Skip to content
Washington Center for the Book
  • Washington State Book Awards
    • About the Awards
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Winners and Finalists List
    • WSBA – Author Events
    • WSBA Posters & Bookmarks 2024
    • WSBA Posters 2023
    • 2023 WSBA Judges’ Praise
    • WSBA Posters 2022
    • 2022 Judges Praise WSBA Finalist
    • WSBA Posters 2021
    • WSBA Posters 2020
    • WSBA Posters 2019
  • Washington Reads Freely
    • WA Reads Freely – Stories from Across the State
  • National Book Festival
    • Washington State 2024 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Washington State 2023 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Washington State 2022 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Washington State 2021 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Washington State 2020 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Books selected for the National Book Festival
  • For Kids & Teachers
    • Letters About Literature
      • Past Letters About Literature programs
  • For Book Lovers
    • Summer Book Bingo — for grown ups!
    • Where to find books in Washington
    • Washington Authors
  • For Writers
    • Classes and workshops
  • Blog
  • Institutional Library Services (ILS) Wish Lists
  • Zines
    • Sheltered in Place: COVID-19 Zine Diaries Project
    • Washington State Zine Contest
  • Washington State Book Awards
    • About the Awards
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Winners and Finalists List
    • WSBA – Author Events
    • WSBA Posters & Bookmarks 2024
    • WSBA Posters 2023
    • 2023 WSBA Judges’ Praise
    • WSBA Posters 2022
    • 2022 Judges Praise WSBA Finalist
    • WSBA Posters 2021
    • WSBA Posters 2020
    • WSBA Posters 2019
  • Washington Reads Freely
    • WA Reads Freely – Stories from Across the State
  • National Book Festival
    • Washington State 2024 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Washington State 2023 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Washington State 2022 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Washington State 2021 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Washington State 2020 National Book Festival Selection!
    • Books selected for the National Book Festival
  • For Kids & Teachers
    • Letters About Literature
      • Past Letters About Literature programs
  • For Book Lovers
    • Summer Book Bingo — for grown ups!
    • Where to find books in Washington
    • Washington Authors
  • For Writers
    • Classes and workshops
  • Blog
  • Institutional Library Services (ILS) Wish Lists
  • Zines
    • Sheltered in Place: COVID-19 Zine Diaries Project
    • Washington State Zine Contest

text on a colorful background reads: WASHINGTON READS FREELY: Stories from Across the State

Click on the links below to enlarge the quotes from readers across our state!

Washington Reads Freely is a joint project of Washington State Library, Humanities Washington, and the Washington Center for the Book. 

