Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week starts on SATURDAY. This Saturday. It goes (this is where the week part comes in) until Saturday, October 2nd.

"What's banned books week?" I hear you saying.

Banned Books Week is a national event that celebrates your freedom to read whatever you want to read. The freedom to choose NOT to read, and the rights granted all Americans by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Many people think that no one prohibits books anymore, but every year hundreds of books are challenged, restricted or removed from libraries nation-wide.

To see a list of all books (well, those that were reported) challenged in the last year click here.

Recently, several books have come to wide attention as people attempt, and in some cases, succeed, in removing books mostly from schools. You've probably heard of some of them:

• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (find out more)


• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (find out more)


• Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (find out more)

Books can be challenged for seemingly frivolous things like they "Encourage children to break dishes so they won't have to dry them" (A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein). The original version of Where's Waldo had a small topless sunbather on one of their pages, so that created quite a fuss back in the early 90's (article) .

They can also be challenged with much more serious accusations, such as the above Speak being accused of being "soft pornography" because the main character was raped.

What are you going to do to support the freedom to read during Banned Books Week? Will you read one of the challenged books? Will you participate in the Lynnwood Library Banned Books Week Scavenger Hunt for a chance at the $20 to B&N? *end shameless plug* Will you wear a t-shirt (I'll be sporting this one). Will you send a letter to one of people who are challenging a book?

Comment with what you'll do to celebrate your freedom to read by midnight on October 2nd, and one commenter will win the oft-challenged Gail Giles's new book Dark Song.*

*Winner must be in grades 6-12 and able to pick up their winnings at one of the 21 Sno-Isle Libraries.

Perks of Being a Wallflower Movie

According to MTV this favorite teen novel will be made into a movie by the author himself, Stephen Chbosky, and it will star your favorite book-nerd, Hermione Granger. Or, you know, the actress who plays her - Emma Watson. The main character, Charlie, will be played by Logan Lerman, who you saw recently as Percy Jackson.

Perks is often challenged due to, as MTV puts it, Charlie's "deal[ings] with familial issues, drug use, sexuality and burgeoning feelings for Sam [Watson's role], as well as thoughts of suicide."

I'll be sure to post a trailer here when there's one available.

You can place a hold on The Perks of Being a Wallflower by clicking on the title, or visit your local library and you may find it on the Teen Explore shelf.

The Most Banned

Every year the American Library Association announces the top ten titles that have had the most "formal, written complaint[s], filed with a library or school, requesting that materials be removed or restricted because of content or appropriateness.”

It should be no surprise, then, that most of these books were written for the teen audience.

The ALA’s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009 reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

1. ttyl, ttfn, l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
   Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs



2. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
   Reasons: Homosexuality



3. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
   Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide



4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
   Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group



5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
   Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group



6. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
   Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group



7. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
   Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence



8. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
   Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group



9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
   Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group



10. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
    Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

I've read seven of these. How many have you read? What do you think?

To learn more, including the top 100 challenged books of the decade click here.

Banned Books week is September 25 - October 2, 2010. Talk to your librarian if you'd like to do something special to celebrate challenged books that week.

via Entertainment Weekly

Secret locker library?!

from the BoingBoing blog:

A teenager asked Yahoo! Questions whether maintaining a lending library in his school locker is illegal (as opposed of merely in contravention of school regulations). A school friend asked to borrow off him The Catcher in the Rye, one of the books in the banned list, and one thing led to another..."This happened a lot and my locker got to overflowing with the banned books, so I decided to put the unoccupied locker next to me to a good use. I now have 62 books in that locker, about half of what was on the list. I took care only to bring the books with literary quality." (He refuses to carry Twilight ;)

How far would you go to defend your right to read what you want? Would you risk getting kicked out of school?

Some of the awesome books he has stashed in the secret locker library:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Sabriel
Mort
Interview with the Vampire
The Hunger Games
Shade's Children

Is it ever ok to laugh about suicide?

This week an author I really like committed suicide. To me, this is a gigantic super sad bummer, and a tremendous waste. I think there are always other options, other choices, and ways to get through and find a better life...even if that doesn't seem clear to people who are dealing with depression.

If you or a friend need someone to talk to, here are two great resources:
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1.800.SUICIDE
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK

Then today I saw this article: China bans bunny suicide book. I have read this book. It is dark, but also very funny. The Chinese government is worried it will inspire stressed teens to kill themselves. But I think sometimes dark humor helps almost as much as good advice. What do you think?