Banned Books for All?

Well, it has been quite awhile since I posted on my blog.  Perhaps I haven't had much to say . . .   Today I would like to suggest something a little radical--at least for an independent bookseller--  Something I feel all around me but don't hear expressed much.

In honor of Banned Book Week, I want to ask a question: Is it ever okay to censor or ban books?  The whole idea with recognizing a week like this is to acknowledge the freedom we have in our country to read anything by anyone whenever we want to.  We Americans DO love our freedom.  I am very thankful that men and women have sacrificed for the many freedoms we often take for granted, including the right to have access to information.  It is only too easy to find a list of countries that do not have this right.

But freedom can get in the way of common sense sometimes, I think.  Do you agree?  

"Banning" is a loaded word.  Dictionary.com defines it as "to prohibit, forbid, or bar; the act of prohibiting by law."  Sounds very final, doesn't it?   No wonder authors, publishers, librarians, journalists, parents, teachers, and American readers of all ages reject this concept!  

Books that have been banned or frequently challenged in U.S. schools and libraries have been so for a variety of reasons.  The largest number of the 5,099 formal challenges in 2013 were due to sexually explicit material that was not appropriate for the age-group to whom it was being offered. (credit: American Library Assoc.)  Other common reasons are "offensive language," "deemed unsuitable to an age group," "violence, " "occult" themes.  Many challenged books are challenged on multiple grounds.  

Before you think, "Well, I wouldn't want to read a book that is sexually explict, full of violence and offensive language!", let me share a few of the most commonly challenged books for the last couple of years: Hunger Games (Collins), Captain Underpants (Pilkey), The Kite Runner (Hosseini), and The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald).  These are all best sellers on the New York Times Best Sellers List.  But someone finds them inappropriate for a particular age group.  I have looked over banned book lists to see how many of them (not if, but how many) I have read.  (Confession: I have even read banned books BECAUSE they were banned . . .  and felt rather radical for doing so :-) .)

I think here is where I want to make the point that those who want to "prohibit, forbid, or bar" certain books are not usually against literature, reading, or freedom.  But they are for protecting children.   

E.L. James was asserting her right to freedom of speech when she wrote Fifty Shades of Gray.  And everyone who reads it asserts his or her right to freedom of expression when reading it.  But, certainly, we can all agree that it is not appropriate for all ages groups.  Not everyone should have equal access to all reading material.  We put Playboy magazine on the top shelf for a reason.
  

We might disagree about standards--potty humor to some is as unacceptable as explicit sexuality is to others.  I would even go so far as to say, I would encourage anyone to write anything, thankful for the freedom we have to express ourselves.  But I wouldn't ask that a children's library carry any and everything.  Besides the argument for limited space and providing essential educational reading materials, libraries and schools have a responsibility to help nurture the children to whom they cater.
   

And it is parents that have that right before any school, library, or institution. Not all books are for everyone.  And parents are the ones who get to decide what is best for their children.  If you don't want your 8-year-old to read Captain Underpants, you get to make that decision.  If you don't want your 12-year-old to read Looking for Alaska (Green), you get to make that decision.  If you don't want your 16-year-old to read Perks of Being a Wallflower (Chbosky), you get to make that decision (but good luck with that . . .).  If not parents, who?  

I wouldn't choose to read every book.  But I support those parents who feel their school libraries shouldn't house books that are offensive to them.  Exposure to literature is vitally important, but it does not supercede parental responsibility.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on censorship, banning, and protection.

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The Best Books for Teens . . . And All of Us!

I love NPR (National Public Radio).  It's how I get 90% of my news.  NPR is also known for its well developed lists.  Today they came out with NPR's Top 100 Books for Teens, and, boy, did they get it right! 

Although there is the requisite Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Twilight series, most of this list's books are strongly character-driven.  Number 14 on the list is my recently mentioned Anne of Green Gables--a strong female character that every girl should know.  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, ranked #25, develves into the thought process of an autistic teenager. If I Stay, #75, focuses on a girl who has awoken from a coma and, with no memory of her past, must reconstruct her life. 
Many of the plot-driven books are exciting action stories that I have loved: The Giver (#12), The House of the Scorpion (#93), To Kill a Mockingbird (#3).





Every genre is covered.  Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series and Paolini's Inheritance series showcase fantasy literature.  But science fiction fantasy, realistic fiction, and even historical fiction are well represented, as well.

My favorite thing about this list is that it is not just this year's favorites.  Some of the foundational works that have motivated teens for decades are listed.  A Separate Peace, The Outsiders, Go Ask Alice, and, on every junior higher's required reading list, Call of the Wild are listed alongside the newest teen literature.

