Battle over books breaks out in Westhampton Beach

A tiny Westhampton Beach bookstore has become the frontline in a battle over the written word. Terry Lucas, owner of The Open Book on Main Street, has fortified her shop with handmade signs, the protests spelled out in glittery letters. “We have fREADom,” one poster reads. “Reading=good. Censorship=bad,” another sparkles.

“The issue as we see it is not taking anything out of the library,” he said. “The core of this issue is whether these two pieces of work are age-appropriate and belong on the list. I don’t see this as a censorship issue.”