Pick Up One of These Books & Protect the Freedom to Read

Dear Readers,

Charlotte’s Web. The Catcher in the Rye. A Court of Thorns and Roses. What do these books have in common?

All three of them are on the banned books list for schools or libraries here in the USA. Other well-known titles on the list include Looking for Alaska by John Green, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, and so many more.

We’ve come a long way since the first Banned Books Week back in 1982. The event has since become a nationwide phenomenon in the book world; libraries and bookstores across the country put out displays of banned books, encouraging patrons to pick up the titles. Celebrities like LeVar Burton and George Takei have become passionate anti-ban advocates, bringing even more attention to the cause. Events are held all across the country to mark the occasion, educate the public and remind each other to reach for the books that certain politicians don’t want you to read.

But despite all the movement’s growth, Banned Books Week is still more needed than ever. PEN America just released the concerning news that the number of book bans they recorded in the 2025-2026 school year (11,982) is the highest number of recorded bans they’ve seen since they began tracking back in 2021. So, in the face of all this increased suppression of literature, how will you bring the energy of Banned Books Week to your reading year-round? Here at BookTrib, we’ll be continuing to read banned books, speak out against censorship, and promote the belief that the American public should have the freedom to read what they choose without censorship getting in the way.

Happy (banned books) reading!