Booked kicks off Banned Books Week With Award-Winning Author Event

Richard Fellinger’s An American Girl tells the story of a single mom, a book ban, and a town in turmoil 

Philadelphia —Chestnut Hill’s booked. will kick off Banned Books Week with a book-signing event featuring author Richard Fellinger, whose award-winning novel An American Girl tells the timely and heartfelt story of a single mom fighting a book ban.

Fellinger will be available to discuss the inspiration for the novel and sign copies on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Booked, 8511 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. booked. is an independent, woman-owned bookshop with a diverse selection of books that includes contemporary fiction and much more.

An American Girl won the inaugural Thomas E. Kennedy Novel Award from the literary press Serving House Books and was published in 2025

Fellinger, 60, of Harrisburg, Pa., is a former Philadelphia journalist and author of four books of literary fiction.

Set in Pennsylvania, An American Girl tells the story of Emma, a single mom with a biracial son who leads an effort to select diverse books for their local school district. But their selections end up banned by the firebrand leaders of the school board, causing Emma and her newfound community friends to fight back.

Banned Books Week, an annual effort spotlighting the freedom to read, runs from Oct. 4 to 11 this year. It is spearheaded by a coalition that includes the American Library Association and PEN America.

Read more about the author at www.richardfellinger.com.