Well, it was fun taking Treasure State by C. J. Box with me to all my appts the last 2 months. I truly think it should have earned passport stamps, from the various docs and tests. But alas, I finished it, and it is coming out in stores tomorrow! (My review will be later this week.)
So now I need help picking my next read. I have several appts in the next week and need a good book. Here are the choices:
“What I tell kids is, Don’t get mad, get even. Don’t spend time waving signs or carrying petitions around the neighborhood. Instead, run, don’t walk, to the nearest nonschool library or to the local bookstore and get whatever it was that they banned. Read whatever they’re trying to keep out of your eyes and your brain, because that’s exactly what you need to know.”
~Stephen King
“Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.”
~Laurie Halse Anderson
“Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.”
~Isaac Asimov
“A dangerous book will always be in danger from those it threatens with the demand that they question their assumptions. They’d rather hang on to the assumptions and ban the book.”
~Ursula Le Guin
“I can’t imagine a greater compliment for an author than making the banned book section.”
If you love Banned Books, if you crave Freedom to Read, or if you are brand new to this whole concept of book censorship and you want to learn more… READ THIS BOOK
Banned Books
By: DK Publishing
Banned Books is the ultimate reference guide to challenged books throughout history. Broken down by time, such as pre-1900, dating back as far as 1370s, to modern day 2021, each chapter reveals titles that have caused controversy. It reveals backstories of the authors, explains what the books (or articles) are about, and where/why they are banned. Readers will learn about the Index of Prohibited Books, as well as the many laws protecting and punishing Freedom of Speech. Some of these authors have mysteriously disappeared, one who had passed had his body dug up, burned, and tossed in a river. It talks about the punished people that read the books and tried to sell/share these titles.
Some books/authors are easily recognized, from Chaucer to Darwin, from Lee to Malcolm X. Some however will be new to readers, for instance, I had never heard of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz or Etheridge Knight. There are pictures of books and authors, as well as quotes from the titles or those criticizing the work. I look forward to using this book as a reading challenge and see how many I can find in print.
This book can easily be devoured in one-sitting, or cherished overtime. It belongs on every bookcase in homes, schools, libraries, and bookstores.
Notes:
I signed up to honestly review an egalley from DK Publishing, through Netgalley.
I received my physical copy from My Sister’s Books. You can support your favorite Indie Bookstore here.
Today’s let’s just show the Top 10 Banned Books, per the American Library Association from the last 3 years. How many have you read? I know I have some reading to do.
2021:
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin
2020:
George by Alex Gino
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Finally 1 I have read. I have read some books by Jason Reynolds, but not the above titles.)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Can I add a check mark for each time I have read this title?)
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (another one that could give me several check marks)
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (I need to get my hands on this book.)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
2019:
George by Alex Gino
Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss
Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg
Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack
I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (Hmm, I may need to look into the multiple check mark system.)
And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
I don’t know how your tally system looks, but I have some serious catching up-to-do.
Today, let’s focus on children’s books. I am talking epic children’s classics that pretty much every child has read or definitely should read. Did you know these titles have been banned?
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. This is one of Mom’s all-time favorite movies and I have read various versions of this book. This book has been banned for numerous reasons, being “ungodly,” creating negative mindsets in children, and promoting a strong female character.
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. This one shocked me. Apparently, it was banned for Marxism theories and homosexual tendencies. Now it has been many a year since I have read this book, but I do not remember any of these subjects.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I read this book so many times, I can still recite it. I even signed it in one of my ASL classes. I love this book. How could anything Maurice Sendak be banned? Well obviously, witchcraft. Yes, this book dared to spark imaginations of children everywhere and teach them about being loved, and yet it was accused numerous times of promoting witchcraft.
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White. Now this book and movie are true heartfelt classics. And yet, as recently as 2006, it was banned in Kansas, because talking animals are sacrilegious. This book contains the only spider I have ever truly cared about.
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hartford. Yes, Waldo made the top 100 Banned Books for several years, because there was a topless woman in the beach scene. I mean seriously, who has found all the Waldos and other characters? I was given a copy for my birthday a few years ago (the anniversary edition) and I still have not found all the characters and objects. So how someone spotted a topless woman and made that big of a deal about it. Hmph.
Keep in mind, each day, I am only sharing a sparse handful of titles. Titles that are probably on your shelf or have been on your shelves. Titles that your friends rave about. Titles that you have bought for kids and grandkids. Think about all the joy, memories, imaginations, and bonding time that you have experienced thanks to these books. Now imagine if you were never allowed to read them in the first place…
Today, let’s dive into books that are on my wish list to read vs. some of my favorites. How many of these have you read?
1. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Somehow, and I honestly have no idea how, I have not read this book yet. It has been on my wish list for years. The reason it keeps getting banned: sexual scenes and language. This book made it to the top 10 of banned books last year!
2. Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I loooooooove this book. I haven’t read it in years. I remember when the movie came out on tv, and I had to watch it. As I can recall, a well done adaptation. This book caused a stir in Virginia in 1997. I am pretty sure it was on a list a teacher gave me to read over the summer. Books her college students were reading. Banned for sexual scenes and language. (Catching a trend?)
