Banned Books Week 2019

Banned Books Week

Censorship Leaves Us in the Dark

September 22-September 28, 2019

This book is the most surprising book on the banned and challenged lists. I loved this book when I read it the first time shortly after it won the Newberry Honor. I thought it would make me cry and it didn't, fortunately. This is NOT one of those books where the dog dies! Surprisingly, this book was a gift from my 10-year-old niece who read it in school! Huzzah for her teacher for allowing kids to read this book!

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo--Middle Grades Fiction

I just adore this book about a lonely little girl and the ugly dog who works his way into her heart. He helps her make friends with other lonely people in town and connect with her emotionally distant Daddy. The story feels timeless- there's a brief mention of cars but it feels old-fashioned, like 1950s because of the rural Florida setting. That is what will make this book an enduring classic for generations.

I can certainly relate to India Opal and how much she loves Winn-Dixie. I fell in love with him too at the same moment Opal does when he smiles and sneezes and wags his tail. How could anyone NOT love Winn-Dixie? I like the moral message about befriending others who may be experiencing sorrow and loneliness but expressing it in negative ways. The characters are special and the adults stand out. Miss Franny Brock, the librarian who spends her days telling Opal about her past and encouraging Opal to read more. Her special candies are interesting and while I highly doubt the story could be true, the candies help bring Opal closer to the other children. Miss Gloria Dump is feared and labeled a witch because she's elderly and reclusive. She has demons in her past but certainly isn't a witch. Miss Gloria Dump is a wise and special woman. Otis, the musician who plays for animals only, is another lost soul befriended by Winn-Dixie and Opal. He's shy and sweet. I love his relationship with animals, especially Gertrude the parrot, who is the best character after Winn-Dixie!

The children are a little less memorable and more "types." Sweetie Pie, a younger girl, longs for a dog of her own. She latches on to Winn-Dixie and therefore Opal to be her friends. I sense loneliness for this little girl, hence her desire for a dog. The Dewbury brothers are stereotypical boys who taunt and tease Opal and fear Miss Gloria Dump and Amanda, the mean girl, all have their good points. This is the weak part of the story that puts it squarely in the middle-grades category.

I believe adults will enjoy this book too, for the most part. It's a good bedtime read. My sweet 10 year old niece gifted this to me after reading it in school. She knows how much I love dogs and how much I miss my childhood best friend. I had read it before and loved it. Ironically, I was going to gift it to HER this year.

Parents may object to the following:
a few "stupids" uttered by Opal about the boys
a few "retards" which I STRONGLY suggest the publisher remove if this isn't a period piece. If it's period, leave it and state the decade it's set in when that word was commonly tossed around as an insult.
recovering alcoholics
a bottle tree to keep the ghosts of the past at bay

Banned Books Week 2019

Banned Books Week

Censorship Leaves Us in the Dark

September 22-September 28, 2019

I have read and loved numerous books which have been challenged over the years. When I was a kid I read everything in my tiny school library. I want to thank my parents, teachers and librarians for never ever restricting what I read. 

This year I read one book that was new to me and one I had read and loved before. 

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle--Middle Grades/Young Adult Fiction


Nate Foster lives and breathes Broadway. He's dying to become a Broadway star but in his hometown of Jankburg, Pennsylvania (outside of Pittsburgh) thirteen-year-old boys do not sing and dance. His parents don't understand, his older brother is a jock who picks on Nate, the boys at school bully Nate for being a theater geek and a late bloomer. The only person who understands is his best friend Libby. While Nate would do anything to be on Broadway, Libby would do anything for Nate and help get Nate on Broadway is her biggest dream too. When Libby hears about an open casting call fro E.T. : The Broadway Musical, Nate feels this is his one chance to shine. It's quite simple. All he has to do is 1) wait for his parents to go out of town (check), 2)lie to his older brother (check), 3) steal his mom's ATM card (check) and get on a Greyhound bus to New York and return before his parents come home. No big deal, right? Nate discovers that New York is vastly different from his small town. The one thing that remains the same is that bullies are everywhere, but Nate persists in following his dream to become a better Nate than ever!

The premise of this story is really cute. I sure could relate to Nate. When I was 13 I wanted to be on the Mickey Mouse Club in the worst possible way. I would never have been brave enough or foolish enough to run away to Orlando, plus Orlando is much farther from my home than New York is from Nate's home. I really like all the Broadway references and how the biggest flops become Nathan and Libby's curse words. I love the depiction of the weird and wonderful things about New York City and the process of auditioning for a musical. Of course, as an adult, I expected certain things to happen and largely they did but the tone is very light. I did not expect the cliffhanger, possible fairy tale ending. I didn't love a lot of language used in this book.

