Why the Freedom to Read Is as American as the Fourth of July

Every Fourth of July, Americans gather for fireworks, parades, cookouts, and celebrations of the nation's founding. It's also a fitting moment to remember that the country's birth was, in a very real sense, an act of writing.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, a document whose words about liberty and equality have echoed through history ever since. Copies were printed and read aloud in town squares so that ordinary people could hear its arguments for themselves. From the very beginning, the American experiment depended on the written word, and on citizens who could read it, debate it, and decide what they believed.

That's why, at Library Tales Publishing, we see literacy as one of the foundations of freedom. Reading isn't only about decoding words on a page. It's about opening doors to knowledge and imagination. It gives people the tools to understand their rights, weigh different ideas, question authority, and take part fully in public life. A person who can read widely can encounter perspectives far beyond their own experience, and make up their own mind.

That's also why the freedom to read matters so much. In recent years, efforts to remove or restrict books in schools, libraries, and other institutions have increased in many parts of the country, with challenges frequently aimed at stories that explore diverse experiences or difficult subjects. People hold strong and varied views on what's appropriate for different ages and settings, and those conversations deserve to be had thoughtfully. But as publishers, we believe deeply that readers, and the families and communities they belong to, should have access to a wide range of ideas and stories, and the freedom to choose for themselves. Several major publishers have taken legal action to challenge book restrictions, and we stand with our industry peers in defending that principle.

This isn't an abstract issue for us. In 2023, some of our own books were banned by the Florida Department of Corrections. Experiences like that remind us that the right to read is something every generation has to protect.

The history of book banning in America is long. Classics now taught in schools across the country, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to To Kill a Mockingbird, have been challenged or removed from shelves at various times. Many books that once seemed controversial are now recognized as essential reading, precisely because they tackled difficult truths.

There are plenty of positive ways to celebrate and support the freedom to read. Visit your local library, and consider volunteering or joining its Friends group. Start a book club that explores challenged or banned titles and discusses why they sparked controversy. Write to an author whose work has been challenged and let them know it mattered to you. Learn about organizations such as the Freedom to Read Foundation, and take part in Banned Books Week, the annual celebration of the freedom to read led by libraries, booksellers, and publishers each fall. And above all, keep reading, especially books that stretch your perspective.

As you celebrate this Fourth of July, consider picking up a book that helps you see the world through someone else's eyes, or revisiting the Declaration of Independence itself. Few things are more American than the freedom to read, think, and decide for yourself.

From all of us at Library Tales Publishing: happy reading, and happy Fourth of July.