The Friends Welcome the Banned

What do The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird and Charlotte’s Web have in common? All are recognized works of literature. They are all also among the thousands of books that have been challenged or banned in the United States. Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. In 2025, Banned Books Week will be observed Oct. 5 to 11. It starts during the Fall Book Sale sponsored by Friends of East Providence Public Library. To call attention to efforts to censor books, and to promote the freedom to read whatever one chooses, the Friends have added a new category to this season’s sale – Banned Books. Challenged and banned books will be available to the public at the book sale for $1 each. Included are books that have been singled out for removal from public schools and libraries in the United States for a variety of reasons, including offensive language, sexual or LGBTQ content, or talking animals and magic.

Take home a banned book and read it. Then share it with friends and family. Selections feature children’s favorites, such as Goosebumps and Captain Underpants. Classics include 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, and The Bluest Eye. Contemporary novels feature The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Hate You Give. The Friends welcome donations of banned books and will add them to the sale. Visit the American Library Association website to view a list of the Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books at https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade2019.

The Fall Book Sale will be held at Weaver Library, 41 Grove Avenue, East Providence, from Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 5 during library hours. A preview sale for members of Friends of East Providence Public Library will be held on Thursday, October 2 from 6 to 8 P.M. The annual membership year starts on October 1, so all current members need to renew. Membership is $10 per person and patrons can sign up at Weaver or Riverside Library in advance or at the door during the book sale. Proceeds from membership and book sales benefit library programs and projects and fund museum passes.