The Banned Wagon is Giving Away Banned Books for Free

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Images via Penguin Random House

The prohibited wagon will hand out 30 titles from picture books to adult non-fiction. All of these are currently banned or challenged in US state schools and libraries. The banned wagon also has a QR code, and all scans donate the book via the first book to the community in need. Anyone who contributes can include notes about prohibited books they love.

Forbidden book table of reading material with brown skin and smiling man with long dark hair
Images via Penguin Random House

“This week isn’t just for celebrations, it’s about action,” said SkipDye, chairman of Penguin Random House’s Intellectual Freedom Task Force. “Staying together as publishers, authors, educators, librarians, students and readers will ensure that the shelves remain filled with diverse ideas and perspectives and that the next generation will grow with the freedom to explore them.”

A photo of someone in the window of a banned wagon, there is a line behind them
Images via Penguin Random House

“Books and stories are crucial to our identity, our history and our future,” said Alyssa Taylor, director of brand marketing at Penguin Random House. “We will take the banned wagons to Washington, DC and Philadelphia, and help protect all American access to books that have two iconic cities in our country’s history and are free to read, think and learn.”

Group of students posing in front of a prohibited wagon
Images via Penguin Random House

Here are some of the books given this year:

  • I know why a caged bird sings By Maya Angelou
  • Handmade tale Margaret Atwood
  • Giovanni’s room By James Baldwin
  • This is your time By Ruby Bridge
  • My two border towns By David Bowles, painted by Erica Meza
  • Hair Love Illustrations by Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison
  • Name bottle By Yangsook Choi
  • Mango Street House By Sandra Cisneros
  • The story of colonization and the Wampanoag By Linda Coombs
  • Young girl’s diary Anne Frank
People posing for selfies in front of a banned wagon
Images via Penguin Random House
  • Changes sing By Amanda Gorman, painted by Lauren Long
  • The flaws of our stars By John Green
  • 1619 Project Edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones by Caitlin Roper, Ilene Silverman and Jake Silverstein
  • I’m jazz Illustrations by Jessica Hersel, Jazz Jennings and Sherag MacNicolas
  • Kit Runner By Khaled Hosseini
  • How to Become an Anti-Drugologist Ibram X. Kendy
  • Family, family, family! Suzanne Lang and Max Lang
  • Last night at the Telegraph Club Malinda Lo
  • Beloved Toni Morrison
  • Rainbow Parade Emily Neilson
  • 1984 George Orwell
A group of adults posing with a book in front of a banned wagon
Images via Penguin Random House
  • I was born ready Painted by Jodie Patterson and Charell Pinkney Barlow
  • All are welcome Painted by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman
  • I’m not your perfect Mexican daughter Erica L. Sanchez
  • Lacks from Henrietta’s immortal life By Rebecca Skloot
  • Born behind a bar By Padma Venkatraman
  • The heck we are temporarily gorgeous By Ocean Voon
  • Slaughterhouse-Five By Kurt Vonnegut
  • Brown girl dream By Jacqueline Woodson
  • Nickel boy Colson Whitehead

If you’re surprised to see any of these titles on this list, consider keeping Book Censorship News up to date by subscribing to Book Riot’s Literary Activism News.

Read Let Freedom Table Read Bookmarks
Images via Penguin Random House

Find out more about banned wagon tours on our website. Learn more about Penguin Random House’s other anti-book ban initiatives on the Penguin Random House website.

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