National Banned Book Week

September 27th - October 3rd, 2015 is National Banned Book Week!

Throughout the world, and throughout time, people and organizations challenge various books.  A challenge is when a person or organization states a book should be taken off the shelf or out of the library or not offered to people to be read.  The reasons WHY a book is challenged is not easy to explain.  It can be because someone disagrees with how a character is portrayed; that someone feels the book's message conflicts with one's religious beliefs; that people feel words or actions included in a book do (or would) make a person feel uncomfortable or goes against their values; that people believe it is unsuited for a specific age group; and more.

Sometimes the challenges are successful and the books become banned ... this means NO ONE can have access to read that book at that specific location.

Here are a few books that were frequently challenged and/or banned from 1990 - 2014.  How many of these have YOU or your family read during your lifetime? 

* Scary Stories (series) by Alvin Schwartz* Bridge to Terabithia by Katerine Paterson* The Giver by Lois Lowry

* The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie* My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier* Goosebumps (series) by R.L. Stine* The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katerine Paterson

* A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

* The Call of the Wild by Jack London

* The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros* The Witches by Roald Dahl

* Looking for Alaska by John Green* A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle* Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

* The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky* Blubber by Judy Blume* Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George* The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton* To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee* Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes* Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling* A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein* Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher* Lord of the Flies by William Golding* ttyl by Lauren Myracle* Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey* The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B Cooney* Junie B. Jones (series) by Barbara Park

 What are YOUR thoughts on challenging and or banning books?

Flipped over Flipped!

I absolutely LOVED this book!  It was funny ... it was suspenseful ... it was eye opening.

In Wendelin Van Draanen's novel Flipped the reader is given the opportunity to see the same events from two different character's points of views and WOW who would have thought that would make a difference!

When we first meet Bryce and Julianna, I'll admit, I truly believed Julianna was a bit over-the-top, and yes, a wee bit stalkerish.  But then in the very next scene, I got to see things from Julianna's view and ... my thoughts totally turned around.  What she was doing made sense and suddenly I was in her corner.

Things are not always as they seem, and I love how Van Draanen slowly allows the reader to see the WHOLE PICTURE and not just the part that was originally in focus.  The extra nice part?  The novel doesn't really end.  Yep.  There's no "wrap up" or "epilogue", which does throw me a bit, but comes across as more realistic.

If you like a light romance with touches of humanity and family growth, definitely pick up Flipped!

Evil? Maybe ...

 So I read Michelle Knudsen's Evil Librarian.  First of all, let me say LIBRARIANS ARE NOT EVIL!!!!  Well, most aren't.  I'm not.  At least I don't think I am.

But I digress ... Evil Librarian has promise in the beginning ... I was engaged by the thought that the librarian was pulling a little "mind control" over certain students and I was really wondering WHY the mind control wasn't working on Cynthia.  As the story went on, however, I lost interest.  I suppose I was hoping for just a "horror/mystery/suspense" story, but a romantic element was thrown in at the beginning and then drug through the entire novel.  It just bothered me.

As I've mentioned before, my opinion about a book shouldn't really matter in whether or not you choose to read it yourself.  There are MANY books that I'll love and you won't (sniff - sniff) and books that you'll love and I'll despise.  ;)  But no matter what, we'll remain friendly and will continue to talk books!