Did you know that 2024 has been another banner year for banning and challenging books in schools and libraries? Whether the challenges come about because of racism, sexuality, or gender identity, what is always at the forefront of these book banning attempts is censorship. Banned books and book challenges are a way to control what you have access to, and that does not sit right with us. Bookmans was built on a foundation of anti-censorship. We take the freedom to read whatever you like, whenever you like, seriously.

Though we celebrate banned books all year long, we are extra excited to showcase banned and challenged books each September. This coincides with National Banned Books Week, which falls on September 22-28, 2024 this year. And we are HERE FOR IT – and you too!

You are invited to shop for books that have been banned or challenged all month long. Even more, you can find them on a front-and-center display at our stores, wrapped and ready to take home. It is unfortunate that we have more books than ever to display, but… you can rescue one. Or even two.

No one says it better than author Toni Morrison “The thought that leads me to contemplate with dread the erasure of other voices, of unwritten novels, poems whispered or swallowed for fear of being overheard by the wrong people, outlawed languages flourishing underground, essayists’ questions challenging authority never being posed, unstaged plays, canceled films — that thought is a nightmare. As though a whole universe is being described in invisible ink.” We want to give a megaphone to voices that are being told to whisper. Highlighting banned or challenged books is a core mission of Bookmans and September is when we celebrate that mission.

We want you to discover any and all books that make your heart race, your mind work to consider the content, and maybe even challenge you to pick up a pen and write your own stories. Check out this list from the ALA for most challenged and banned books and consider bring some of them home.

This September, we invite you to shop for books that others have deemed offensive, inappropriate, or downright wrong. Of course, you can stand up and show your support for ideas of all kinds. Whatever you may think about a book is up to you. We want everyone to have the option to make their own mind about what is worth reading.