Ogemaw County Banned Book Club

04/02/2026

"Amid a nationwide rise in book bans and broader attacks targeting LGBTQ+ communities, including more than 500 hostile legislative bills, librarians from at least half a dozen states have joined forces with civil rights groups to push back. That has included working to protect LGBTQ+ rights and challenging what those librarians and their allies call a 'manufactured crisis.'"

Luanne James said as a librarian she had an obligation to protect the public’s right to access information

03/15/2026

As part of its legal work challenging bans, PEN America recently spoke to authors about the impact book bans have on their creative processes. While many said they refuse to self-censor — it would constitute “a kind of death,” remarked author Kyle Lukoff — bans are still impeding their writing processes by stifling their creativity and causing them to doubt choices they otherwise wouldn’t. One author, overwhelmed by the censorship they’ve faced, felt as though they had no choice but to stop writing children’s books altogether.

For the past few years, author Charlotte Sullivan Wild has been working on a picture book about an LGBTQ+ family who learns to cope with one member’s deployment to the military. The story is inspired by Sullivan Wild’s own life, and she’s certain it could help families like hers. But finding a...

03/15/2026

Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have joined the ranks of banned authors, thanks to a sweeping review that has led to the banning of some 1,500 books from a suburban school district nestled in the Texas Hill Country. “This overly aggressive removal of books – based on a vague law that should never have passed in the first place – is undermining education and the freedom to read in Texas,” said Jonathan Friedman, PEN America Sy Syms managing director of U.S. free expression programs.

Barack and Michelle Obama have joined the ranks of banned authors thanks to a sweeping ban of 1,500 books from Texas Hill Country.

02/16/2026

Come join us as we read the sometimes-banned and always excellent "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg. We'll meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, at the China Inn in West Branch. Secret's in the sauce! 🤫 All are welcome!

12/18/2025

The Ogemaw County Banned Book Club's next selection will be Garrard Conley's "Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family." Come join us at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10 at the China Inn Restaurant in West Branch!

11/03/2025

Little did we know how relevant our June selection of "The Great Gatsby" would be.

President Donald Trump has come under fire after he hosted a "Great Gatsby" themed Halloween party just hours before millions of Americans lost their SNAP benefits.

10/21/2025

We've chosen Alice Walker's "The Color Purple" for our next meeting at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at the Rose City Cafe. One of the most challenged and banned books of all time, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been criticized for its inclusion of homosexuality, violence, and explicit language. Despite the numerous attempts to ban "The Color Purple," it continues to find its way onto the shelves of interested readers. Join us!

10/11/2025

New guidelines issued by the Hawaii State Public Library System ahead of the 41st annual Banned Books Week prohibit the use of the words “censorship” and “banned,” as well as the phrase “banned books week,” in displays at 51 public libraries across the state. “It’s important to get the facts out and I’m not allowed to put the facts in my display,” a librarian said. “And this is all happening in the one week dedicated to awareness of censorship.”

Last week Lani Kawahara, who oversees the young adult section at Kauai’s largest library, set up her annual display to mark Banned Books Week, a national campaign that kicked off Sunday to spotlight the harms of book censorship in America.

10/10/2025

Banned Books Week (Oct. 5-11) draws national attention to the harms of censorship. The American Library Association continues to focus on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books. Censorship Is So 1984 — Read for Your Rights!

Banned Books from the Big Chair: Speaking Out Against Censorship At the 2025 ALA Annual Conference, Sage, the Banned Books Week Coalition, and Unite Against Book Bans partnered to sponsor the Banned Books from the Big Chair booth. In this guest post from Luke Marquez, Events Manager for Sage, we hig...

09/17/2025

Our next meeting will be at 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, at the Rose City Cafe. The group chose to read "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. Some states have banned this book because it depicts political content, including anti-communist themes. Come join us!

06/25/2025

Our next meeting will be at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, at the Rose City Cafe. The group chose to read "James" by Percival Everett. We've heard several great things about this book. Come join us!