text on a colorful background reads: “I never know what I am going to find when I go to the library, I just wander around and see what strikes me that day - that’s half the fun really. I think everyone should have the opportunity to read about different cultures and perspectives. I don’t think anyone should be allowed to take away the rights of others’ ability to learn through reading.” Heather, Jefferson County “To me, having the freedom to choose what I read means that I can let my imagination, and most importantly my heart and my spirit, fly as free as it wants to be. It means that I can be free, and support the freedom of others to have dreams and pursue them. The freedom to read is the freedom to not only dream, but to bring those dreams to life!” Seth, Spokane County “I believe being able to read whatever I choose, both for information and for entertainment, is a basic right I hold as a citizen. I can inform myself on any topic I find concerning as a voter, investigate the history behind current day issues, and experience any world or setting via fictional stories. All of these open my mind to new thoughts and experiences, make me more empathetic in my real world interactions, and keep me up to date with social, technical, and scientific changes in the modern world.” Suzie, Kitsap County
“Just being able to read whatever I want is meaningful. We live in a society where all voices are not heard on the same level. Everyone having the freedom to read and obtain information gives me a beacon of hope that someday humans will find a way to live and work together on an equal level.” Lifelong Learner, Snohomish County “I’m just a working stiff who loves reading.” Francesca, King County “Libraries were always a fine place to explore - books never teased or shamed me.” Bruce, Yakima County
“The freedom to learn to read, the freedom to choose what you read AND the freedom to access reading materials others take for granted - all are critically important.” Karen, Thurston County “Time and again I would return to Grandma’s book room, but walking through that door was the very moment I fell in love with the humanities: I was captivated by all those books and the big ideas they contained. The humanities provide context for the human experience. Grandma knew this – embraced this. She loved both books and big ideas, and never backed away from the conversations the humanities surely spark.” T, Snohomish County “I read anything and everything. I find suggestions in the newspaper and with the booklets the library puts out.” Paul, Snohomish County
“I realized that if kids are curious about something, they're going to find a way to get information about it, and where better than a public library where caring adults were making sure kids found the books that piqued their interests.” Susan, King County “Actually, my story is sort of backwards. When I was around nine I became fascinated with Greek and Norse mythology. I was a regular patron of our little local library branch in Queens and went to the library to find a book of mythology. I did, but the librarian wouldn't let me check it out. Apparently I was too young. My mother had to check it out for me. She didn't think I was too young. This was in the early 1950's.” Rudolf , Kitsap County “I research authors, read the book flap, the first and last paragraph of a book I’m uncertain about.” Anonymous, Snohomish County
“There are many books that are meaningful to me. It is exciting to discover authors who are thinking some of the same thoughts that I have had in my life journey.” John, King County “I have enjoyed and matured as a person with access to any printed material that piqued and advanced the development of my mind.” Elliot , King County “Freedom of thought is one of the most beautiful things we have - the ability to learn, question, research, daydream, challenge, and explore. My father taught me the freedom of intellectual exploration.” Angie, King County
“Reading has always been difficult for me, whether because of dyslexia or giving myself the time. My sophomore year in college, I finally took the required English 101 class. The teacher gave me a reading list which said, "Read, but above all, enjoy!" I read all the books on the list over several years. I did NOT enjoy any of them! But it helped me to start reading voluntarily, rather than only required reading. ” Sarah, Ferry County “Being able to read what I want any time I desire is a priceless freedom.” MJ , Snohomish County “Due to being surrounded by avid readers as I grew up I never had books censored by these creative and curious adults in my life. Books covered shelves and bed stands. Bookstores and libraries were our sanctuaries.” Piper, King County
“The freedom to read is the freedom to think deeply about ideas beyond the scope of everyday life and alongside people separated from us in time and space. The freedom to read is the freedom to learn things no one around you knows, or things that people around you don't want to know. The freedom to read is brave, subversive, supportive, rebellious and enriching.” Robert, Spokane County “I browse bookstores and libraries, search for books related to topics that I'm interested in at the library, or find recommendations from friends or folks online. I have a stack of books that I've purchased waiting for me to get to them, I have a stream of books from my local library to look at. I'm open to finding books wherever I am. I prefer to find books from the library first.” Blair , King County “By learning about people that are different from me through books, I learn to not fear them. I learn to ask questions if I don't understand something. I learn to empathize with them and hopefully communicate better with them.” Joanne, Cowlitz County
