Where to Find the Banned Wagon in DC

The Banned Wagon will be at the West End Neighborhood Library at 2301 L Street NW on Sunday, October 5 from 1-5pm. It will then stop at Solid State Books at 600 H Street NE on Wednesday, October 8 from 3-7pm.

Got friends or family in Philly? The Banned Wagon will then make two stops in Philadelphia: at Northeast Regional Library on Friday, October 10 from 9am-1pm and Parkway Central Library on Saturday, October 11 from 10am-2pm.

The Banned Wagon's orange color makes it easy to spot!

What to Expect at the Banned Wagon

The Banned Wagon will showcase 30 books that are currently being banned and challenged across the country and distribute free copies (while supplies last) to event attendees. The children's and YA books that will be included are as follows:

• All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
• Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman
• Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope by Jodie Patterson, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (on our list of great children's books to celebrate Black History Month)
• Change Sings by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loren Long (also on our list of Black History Month books)
• Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs
• Families, Families, Families! by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang (on our list of the best LGBTQ books for kids)
• Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison (also on our list of Black History Month books)
• I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
• I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L Sánchez
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (on our list of 100 kids' books every child should read before they grow up)
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club; by Malinda Lo
• My Two Border Towns by David Bowles, illustrated by Erika Meza
• The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
• The Rainbow Parade by Emily Neilson
• This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges

Everyone from young kids to adults can find a book for them at the Banned Wagon. 

At the Banned Wagon, attendees will also have the opportunity to send a note to local representatives to ask them to fight back against book banning. With each scan of a QR code on the outside of the wagon, a book will be donated to a community in need through a partnership with First Book. With their donation, participants can share a personal note about a banned book they love.

More About Book Banning

During the 2023-2024 school year, literary and human rights organization PEN America counted more than 10,000 book bans in public schools. Many of these books center on people of color and/or LGBTQ+ communities. Others contain language, violence, sexual themes, or political viewpoints that some people find offensive. Educators are also increasingly preemptively pulling books from shelves out of fear that they'll be seen as controversial.

Banned Book Week and initiatives like the Banned Wagon are a chance to highlight the dangers of book banning and to help preserve freedom of expression and peoples' right to read what they want. And progress is being made. In 2025 alone, Freedom to Read legislation has been introduced in 25 states and passed in seven, providing crucial protections for libraries, educators, and readers. Penguin Random House has helped drive legislative wins in New York, Rhode Island, Colorado, Oregon, and Arizona.

“Books and stories are essential to our identities, our histories, and our future,” said Alyssa Taylor, Director of Brand Marketing, Penguin Random House. “We’re proud to take the Banned Wagon to Washington DC 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.”

All photos courtesy of Penguin Random House

Read More: 21 Kids' Books About Racism, By Age