Running from September 22nd-October 15th, the Banned Wagon’s route this year features an entirely new list of cities and more than doubles its reach from 2023’s four stops to nine tour stops for 2024 including Des Moines, IA; Milwaukee, WI; Chicago, IL; Indianapolis, IN; Cleveland, OH; Richmond, VA; Chapel Hill, NC; Gainesville, FL and Austin, TX—all communities with a high volume of book bans and challenges. In addition to independent bookstores, the route includes three libraries in response to the alarming 92% increase in books targeted for censorship at public libraries in 2023, according to the ALA.

During the tour, the Banned Wagon will feature a selection of 20 books that are currently being banned and challenged across the country and distribute free copies (while supplies last) to event attendees in each city.  Available books will include:
● I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
● The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
● This Is Your Time, by Ruby Bridges
● Hair Love, by Matthew A. Cherry
● The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
● Lily and Dunkin, by Donna Gephart
● The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
● The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
● How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
● Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan
● Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo
● The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
● My Rainbow, by DeShanna Neal and Trinity Neal
● Born Ready, by Jodie Patterson
● All Are Welcome, by Alexandra Penfold
● Milo Imagines the World, by Matt de la Peña
● I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika L. Sánchez
● The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
● The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
● Red at the Bone, by Jacqueline Woodson

Attendees will also receive resources from UABB about how to take action to protect the right to read in their communities. For those not on the tour route, the Banned Wagon is expanding its reach through its Save Our Stories donation initiative. With each scan of the QR code featured on the outside of the wagon and within collateral materials, a book will be donated to a community in need through a partnership with First Book. Hundreds of bookstores and libraries across the country will also receive Save Our Stories fliers and helpful resources from UABB via Banned Book Action Boxes. Lastly, the Banned Wagon has again partnered with Little Free Library to drop banned books at over 50 Little Free Libraries along the tour route. Through these activations, the Banned Wagon will make over 20,000 book donations to communities across the country. “We’re excited to hit the road again with the Banned Wagon and team up with Unite Against Book Bans, Little Free Library, First Book and our bookstore and library partners to reach some of the communities most impacted by this critical issue and get more books into the hands of
readers of all ages,” said Alyssa Taylor, Director of Brand Marketing, Penguin Random House. “Books help us understand ourselves and the world around us. We all deserve the opportunity to read, think, and learn freely.”

Banned Wagon tour stops will include:
● Des Moines, IA: Sunday, September 22
○ Beaverdale Books | 2629 Beaver Avenue #S1
● Milwaukee, WI: Tuesday, September 24
○ Milwaukee Central Library | 814 W. Wisconsin Avenue
● Chicago, IL: Friday, September 27
○ Chicago Public Library – Woodson Regional | 9525 S. Halsted Street
● Zionsville, IN (Indianapolis): Sunday, September 29
○ 4 Kids Books & Toys | 4450 Weston Pointe Drive #120
● Lakewood, OH (Cleveland): Wednesday, October 2
○ Lakewood Public Library | 15425 Detroit Ave
● Richmond, VA: Saturday, October 5
○ Fountain Bookstore | 1312 East Cary Street
● Southern Pines, NC (Chapel Hill): Tuesday, October 8
○ The Country Bookshop | 140 NW Broad Street
● Gainesville, FL: Friday, October 10
○ The Lynx Books | 601 S. Main Street
● Austin, TX: Tuesday, October 15
○ Black Pearl Books | 7112 Burnet Road

More details about the Banned Wagon route can be found on the tour website. The Banned Wagon is part of Penguin Random House’s ongoing efforts to combat book banning and censorship, which include multiple legal actions, tailored support for various stakeholders, and advocacy for First Amendment rights. To learn more, please visit https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/banned-books/.

About Penguin Random House: Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade book publisher, is dedicated to its mission to ignite a universal passion for reading by creating books for everyone. The company, which employs more than 10,000 people globally, was formed on July 1, 2013, by Bertelsmann and Pearson. As of April 1, 2020, Bertelsmann is full owner of the company. With more than 300 imprints and brands on six continents, Penguin Random House comprises adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital English- German- and Spanish-language trade book publishing businesses in more than 20 countries worldwide. With over 16,000 new titles, and more than 700 million print, audio and eBooks sold annually, Penguin Random House’s publishing lists include more than 80 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.