As I read through the list and saw many books I have read, I was excited to see many books that are on my to-read list. It's nice to know I have some good reads to look forward to!  With five titles listed in the top 100, John Green is certainly the teen author to watch!  

The best thing about this list is that it proves that teen literature is not just for teens!  Some of the best books of all time and some of the best of current literature is in the teen market. Don't let a "teen" label keep you from the great characters and stories in literature!  
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Strong Female Characters for Girls to Know and Love

I've been discussing boys in literature and books that are good for boys for the past couple of weeks.  I thought it would be appropriate to focus on girls in literature--the kinds of girls we would all like our daughters to be.  As I researched and remembered stories with memorable girl characters, it took me back to my childhood, when books began to be powerful to me.  Because books are like good friends, I know I absorbed some of the character qualities of these powerful female characters.


Making lists is always risky.  Certainly, I will have left out many favorites.  And I hope to hear from many of you on who your favorite female characters are.  The list that was supposed to be 5 I had to stretch to 6.  To help me narrow the list, I put some parameters on myself:
1. The characters had to be from literature intended for children/teens.  That removed the powerful Jo from Little Women and Francie from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
2. They had to be fictional characters.  This meant I had to take out Laura from the Little House series (sorry, Lori!).
3. They had to have no distracting characteristics.  For me, this meant no characters who are nosy, disrespectful to parents, violent, or just make me feel "icky"  Unfortunately, Hermione from harry Potter fits into this category.  (I sure hope to hear from someone on that!)  
4. It's not about the genre or plot.  I focused on the characters themselves--their strengths, their passions.  I asked myself if I would want to be their friends.


So, here is my list of 6 strong female characters that every girl (and boy!) should read and become familiar with.  Interestingly, some of the characters were written with the character traits I admired, and some of them grew into the traits.  


6. Margaret (Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume)

Genre: Realistic fiction

Thank you, Aunt Judy, for introducing me to this wonderful character by giving me this book for Christmas many, many years ago!  I related to Margaret so much.  She loves her parents but is at the age where she doesn't quite know how to show it anymore and is trying to pull apart from them, to become her own young woman.  During her 6th grade year, she is asking questions about life, friends, her body, the future.  She desperately wants to know and understand God, and she seeks Him out--although she doesn't find Him where she thinks she will.  Moving to a new town, she is thrust into a new school and new friendships at this emotionally challenging time.  I love her intimacy with God.
Character Qualities: inquisitive, persistent, loyal friend
Quote that Expresses Margaret's Personality: "Are you there, God?  It's me, Margaret.  I just told my mother I want a bra.  Please help me grow, God.  You know where.  I want to be like everyone else."  (Okay, maybe this wouldn't be the best choice for a boy.)


5. Mrs. Frisby (Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien)

This is my favorite cover for this book.  When I teach it, I ask students to predict who the character is on the front and what he/she is holding.  It's my favorite read-aloud of all time!

Genre: Science fiction/fantasy
The brave Mrs. Frisby has two major differences with most of my other chosen women: She is a  mother (thus, not a peer of most readers) and she is an anthropomorphic character--a mouse that acts like a person.  Mrs. Frisby embodies courage, as she must protect and act during a very dangerous time to ensure the safety of her sick son.  In one of the book's most thrilling episodes, she must drug a cat to provide safety for the rats to complete their important plan.  Except that she is a rat, Mrs. Frisby is a very normal mother.  She has never done anything eroic up to this point, which is what makes her bravery so real to readers.  Every girl should have a role model like this brave mama.
Character Qualities: courage, sacrifice
Quote that Expresses Mrs. Frisby's Personality: "As she hurried home, Mrs. Frisby considered just how much she should tell her children about all that had happened--and all that was going to happen.  She decided at that stage, at least, she would not tell them about their father's connection with the rats.  Also that she would not say she had volunteered to put the sleeping powder into Dragon's bowl.  That would worry them; she could tell them, perhaps, when it was safely done" (p 150).  




4. Esperanza (Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan)

Genre: Historical fiction
For all of her young life, Esperanza had been a rich and somewhat spoiled girl, living on her family's ranchero in Mexico, until her greedy uncle makes demands that she and her newly widowed mother cannot accept.  They secretly leave Mexico and become day laborers in California's Central Valley.  When her mother falls ill and is unable to work, Esperanza "rises" be a hard-working breadwinner for her family.  Readers see the unfairness of life through Esperanza's eyes, but they also learn of hope (esperanza, in Spanish).
Character Qualities: perseverance, hard work, loyalty, determination, hope
Quote that Expresses Esperanza's Personality: "As the sun rose, Esperanza began to feel as if she rose with it.  Floating again, like the day on the mountain, when she first arrived in the valley.  She closed her eyes, and this time she . . . glided above the earth, unafraid. . . .She had her family, a garden of roses, her faith, and the memories of those who had gone before her.  But now, she had even more than that, and it carried her up, as the wings of the phoenix.  She soared with the anticipation of dreams she never knew she could have, of learning English, of supporting her family, of someday buying a tiny house.  Miguel had been right about never giving up, and she had been right, too about rising about those who held them down" (p. 249-250).


