By Riley Fontana
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Book bans have proliferated across the United States, prompting Nutmeg from Needham to take a stand against such measures. To raise awareness about these bans, she devised cookies themed after six frequently banned books.
For her bat mitzvah project, Nutmeg crafted and sold these cookies locally, each design representing one of the following banned books: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," "Looking for Alaska," "The Hate U Give," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Two Boys Kissing," and "Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation." Each cookie was shaped to symbolize either the book itself or a prominent motif from its narrative.
Accompanying each cookie delivery was a brief description of the book and the reasons behind its banning, often citing reasons such as sexual content, LGBTQIA+ themes, racism, or content deemed "inappropriate." All six books had been banned in at least two states and remained under scrutiny in numerous others.
Nutmeg's decision to focus on book banning stemmed from her passion for reading, influenced in part by her mother's suggestion. Initially limited to her community in Needham, Nutmeg exceeded her initial goal of raising $1,000 by selling 440 cookies and amassing $1,858 in funds, with 39 individuals purchasing cookies and 19 contributing through donations.
Many participants in Nutmeg's project were motivated to explore the books their cookies represented, educating themselves about book bans in the process. Nutmeg targeted New England specifically due to its relatively low incidence of banned or challenged books, aiming to shed light on the issue where it's less commonly discussed.
Although Nutmeg's project took place last November, her dedication to combating book bans persists. She endeavors to broaden awareness of the issue and encourage more individuals to advocate for keeping all books accessible to readers. The ongoing prevalence of book bans continues to deprive readers of valuable stories that could benefit them.
