Three years ago, Kirk Cameron was stiff-armed by the nation’s public libraries, but on Saturday, the Christian actor plans to read his children’s books at the most famous library in the world.

For the first time, Mr. Cameron is scheduled to lead a children’s story hour at the Library of Congress, partnering with the Education Department’s Center for Faith for Brave Books’ third annual “See You at the Library” celebration.

It’s a far cry from 2022, when Brave Books, a faith-based publisher of books for children, reported that about 50 public libraries rejected requests to sponsor Mr. Cameron for a children’s book reading after many of them hosted drag queen story hours for kids.

“Let that sink in: Three years ago, I was denied a spot in public libraries,” Mr. Cameron post on X. “Now, BRAVE Books and I are reading inside the Library of Congress with the full support of the Department of Education’s Center [for] Faith.”

He concluded: “That’s what happens when you don’t back down.”

The Library of Congress represents the flagship venue for this weekend’s one-day event, a patriotic assembly expected to draw thousands of participants to hundreds of public libraries across the nation for children’s book readings hosted by local families and community leaders.

“This year, we’ve just got so much momentum since last year,” Mr. Cameron, the star of TV’s “Growing Pains” and other shows, told The Washington Times. “It’s turned into not just a local protest, but a national movement of parents and children gathering by the tens of thousands for prayer time, singing songs and wholesome story hours.”

Despite the library pushback, Brave Books held a dozen children’s book readings featuring Mr. Cameron in 2022-23 by renting private rooms, drawing overflow crowds of parents and kids as well as bands of protesters.

The library tour became a cultural phenomenon before culminating in August 2023 with the first annual “See You at the Library” national story hour.

Last year’s event drew an estimated 10,000 people at more than 300 libraries across 46 states against the backdrop of a conservative grassroots uprising against the Biden administration’s woke gender-identity policies.

The atmosphere surrounding Saturday’s gathering is more upbeat, thanks to what Brave Books described as the “major cultural shift toward faith, family and traditional values in public spaces.”

Mr. Cameron credited President Trump’s triumph in November with pulling the nation back from the brink of cultural disaster.

“Think about where we would be right now as a country if Trump had not won the November election,” he said, “and the turbo chargers of the purple-hair platoon, the woke mob and the radical rainbow mafia just went full force with everything. Where would we be? I don’t even want to think about it.”

At the same time, Mr. Cameron warned supporters against becoming complacent.

“The wind is at our back,” he said. “I don’t see this as an opportunity to sit back — I see it as an opportunity for us to put points on the board and change the game and be a part of a great comeback story for America.”

Those scheduled to join Mr. Cameron at the Library of Congress include “Duck Dynasty” star Missy Robertson, conservative commentator Michael Knowles and officials from the Center for Faith.

A Library of Congress spokesperson described the gathering as a “private event being held at the Library.”

Registration for the Library of Congress story hour opens at 5 p.m., with the event running from 6-8 p.m.

“With special guest readers joining us, this promises to be an unforgettable experience packed with captivating stories, joyful laughter and the warmth of our amazing community,” said the announcement. “Don’t miss out on the fun — it’s going to be a spectacular evening! See you there!”

Less enthusiastic was the left-wing outlet Book Riot, which warned that the “See You at the Library” event “aims to stoke the moral panic around public institutions such as libraries.”

The Center for Faith’s involvement comes as a partnership with Brave for Good, the Brave Books nonprofit venture highlighting literacy and parental involvement in their children’s education, with a focus on the faith community.

Multiple federal departments and agencies launched faith centers or established faith liaisons this year in response to Mr. Trump’s Feb. 7 executive order, “Establishment of the White House Faith Office.”

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.