“I love having the freedom to read any or everything, and use my wisdom to decide what's best for me. I choose what books are best for my son to read, and can make that decision without people forcing that decision on our family, either way. I want my library to be for the people and am so grateful that my library does an amazing job of that.” Rose, Asotin County “‘Stamped (For Kids)’ was meaningful for me to both read and teach. I learned so much history I was not taught in school and worked in collaboration with teachers to learn how to teach into this powerful text. Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul then came to visit our 5th graders, teachers, and leaders and we continue to learn from her new text ‘Antiracist Reading Revolution!’” Kirsten , Whatcom County “Having the freedom to choose what I read is like having a passport to everywhere I've ever wanted to go. It's even better when they are places I've never even known about or considered being interested in going to. I can go to lives I've always been curious about, stories real or imagined, and in some of my very favorite experiences, I can let poets and their arrangement of words open doors inside myself.” Cristen, Benton County
“I cannot understand people wanting to keep other people from reading. It is such a good way to learn about yourself and about other cultures. It can also help to develop creative thinking. No one should tell me what my children can and cannot read. If they don’t wish their child to read something, that’s fine I suppose, but don’t place those restrictions on my family.” Kerry, King County “I find ideas and recommendations for books in various ways; book reviews online, references in other books, serendipitous finds at the free library offerings, browsing at used book stores in Bellingham, and learning about new titles from authors I've already read and enjoyed.” Dean, Whatcom County “I rely on books for a way of comfort. I can’t remember a time I didn’t have books. I love reading more than almost anything, and it’s very therapeutic for me. For me, reading IS growing.” Rose, Kitsap County
“Gratitude to those who write, to schools, to libraries, to the free press... because I intend to keep on reading.” Susan, King County “Having the freedom to read (and to write) is a vital right. Through books I am able to learn about not only my history but many other peoples’ histories. This ability is critical to a free society.” Frances , Island County “I read to expand my mind not close it.” Janna, King County
“Having the freedom to read anything I want should be as easy, natural and effortless as being able to say anything I want, think anything I want.” Bruce, King County “If someone told me that I was not allowed to read something I wanted to read, I would be confused and infuriated. I cannot fathom any justifiable reason for denying anyone the right to read, or place guidelines on what they can and cannot read. I would ask, what is the reason? Is there sensitive information? If there is, that's more reason to read it. Information is knowledge, and withholding reading material is withholding knowledge.” Alyssa, Kittitas County “We should all feel free to discover books on our own. Books, good or bad, may reflect our values and tastes, but they also shape those values and tastes. No one should be allowed to tell us what to read or avoid, even if their intentions are good - or especially if their intentions are good.” John, Whitman County
“I recommend others consider reading any book that their childrens' school is recommending as reading. Be open to learning new content. Join a book club and recommend the banned books as reading to discuss with others.” Michele, Clallam County “It tickles me to no end that J.D. Salinger’s ‘Catcher in the Rye’ is now required high school reading! When I was in school, it would have been a banned book, at least in the school.” Meg, Thurston County “Having the freedom to read whatever I want provides an unparalleled freedom in my mind. Regardless of what is happening around me, I can use my time reading to learn, grow, expand my horizons, learn new languages, and escape. I can fall into a book that feels like home, or challenge myself to explore something new. Books are freedom.” Sammy, Skagit County
“The freedom to choose what I read means my freedom to learn, discover, be entertained, and improve myself in the ways that work best for me!” Lifelong Reader & Learner, King County “It's so cliche but I wouldn't trade access to books and knowledge for anything. Not allowing someone to read something is quelching their growth, development, and is a missed opportunity to help others grow around them. Reading has better abled me to go out into the world and better understand people I meet and interact with on a daily basis.” Eendres, Spokane County “My students need the opportunity to see the big world through stories, poetry, and nonfiction works. If we truly want a more empathetic and caring world, we need to allow everyone a chance to read. Additionally, if a person reads a book that has a different view point than they do, it doesn’t mean they’ll change but it may mean they’ll become more tolerant.” Renee, King County
