RI Bookstore Passport Adventure

Announcing the 2026 Rhode Island Independent Bookstore Passport Adventure
Charter Books, Books on the Square, and Wakefield Books Partner with Independent Bookstores Across Rhode Island For Special Program

Providence, RI (April 1, 2026) — Charter Books, Books on the Square, and Wakefield Books are excited to announce the relaunch of the Rhode Island Independent Bookstore Passport Adventure. First launched in 2019, this program invites readers across Rhode Island to visit a total of 20 independent bookstores across the state over the course of nine days, from Saturday April 18 through Sunday April 26. Prizes will be offered for customers who succeed in visiting all participating stores, including a grand prize of twenty $25 gift certificates, one from each store.

“We are thrilled to relaunch this program with participation from so many wonderful bookstores across the state,” says Jennifer Kandarian, manager at Books on the Square. “The RI Independent Bookstore Passport Adventure is an opportunity to celebrate our local indie bookstore scene and encourage our customers to explore the many unique bookshops this state has to offer.”

The full list of stores participating in the Passport Adventure is as follows:
arc{hive} book + snackery
4 Market St, Warren
Island Books
575 East Main Road, Middletown
Barrington Books
184 County Road, Barrington
Little Bubblegum Bookshop
103 Wickenden St, Providence
Binds and Blooms
45 Sandy Bottom Rd, Coventry
Martin House Books
10 Canal St, Westerly
Book Around
1005 Main St Suite 2117, Pawtucket
Map Center
545 Pawtucket Ave MS208, Pawtucket
Books on the Square
471 Angell St, Providence
Paper Nautilus Books
19 South Angell St, Providence
Brown University Bookstore
244 Thayer Street, Providence
Riffraff
60 Valley Street, #107A, Providence
Charter Books
35 Farewell Street, Newport
Stillwater Books
1745 Main Street, West Warwick
Forget Me Not Fables
1986 Smith St Unit 3, North Providence
Symposium Books
240 Westminster Street, Providence
Heartleaf Books
374 Atwells Ave, Providence
Wakefield Books
160 Old Tower Road, Wakefield
Ink Fish Books
488 Main Street, Warren
Yellow House
3842 Main Rd, Tiverton


Information about the RI Independent Bookstore Passport Adventure can be found at booksq.com/passport.

How the Program Works

Passports will be distributed at three anchor locations—Charter Books in Newport, Books on the Square in Providence, and Wakefield Books in Wakefield—starting on Saturday April 18. Participants will have nine days to visit all twenty participating stores and have their passports stamped at each one. Participants are not required to make purchases when visiting each store. Completed passports must be brought back to one of the three anchor locations by Sunday, April 26, to be eligible for prizes.

All customers who successfully complete a passport will receive twenty 20% off coupons, one for each participating store. One lucky participant will receive the grand prize: twenty $25 gift cards, one per store, for a total value of $500 in books, gifts, toys, home goods, and more.

About Independent Bookstore Day

The Passport Adventure will be timed to coincide with Independent Bookstore Day on April 25, 2026, a yearly celebration of indie bookstores organized by the American Booksellers Association (ABA). On Independent Bookstore Day, ABA member stores across the country, including eleven of the twenty stores participating in the Passport Adventure, will offer special events, freebies, discounts, and more for their customers. More information about Independent Bookstore Day 2026 can be found at the ABA’s website.