The writing style is a unique and I didn't quite find it to my liking. I'm not the target age and not used to reading about modern tweens and teens. I was very confused about whether this was contemporary or based on the author's childhood or what. I know it's contemporary from the Harry Potter reference but the bullies constantly use the "f" word to bully Nate because they assume he's gay and the bullying is really horrendous. I would fully expect adults of today to crack down on that and NOT let kids get away with that behavior, including using that word. All the things that happen to Nate in school are too reminiscent of my own 90s youth. Yes it makes sense for Nate's small hometown for people to be homophobic bullies but it is also used once in New York at the end of the book. I wonder if Hamilton has changed perceptions of what male Broadway performers are like? (The school bully's name is James Madison!)

I'm not sure I'd want my my nieces and nephews reading this though. On one hand, Nate is a good hero for kids who are being bullied but on the other hand, he constantly lies and breaks rules to get what he wants. Not so great. I did like how he remains cheerful and optimistic despite everything he's going through. At 13, he hasn't gone through puberty yet. His voice is high, he's short and overweight. That alone is enough to get a kid bullied but add to that his passion for musical theater in a place where no one has seen a professional Broadway performance and that is pretty much social suicide. While the bullies assume Nate is gay, Nate says he's not interested in kissing ANYONE yet so he doesn't know if he would rather kiss boys than girls. He's focused on his immediate goal and kissing will come later once he's older. He does seem to have a brief moment of self-awareness while witnessing two men kissing. (Note to Nathan: Go see Fun Home if you're in New York in 2015.)

As I mentioned, I do not like how Nate does a million and one really bad things to get what he wants. My heart breaks for him that his family is not supportive. His dad is positively awful to both Nate and Nate's mom. His parents are Christians from a small town and there's a lot they don't allow or accept. I can accept Anthony being a typical older brother and beating up on his weird kid brother but the parents trying to force Nate to be something he's not is just terrible. Nate feels he doesn't have a choice but to run away. He learns a lot about his family on his journey. His last conversation with Libby is a bit too wise for a kid of his age. It doesn't sound like Nate.

While I empathize with Nate and I do like him (but wish he wouldn't lie and steal), I really can't stand Libby. I can relate to her passion for Broadway musicals and wanting to be Nate's manager. I can't help but feel she's a bully in her own way. It was Libby who introduced Nate to Broadway musicals. What would his passion be if Libby hadn't come along? It's Libby who coaches Nate and teaches him everything he needs to know about Broadway. She encourages him to accomplish his dream no matter what. Libby lies and covers up for Nate constantly and manipulates the adults. Unlike Nate, Libby is not a late bloomer. At 12 she seems a little too interested in boys and seeing "the male form." I do not want my nieces to be friends with this girl.

The Broadway casting agency is like a grown-up version of middle school. They humiliate and bully the kids. The show business parents are equally awful in their firm belief that their precious darling is the best at EVERYTHING and Nate is not fit to wipe their shoes. The child actors are a bit standoffish and snobby towards Nate but they're all competing for the same part so it's understandable.

There are really only two likable adults in this story. Nate's estranged Aunt Heidi arrives on the scene just when he needs the most support. I feel a bit sorry for her that she's over the hill in Broadway years and her career didn't pan out the way she planned. She seems a bit... sad and pathetic but yet content and confident at the same time. She's awkward around Nate at first but I think she shows a lot of compassion and warmth towards him that her own sister can't/won't show. Their story is rather sad. Freckles is the only other adult who helps Nathan. Freckles provides Nathan with a "cool" (gay) male role model and supportive friend. Nate needs a friend like Freckles. At 13 Nate isn't a little kid and he's been going through a tough time. He needs someone older who's been there done that and understands and who will listen.

This book has both won awards AND been banned and challenged! The author's visit to his own middle school was canceled for fear of parental backlash. I encourage people to read about kids like Nate or watch Glee and other similar shows. Do not avoid this book fearing "gay" content because there really isn't any and it's incidental to the story. Nate is who he is and who he will be remains to be seen. It's a book about a boy with a dream and a passion who will do anything to achieve his dream. If you're going to ban this book do it because of all the lies the kids tell and stealing Mom's ATM card!

Recommended for ages 13+ possibly more mature 11-12 year olds as well.

Banned Books Week 2019

Banned Books Week

Censorship Leaves Us in the Dark

September 22-September 28, 2019

I have read and loved numerous books which have been challenged over the years. When I was a kid I read everything in my tiny school library. I want to thank my parents, teachers and librarians for never ever restricting what I read. 

This year I read not just books that are banned or challenged but started by reading a book about banning books. 

Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes-- Middle Grades Fiction


Seventh-Grader June Harper is more of a band geek than a rebel. She accepts her parents' strict rules: no dating, no cell phones, G-rated movies, early bedtimes, band practice after school. Mr. and Mrs. Harper have been extra hyper focused on June ever since her older sister Kate left for college. June looks forward to visiting the school library every day before school when the librarian, Ms. Bradshaw, helps June choose a new book. June loves reading more than anything. She loves being taken away to worlds that don't exist outside the imagination, meeting new people and learning new ideas. Which is why it comes as a horrible shock when her parents forbid her from reading a book they deem inappropriate. What's worse is when they learn June got the book from the school library! The Harpers take away June's books and force the school to confront their policies on reading material. Ms. Bradshaw is put on leave and the school enacts new rules about approved reading. June is miserable! As days goes by without the school returning books, June becomes more and more miserable, despite the coolest boy in 8th grade wanting to date her. Then she discovers a Little Free Library in her community and suddenly reading is fun again. It turns out June isn't the only middle schooler who misses the library and she becomes the Rebel Librarian, a superhero helping kids subvert the rules in the name of freedom to read. How long can she keep it up before she's caught and what happens then?

5 stars for the message about freedom to read! Minus a star for the boy drama and lack of authentic boy voice.

The plot is gripping. I could not put this book down. I was right there with June feeling everything she felt. I was appalled at the actions of the parents, administration and school board. You think that could never happen in real life but I'm certain the story is based on different schools around the country that have tried these draconian tactics. I wanted to stand up and cheer for Joan at the end. I did not like the boy drama at all. Middle School boys are a)not that cool, b)don't talk like these characters or act like these characters and c)don't like girls their own age (unless boys have changed a lot since I was a kid). I also don't think the boy drama was necessary to the plot. It teaches kids how to choose the right partner but it also skews the audience older.

I want to pause and say thank you to my parents and teachers for never ever censoring what I read! The only comment I've ever gotten "What are you reading?!" from my Dad came when I was in my 30s and reading an old CLEAN Regency romance because the lame publisher wanted to make the cover titillating and of course the dress styles of the day show lots of bosom. I'm proud to have read many of the books on June's list and many others that have been banned and challenged. I wasn't even aware some of these books had been banned. I will provide a list at the end.

June is my superhero! She's a great kid. I'm not sure I would be so brave. I would just go to the public library or decide that if the books are deemed inappropriate I won't like them. That us, until I learned her parents censored ! (yes, seriously! Why? Because Anne serves Diana red current wine at tea and gets Diana drunk.) Then it would be full on rebel! Like June, I don't understand banning books the kids have already read! While I do think it's up to each child's parents to determine what that child reads, I don't understand why the parents didn't pre-read books before giving them to her and why they chose to censor books they HAD read. Some of these books were written for their age group and are enormously popular. Other books are classics and considered "quality literature." I would be so proud of June if she were my daughter! She's smart, brave and a good kid. Ms. Bradshaw is also my hero. A newly minted librarian, she has made a huge difference in June's life and is a nurturing adult who can be a mentor and friend without the uncoolness of being a parent.

The principal is weak and caves in to ONE set of parents who are very involved in the school. The school then turns into a totalitarian regime, which is ironic because the Honors English class is reading The Crucible, which is in fact not about the Salem Witch Trials of 400 years ago but about events that happened only 60ish years ago. The principal doesn't seem to know what the play is about or it would not be allowed! The PTSA doesn't seem to include the S- the students but randomly makes decisions based on what June's dad says. The school board is completely awful. They're anonymous adults who are for the establishment. This is a weak part in the novel but the end shows that the adults are not ALL 2D drones working for the man.

The other kids are all either super awesome or really awful. Boys have come between June and her bff Emma. Emma is interested in Matt but she sure seems interested in Graham too and Graham is showing interest in June. Emma's behavior towards June is pretty awful, especially when the boys are around. I was surprised at the reason June listed for why she chose to hang out with Emma in the first place. Graham is a spoiled rich kid, a former bad boy who wants to reform because his parents have bribed him. I think he's interested in June because she's a good girl who will go a long way to rehabbing his image. Like June I think he comes across as too slick and his jokes aren't funny. Graham is not someone I would want to date. Matt, on the other hand, is a very nice boy. When he's older he'll be a swoony hero in his own romance someday but for now he does NOT sound like a middle school boy!

Minor characters include Abby Rodriguez, an older girl who would never look twice at June. Abby is really cool and I like her a lot. Madison, June's former bff, now frenemy, is justified in holding a grudge against June but she is apparently rude to everyone. I feel kind of sorry for her and feel she could be a cool, edgy character. Colby is another unrealistic cool boy who loves to read.

