“The seeds of dreams are often found in books.” - Dolly Parton

RIP Dolly Parton. She knew the value of books and had a kind soul.

Come spend Banned Books Week surrounded by books, coffee, good food, and fellow book lovers at Darling & a Scholar’s Banned Books Week Pop-Up Book Fair at Martha’s Café in Arbutus!

We’re bringing a whole week of books to Martha’s, so stop by whenever you can. Bring a friend, the kids, your curiosity, and that stack of books you've been meaning to donate.

And definitely bring something to carry all your new books home.

This week is all about celebrating the joy of reading and the wonderfully strange, surprising, funny, thought-provoking, nostalgic, and sometimes controversial stories that make books so much fun.

You’ll find a thoughtfully curated selection of affordable, secondhand books for readers of all ages, organized by genre, age, and some of the themes and ideas that have led books to be challenged, restricted, or banned. But this isn't just a banned book display.

It’s a book fair. That means stickers, notebooks, pens, fun erasers, bookmarks, literary goodies, and other bookish surprises throughout the pop-up. I encourage you to relive your Scholastic Book Fair days in earnest while also making new book fair memories because you’re never too old for a book fair.

Come looking for a particular title and leave with something completely unexpected. Rediscover a favorite from childhood. Find your next five-star read. Pick up a book for your kid, your friend, your partner, or yourself. Browse the shelves and see what catches your eye.

Dates and Times:

• Friday, October 2, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM

• Saturday, October 3, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

• Tuesday, October 6 through Thursday, October 8, 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM

• Friday, October 9, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM

• Saturday, October 10, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Location: Martha’s Café, 5507 Oregon Ave., Arbutus, MD

Read the Books They Tell You Not to Read

Banned Books Week gives us a chance to celebrate the freedom to read and to think about the stories that have been challenged, restricted, or banned.

Some books have been challenged because of the people and perspectives they center. Others have been questioned because of their language, ideas, subject matter, or portrayal of people, institutions, or society.

Many challenged books explore subjects like identity, race, gender, sexuality, religion, politics, history, inequality, power, resistance, and coming of age.

And sometimes, a book simply gets people talking.

That’s one of the best things about books.

A good book can make you laugh out loud, stay up way too late, introduce you to a character you’ll never forget, send you down a research rabbit hole, or make you see someone else's experience differently.

So come celebrate the books that have sparked conversations, challenged assumptions, made people laugh, made people think, and sometimes made people try to keep others from reading them.

Then pick out a few of your own.

At the Pop-Up

• Shop affordable secondhand books for readers of all ages, organized by genre, age, and themes found in banned and challenged books.

• Discover books beyond the banned book lists, including beloved classics, nostalgic favorites, hidden gems, children's books, unexpected finds, and just plain fun reads.

• Find bookish goodies including notebooks, pens, bookmarks, and other delightful treasures for readers, writers, students, and stationery lovers.

• Bring gently used books to donate and receive $5 off your purchase as a thank you for helping keep good books circulating in our community.

• Bring the kids and let young readers browse, choose their own books, and discover the simple joy of finding a story that belongs to them.

• Grab something delicious from Martha’s Café and settle in with your new find.

• Talk books, exchange recommendations, debate your favorites, and meet other readers who are always looking for their next great story.

Whether you stop by for 20 minutes or make a whole afternoon of it, come browse, discover, donate, eat, read, and connect.

Bring a friend. Bring a stack of books to donate. Bring your kids.

Leave with a stack of books to read.

RSVP for $3 off your total Book Fair Purchase!

About Darling & a Scholar

Darling & a Scholar is a community-centered pop-up book market serving neighborhoods throughout Baltimore County. We partner with local small businesses to create welcoming spaces where people can discover affordable secondhand books, exchange stories, support local businesses, and connect with their community.

By accepting gently used book donations and putting those books back into circulation, Darling & a Scholar helps good stories find new homes while making reading more accessible and sustainable.

Every pop-up is an invitation to shop local, shop small, discover something new, and keep books moving through the community.

See all upcoming events by following our calendar at DarlingScholar.com.

Build Your Own Bookshelf

Want help finding books that are exactly your style?

Ask about our curated bookshelf service, where Darling & a Scholar can hand-select a collection of books based on your interests, reading preferences, favorite genres, or the kind of bookshelf you're hoping to build.

More details and pricing will be available at the event.

About Martha’s Café

We’re especially excited to bring this pop-up to Martha’s Café in Arbutus and grateful to Martha’s for welcoming Darling & a Scholar into their space and supporting local small businesses.

This event is about more than shopping for books. It’s about creating a place where people can gather around them.

So while you’re browsing, take some time to enjoy what Martha’s Café has to offer. Grab a coffee, breakfast, lunch, a sweet treat, or one of your café favorites. Bring a friend, bring your family, pull up a chair, and turn your book shopping trip into a proper café outing.

Have a book recommendation? Share it.

Found a book you loved as a kid? Tell someone about it.

Picked up a book you've been meaning to read? Sit down with your coffee and start a few pages.

We hope this pop-up gives you another reason to eat local, shop local, linger a little longer, and support the small businesses that make our communities special.

Martha’s Café is generously opening its doors to us and doing its part to support local small businesses, and we’d love for our book-loving community to return that kindness by enjoying the café while you’re here.

Come for the books. Stay for the coffee and conversation. Support a local café. Leave with a story you can’t wait to read.

Read the books they tell you not to read. Read the books that make you laugh. Read the books that make you think. Read the books that make you feel.

Just keep reading.