Books Unite Us
Books Unite Us is a campaign where Hummingbird Books will support the readers of Beaufort County, South Carolina, whose school district currently has 97 challenged books. By sending these books to Families Against Banned Books and Lowcountry Pride, we aim to end censorship and help the community gain access to these important books.Hummingbird Books will support the readers of Beaufort County, South Carolina, whose school district currently has 97 challenged books.
“At Hummingbird Books, we believe that books unite us, and censorship divides us. Books have the power to reach across cultural boundaries, connect readers, and teach us important lessons. We support freedom of expression and actively oppose the rising levels of censorship and book banning throughout the country,” said Wendy Dodson, owner of Hummingbird Books.
In the current moment of intense political polarization, school districts in the United States are facing an unprecedented number of attempted book bans. In 2022, The American Library Office’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 1,269 challenges to library, school and university materials and services, almost doubling the 729 book challenges from 2021. Within these challenges, 2,571 unique titles were targeted, most commonly for themes relating to the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color.
Take Action During Banned Books Week!
October 1-7, 2023 is Banned Books Week. Please consider donating a book to students in Beaufort County, South Carolina through Hummingbird Books. We send banned books directly to two distributing organizations, Families Against Book Bans and Lowcountry Pride.
Click on a cover of one of the United States most Banned Books of the 2022-2023 school year to give students in Beaufort County access to the books they cannot get at home. To donate to the Books Unite Us initiative, click on the titles below or the DONATE button and we will choose books on your behalf based on the greatest need. We thank you for your support in fighting this worthy cause.
Banned for: sexually explicit content and discussions of non-normative gender and sexuality
Banned for: descriptions of drug use
Banned for: depictions of sexual abuse
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - Jesse Andrews
Banned for: profanity, sexually explicit content
The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison
Banned for: depictions of sexual abuse
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Banned for: LGBTQIA+ content, drug use, profanity
This Book is Gay - Juno Dawson
Banned for: LGBTQIA+ content, sexual education
Looking For Alaska - John Green
Banned for: LGBTQIA+ content
What is a banned book and why is banning them a problem?
Books are challenged and/or banned by school committees in schools and libraries for containing themes or material deemed “unsuitable” for children. Parents are the primary challengers of books and often pressure school committees to remove challenged books from school libraries and classrooms. Banned books are not illegal in town or county libraries or homes, but their absence in classrooms limits the scope of education and restricts literary curiosity.
In this moment of intense political polarization, school districts in the United States are facing an unprecedented number of attempted book bans. In 2022, The American Library’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 1,269 challenges to library, school and university materials and services, almost doubling the 729 book challenges from 2021. Within these challenges, 2,571 unique titles were targeted, most commonly for themes relating to the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color.
How did we decide on Beaufort County?
In 2022, 97 books were challenged in Beaufort County, and though many of these books are still pending investigation, they were immediately pulled from the school library and classroom shelves. 60% of students in the county live below the poverty line, so providing these books will make a big difference in the community. The concept is that while we can’t solve this issue, we can shrink the problem and do something to make an impact in this community.
Families Against Book Bans
Families Against Book Bans is a grassroots organization focused on fighting book bans and increasing access to books and school supplies for the Beaufort student population, of which 60% live beneath the poverty line. They partner with teachers, students, and parents to provide access to books. They will be distributing books at partner local businesses, including a laundromat and the farmer’s market. They also will be partnering with teachers in the school district and with Lowcountry Pride at their events. During banned book week, they are hosting programs every day and have lots of opportunities for book distribution.
Lowcountry Pride
Lowcountry Pride specifically focuses on the LGBTQIA+ community in the region. They run support groups, host pride events, have an LGBT book club, and have recently begun some advocacy related to book bans. They are interested in receiving books with a focus on LGBT authors and themes. Distribution opportunities include their monthly book club, pride events they are hosting in November, a permanent distribution site in Beaufort County, and they even brought up putting banned books in little free libraries (which are all over the county)!