Florida Bookstore Returns Banned Books to Students
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Firestorm Books, a queer and trans-owned bookstore based in Asheville, recently received thousands of children’s books from the Duval County Public School system in Florida after they were banned from school libraries. The bookstore will launch the “Banned Books Back!” campaign to ship books removed from Duval County schools directly to kids in states where book bans have been implemented. The books received by the store total over 22,000, with over half of them being LGBTQ+ related.
An Asheville-based bookstore set to return banned books to Florida children
Firestorm Books, a queer-and trans-owned bookstore in Asheville, recently revealed its plans to redistribute thousands of children’s books previously banned from school libraries in Florida. The initiative, dubbed “Banned Books Back!”, aims to return these books into the hands of children starting in mid-January.
“We knew we had to act when we learned these books were at risk of being destroyed,” expressed Firestorm Books co-owner Esmé Joy. The goal of the campaign is to ship the banned books directly to kids in states where book bans have taken effect. Firestorm Books will commence this initiative by first catering to kids in Florida.
According to a press release, Firestorm Books also plans to collaborate with Florida grassroots organizers, educators, and librarians to distribute thousands of books to reach families and kids who would otherwise be inaccessible.
Families, kids and allies in Florida can request free books through the Firestorm Books website. They can specify the type of books they want to receive, from picture books for ages four to eight to chapter books for ages eight to 12.
The bookstore expects to spend approximately $17,500 on postage alone, according to co-owner Glenda Ro. To date, they’ve raised enough funds to fulfill the first 700 requests.
The store received over 22,000 books from Duval County, with more than half being LGBTQ+ related titles. Notable books include the New York Times bestseller “Other Words for Home” by Jasmine Warga, and “Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968” by Alice Faye Duncan and R. Gregory Christie.
“We aim to return these books as a show of solidarity with the kids from whom they were taken,” stated Beck Nippes, a Firestorm co-owner. “We see this campaign contributing to a broader antifascist struggle, in light of the current attacks on reproductive and gender-affirming health care, and escalating violence against queer and trans folks, especially youth.”
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