“I did not appreciate adults making assumptions about my reading level or my ability to think critically about books. Books opened up new worlds for me and introduced me to people and stories far removed from my lived experience. Reading was, and is, such a gift, and it still infuriates me that adults want to take away children's freedom to explore.” Amanda, Asotin County “In a very real way, at a time when it mattered most, books taught me that I was not alone. ” Pyper, Kittitas County “If someone told me that I wasn't allowed to read something I wanted to read, I would feel angry because my parents didn't come all the way to this country for our basic freedoms to be stripped. It feels wrong.” Iman, King County
“Sometimes I want to try and understand a different point of view. Sometimes I want to be challenged. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I start a book and don't finish it. It is my right to decide for myself what I read, and it is the right of my neighbors as well.” Ella, Stevens County “I will read nearly anything, from drivel to divine. ” Kit, Benton County “Without free and public access to a wide range of reading materials and a free and public gathering space for civic discussion, our communities would be sadly diminished indeed.” Craig, Okanogan County
“Telling me I'm not allowed to read something I want to read is a surefire way to get me to seek out the thing, especially if it touches on aspects of my own experience as a queer person and the denial makes me feel like I'm being denied the right to exist as myself. It makes me lose all trust in the person or system doing the forbidding.” Tasha, King County “I would feel disappointed on a massive scale if I were told I wasn’t allowed to read something. Books and reading is a privilege to be apart of and having that censored is just unnecessary. If people do not share the same opinion about reading material? Then don’t read it.” Hailey, Thurston County “I guess I wonder, outside of loud policy decisions limiting specific books, how would I know when a book I want has been filtered out or deliberately limited? How would I know when someone has made a decision about what is important and relevant for the future? I guess that's a question that haunts me a bit. ” Danielle, Thurston County
“Discovering that one book in a small library gave me a much richer and more empathetic life. And it lead to a much larger world of books than I had realized existed.” Frank, Thurston County “As a 4th grader, I checked out Thackeray’s ‘Vanity Fair’ from my elementary school library. No adult recommended it. No adult dissuaded me from reading it. I can’t even imagine why it was there. While I didn’t understand any of it, I felt smart and important carrying it back and forth in my school bag. I knew it was full of big ideas, and I wanted a way into that world. Everyone deserves that. ” Barb, King County “As a school librarian, as a parent, as a reader, as a human being, as a citizen of a democratic society, I believe everyone has the #freadom to read what they want to. ” Nathan, King County
“I would be very disappointed if someone told me I was unable to read a book I wanted to read. I think it’s important to let people explore different themes, topics, and stories as they wish. Reading new things can be an enlightening experience that helps residents be more informed, more thoughtful, and more well rounded in general.” Renee, Snohomish County “to sift through words like sifting through grains of sand fingers digging into pages finding fragments of self in stories of others to wander freely in forests of ink and thought no paths prescribed, no maps, only the lure of unknown horizons calling, whispering each book a door each sentence a step toward worlds uncharted and I, the sole cartographer of my own mental landscape freedom to choose a rebellion against the ordinary a dance with the infinite where every choice is a spark igniting realms unseen in this liberty, I find my voice echoing in the silent corridors of boundless possibility reading my way to a truer self ” Ananya, King County “It felt glorious. The book was introduced to me by a librarian whom I will thank forever. I imagine a hole in my life if I didn't come across that book or if it was denied to me.” Lillian, King County
“My world is larger and more colorful because I read outside of my ‘demographic.’ Read everything! Learn about people that are not like you. It makes me sad/frustrated/angry when small-minded people try to control access or ban stories from others. Don't like it... don't read it. Mind your own choices and let others make theirs!” Michelle, Thurston County “The freedom to read what I want means I can explore all genres, points of view and subjects.” Stephanie, King County “I had heard of it forever and finally picked it up, beautiful writing and a beautiful story. It was important to me to have access to it as the author eventually came out as transgender and I wanted to read his work as I’m also a transgender man and queer.” Owen, King County

RECENT POSTS

  • 2024 Washington State Book Award Winners Announced!
  • 2024 Washington State Book Award Finalists Announced!
  • Washington Reads Freely!
  • 2024 Summer Book Bingo – for adults! #BookBingoNW2024
  • The 9th Annual Washington State Zine Contest Results!

About

We promote literacy and a love of books, reading, and libraries. We celebrate Washington’s robust literary heritage and shine a spotlight on the contribution of reading and libraries in strengthening communities and in fostering civic engagement.

More...

Contact Us

Washington Center for the Book
c/o Washington State Library
PO Box 42460
Olympia, WA 98504-2460

Sara Peté, Washington State Library

Search

The Washington Center for the Book is an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book and a project of Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

© 2024 Washington Center for the Book