3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I have wanted to read this one for years. I got excited when the long-awaited sequel came out, and yet, I still haven’t read it. I know there is a series on Hulu (or Netflix) and the actress who played Rory Gilmore was in it, but I refuse to watch it until I see it. This book has been banned so many times, they made an unburnable version and had the author, herself, try to light it on fire. Banned for political and “health” reasons, this book consistently ranks in the top 10.
4. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Jodi Picoult takes a difficult topic and makes incredible books. All of her books are controversial and they are fabulous. This book is currently being banned, over the rape scene. (One of her other books, My Sister’s Keeper is one of my all time favorites and it also has a history of being banned for homosexuality, language, and religious beliefs.)
5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. There are no words for how much I loved this book. At the time, the uniqueness of the murder mystery the suspense, combining knowledge and intrigue. I have read every book, except the last one in the series. I truly feel like a new subgenre was created after this book. Why is it banned? Blasphemy, many people felt it was an attack on Christianity.
What Banned Books are on your reading list this week?
Last night, I could not sleep due to health reasons. Then the alarm went off at 4am, so Mom and I could watch The Queen’s funeral. It was incredible.
A few of my favorite books are constantly on the Banned Books list:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Despite consistently being banned, due to language and racism, this book was voted the #1 book on PBS’s Great American Read. I was first assigned this book in elementary school, and then for several years after. I love the black and white movie, but the book is just incredible. I used to read this book once a year, but it has been a few years, and I need to do a re-read. This coming-of-age novel is a classic and an absolute must-read for all.
The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. Okay, before I begin to dive into this series, let me tell you how, I actually came to read them. (Remember, fantasy books weren’t really my cup of tea.) So my friend in 9th grade, invited me to see a movie about a boy wizard. I couldn’t figure out why, but okay, so a group of us went to see the movie. YES, this is an incident of Seeing it, Before Reading It. I thought it cute that all these kids and even adults were dressed as witches and wizards. It was a good movie, but I couldn’t figure out all the fuss. Then my friend loaned me the first book… Flash forward to my next visit to Borders and the first 4 books in paperback with the solid-colored checkered spines were in my arms. Despite all the negative things that have come from the author, since, these books were about acceptance, appreciating what makes us different, and learning that absolute power corrupts absolutely. I read them so much, that I could pick out passages of them, when I needed a quick fix. As you can guess, these books are banned because they promote witchcraft.
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. What else is there to say, but: “Stay Gold, Ponyboy.” This book, written by a woman, about the cliques she faced in school, was all about maintaining innocence. Consistently banned for language and violence, this book opened eyes to the divide in society. I LOVE this movie. I love this book. I can still to this day quote several passages, despite it having been way too long since I have read it.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Okay, so I might not have to explain why this one is consistently banned. Um, hello, violence. Here is another instance where I would not have necessarily read these books on my own, however, Mom wanted to see Lenny Kravitz in the movie, so she bought me the trilogy for Christmas. The first book took me a bit to get through, but by the time I got to the third book I read in 1 day. This series is more than just children killing one another, it is about absolute power, it is about the underdog and about fighting for what is right.
It is no surprise to me that the above books, as well as others that I will discuss this week, made it to the top 100 of The Great American Read. These books are cherished by 1000s of people. Imagine a world where banned books were successful and books like these listed above were never printed…
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”
~George R.R. Martin, another author whose books have been banned
I read Banned Books all year long. I was blessed to grow up without censorship. I was encouraged to read whatever I wanted. I was never told No when it came to books.
There was one class in middle school where I was assigned a seat on the far wall, near the middle. I still to this day do not remember what subject that class was, but I do remember that wall was full of books. I read Wringer, and so many others that year. I read books on my Mom’s shelf, I read books on my Grandparents’ shelves. If there was a book, I was reading it. I was into mysteries, animals, and history. Not really fantasy, until I was older. Due to my reading levels being so advanced, I was often assigned To Kill a Mockingbird and George Owell, each year for projects. The first I love and will continue to read, the second I will never read again. I talk to adults today that say they don’t like to read, and I know it is because they haven’t found the right book.
What does this have to do with Banned Book Week? When we ban books, we discourage reading. We discourage a person from finding a character they can relate to, we bring a shame to reading, instead of celebration and encouragement. When books are banned, life cannot be learned. We learn through books about cultures and lifestyles that are not our own.
So let’s start this week off with a whopper of a title. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Have you read it? Have you seen the movie?
Speak was in the top 5 most challenged books as recent as 2020! 2020, yes. Why? Because of the bias towards male students and because it was thought to be a political piece. Hmmm. Let’s just chew on that for a bit.
All week, I will be sharing books that I have read and enjoyed that are still being banned to this day. All books deserve to be read. If you don’t like a subject, don’t read it, but don’t deny someone else the opportunity.
Today, I bounced between three very different books, before settling into one for the evening.
1. The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont. I getting closer to Agatha’s return.
2. Reputation by Sarah Vaughan, a political murder mystery set in England.
3. Yesterday’s Gone by Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall. This is an Amish lovestory with a unique twist. I remember several years ago, reading The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. To describe that book in one sentence, I say, How far would a mother go to protect her unborn child? I got a similar feeling while reading Yesterday’s Gone. Instead, I will say, How far would you go to protect the love of your life? This is definitely an Amish tale, definitely a family tale, filled with some heartache and hope. I look forward to diving in deeper and see how things unravel.
