11/11/2026
Books Are Wings, a Rhode Island nonprofit organization that puts free books into the hands of children, honored Rep. Jennifer Stewart with its Elizabeth M. Dennigan Community Champion award for her support and sponsorship of the Freedom to Read Act, which the General Assembly enacted in 2025.
The Freedom to Read Act, which was first introduced by Representative Stewart in 2024, encourages library selections that provide a wide range of viewpoints and prohibits the censorship of library materials. It mandates the creation of a model policy for materials in public and school libraries, and it offers library staff members protection from civil and criminal liability for following that model policy in good faith.
“I’m so grateful to Books Are Wings for providing children across Rhode Island — especially in our most struggling communities — with books,” said Representative Stewart (D-Dist. 59, Pawtucket). “I look forward to continuing to support our librarians, authors, readers, public schools, public libraries and all who value learning alongside groups like Books Are Wings and the Imagination Library.”
The community champion award was named for former state representative Elizabeth M. Dennigan, who founded Books Are Wings in 1998. Today, the organization works with more than 100 volunteers a year and distributes an average of 60,000 books annually in cities and schools around the state of Rhode Island.
In addition to Representative Stewart, the award was given to Sen. Mark McKenney (D-Dist. 30, Warwick) and Mayor-Elect David Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence), who also sponsored the legislation.