Overall, I find this book is a must read for tweens and adults. Read it together and figure out an understanding. Parents, you have to trust your kids and the adults who look after them at school.

I don't know why this town doesn't have a public library. They could have gotten all or most of these books at the public library unless their parents cut up their library cards.

June's Library
The Crossover
Six of Crows
Doll Bones
Blubber *
Poppy Mayberry, The Monday
Sticks & Stones
Matilda *
Because of Winn-Dixie *
Better Nate Than Ever *
Coraline
The Graveyard Book
George
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
The Outsiders
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
EngiNerds
A Snicker of Magic
Rules
Number the Stars *
Bob
Bridge to Terabithia *
Pax
The Lightning Thief
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone *
Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life
Holes
The Secret Horses of Briar Hill
Goosebumps Boxed Set
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry *
Wolf Hollow
Brown Girl Dreaming

*read

other titles mentioned

Wishtree
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Beezus and Ramona
Lily and Dunkin
Old Yeller
Twilight
The Crucible
Anne of Green Gables
Monster
Junie B. Jones Boxed Set
The Little Prince
The Hobbit or There and Back Again
The Velveteen Rabbit

Banned Books Week 2019

Banned Books Week

Censorship Leaves Us in the Dark

September 22-September 28, 2019

Last week (September 22-28) was Banned Books Week. Banned Books Week: Censorship Leaves Us in the Dark September 22-September 28, 2019 Books have been banned since the beginning of the printing press and continue to be banned today. Why are books banned? Banned Books Week honors books which have been banned and challenged across the country. Many books have been challenged for various reasons, such as witchcraft (Harry Potter) or difficult topics (To Kill a Mockingbird). It's against the principles of the American Library Association Code of Ethics to physically prevent readers from access to information. Banned Books Week upholds the Code of Ethics all librarians agree to. Banning books challenges Americans first amendment rights. Only you (or your parents, if you are a minor) have the right to decide what you can read. ALA's List of Frequently Challenged Books 

 Facts on banned books from Yahoo: 

•  1982: The year the ALA celebrated the first Banned Books Week.
•  1990: The first year the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom began gathering statistics about banned books. 
•   4,312: The number of challenges received by American libraries between 2001 and 2009. According to the American Library Association's definition, a challenge is a formal and written complaint requesting that a book be removed from shelves because of objectionable content
• 1,502: The number of challenges tabulated between 2001 and 2009 that occurred in classroom settings.
•  451: The temperature in degrees Fahrenheit that book paper catches fire and burns. Ray Bradbury used that scientific factoid to write "Fahrenheit 451," a novel about a futuristic society in which reading is discouraged. In today's world, some people who challenge books often stage book burnings in public places. 
•  69: "Fahrenheit 451's" ranking on the ALA's "Top 100 Challenged/Banned Books: 2000-2009"  
• 1979: The year that Katherine Patterson's young adult novel "The Great Gilly Hopkins" received both the Newberry Honor Award and the National Book Award. 
•  20: "The Great Gilly Hopkins" ranking on the ALA's "Top 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990-1999." Most of the challenges are due to the character of Gilly Hopkins, a foster child who frequently uses the words "damn" and "hell".
•  65 million: Estimated number of books sold by prolific author Judy Blume. In 2005, Dr. Rick Schneider banned Blume's ground-breaking young-adult novel "Forever" from the shelves of the Pasadena Independent School District. 
•  4: The number of voyages taken by the title character in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (Gulliver's final voyage took him to a world of talking horses who ruled over humans called Yahoos). Swift's book was banned in Ireland in 1726 for obscenity and wickedness.
•  In 2017 there was a 17% increase in book censorship complaints in 2016. The actual number is likely much higher because most challenges are not reported. 

While only 10% of the titles reported are normally removed from the institutions receiving the challenges. Half of the most frequently challenged books were actually banned last year
The official banned books site provides more information and lists events by state. To see lists of books which have been banned and challenged visit 

Banned Books that shaped America 

Top ten frequently challenged books lists of the 21st century 

Frequntly Challenged Young Adult books Frequently

Challenged Children's Books

The American Libraries Association. 

Latest list of banned books by Illinois Library Association 

B&N's list of 11 books that were banned for completely ridiculous reasons

Buzzfeed's list of 33 must-read banned books 

A Google search for "Surprisngly Banned Books" will bring up more 

Need more info? 

There are more lists and information at a American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression

Read Beyond Her Book Booksellers Urged to Participate in Banned Books Week 
Other resources to celebrate: Knowledge Quest 

What would you say to your favorite banned author? How has a banned book impacted your life? Have you ever been censored?