibrary."
The Banned Wagon is expanding its reach through its Save Our Stories donation initiative. Via a QR code on the outside of the wagon and inside collateral materials, "a book will be donated to a community in need through a partnership with First Book. With their donation, participants will have the opportunity to share a personal note about a banned book they love, because saving our stories starts with sharing them. Thousands of bookstores will also receive Save Our Stories event kits in partnership with American Booksellers for Free Expression."
Skip Dye, chair of PRH's Intellectual Freedom Taskforce, commented: "This week is not just for celebration--it's about action. By standing together as publishers, authors, educators, librarians, students, and readers, we can ensure that shelves remain filled with diverse ideas and perspectives, and that the next generation grows up with the freedom to explore them."
Alyssa Taylor, PRH's director of brand marketing, added: "Books and stories are essential to our identities, our histories, and our future. We're proud to take the Banned Wagon to Washington D.C. and Philadelphia--two iconic cities in our country's history--to help protect every American's access to books that make it possible to read, think, and learn freely."
For the first time, the tour begins with a private Save Our Stories Supper at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in Washington, D.C., that will include authors, journalists, politicians, creators, and changemakers to celebrate the power of storytelling and the enduring fight for the freedom to read. Guests include Austin Channing Brown, Ibram X. Kendi, Malinda Lo, Mychal Threets, James Baldwin's nephews Trevor Baldwin and Karim Karefa-Smart, Randi Weingarten, and more.
Banned Wagon highlighted titles include I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones and edited by Caitlin Roper, Ilene Silverman, and Jake Silverstein, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, Beloved by Toni Morrison, 1984 by George Orwell, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, and The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.