3. Meg Murry (A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle)

Genre: Science fiction/fantasy
As one of the most popular and well written science fiction fantasies of all time, A Wrinkle in Time explores time travel through the perspective of family relationships.  Meg, a wallflower, becomes a rescuer, using her faults as her strengths--stubbornness becomes tenacity, anger becomes hatred of evil.  Her very relateable character is an inspiration to real girls everywhere.
Character Qualities: tenacity, loyalty/love of family, determination
Quote that Expresses Meg's Personality: "Father said it was all right for me to be afraid.  He said to go ahead and be afraid.  And Mrs Who said--I don't understand what she said, but I think it was meant to make me not hate being only me, and me being the way I am.  And Mrs Whatsit said to remember that she loves me.  That's what I have to think about.  not about being  afraid.  Or not as smart as IT.  Mrs Whatsit loves me.  That's quite something to be loved by someone like Mrs Whatsit" (p. 176).


2. Charlotte (Charlotte's Web by E. B. White)

Genre: Animal fantasy
The world's wisest spider, Charlotte will forever be equated with friendship and sacrifice.  While living in Zuckermans' barn with a host of farm animals, Charlotte develops a friendship with the insecure pig, Wilbur, and eventually saves his life with her savviness.
Character Qualities: faithfulness, wisdom, encouragement
Quote that Expresses Charlotte's Personality: "Wilbur blushed.  'But I'm not that terrific, Charlotte.  I'm just average for a pig.'  'You're terrific as far as I'm concerned,' replied Charlotte sweetly, 'and that's what counts.  You're my best friend, and I think your'e sensational.  Now stop arguing and get some sleep,'" (p.91)


1. Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery)

Genre: Historical fiction
The optimistic spirit of orphan Anne Shirley makes her one of the most hopeful and enduring characters of all time.  Seeing the good in everyone, dreaming of possibilities, and having undying loyalty to her "bosom friend" Diana Anne is a hero of every dramatic preteen.  This historical fiction story has no serious villains and no epic storyline.  Instead, the reader enjoys observing the growing up of a girl to a young woman on Victoria Island during a kinder, gentler time.
Character Qualities:optimism, loyalty, creativity
Quote that Expresses Anne's Personality: "Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about?  It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world.  It wouldn't be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, would it?  There'd be no scope for the imagination then, would there?" (p. 21)




I can't wait to hear your favorite females in literature!







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Wouldn't You Read a Book About Origami Yoda?

One of the joys (and dangers) of working at Barnes and Noble is actually having contact with the books that I would otherwise just read about in my professional journals.  And, I confess, it is hard for me to say no to an interesting book.  Predictably, I spend a significant portion of each paycheck on the new "most interesting" books. 


Last week, I saw a display for The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. I couldn't walk past. Flipping it through it, I saw the dream book of any 12-yr-old boy. 

Origami Yoda is about some 6th grade kids whose very odd friend (he has Aspergers, although it is never stated outright) makes an origami Yoda finger puppet that gives surprisingly good advice. The mystery of the book is trying to figure out if Origami Yoda is real, by some sort of mystical power, or if he is just the odd boy sharing insights. 


The beauty of this book is that Tom Angleberger truly remembers what is like to be an awkward 6th grader.  The characters are sixth-grade-like and relateable without being stereotypical.  


The story is told as a series of episodes, from the perspectives of various students, about interacting with Origami Yoda.  The book pages look like wadded paper that has been smoothed out.  The main character, Tommy, illustrates the pages in doodle style.  After each Yoda episode, the case is analyzed by Harvey, a kid who refuses to believe in Origami Yoda, and by Tommy, who is trying to remain neutral. 


This book has the warmth of Frindle, the silliness and style of Captain Underpants, and the personality of the Lemony Snicket series. It's a perfect book for a 4th-7th grade boy, and it's a great reluctant reader.  But anyone who likes fun books about kids should love this book. Fortunately, there are two more books in is series, Darth Paper Strikes Again and  The Secret of the Fortune Cookie Wookie (available for order), and I can't wait to read them! Pin It

Real Literature for the Young

This is the 25th anniversary edition, which comes out in October.

A customer came into Barnes & Noble a couple of days ago asking for a book that I love, Linnea in Monet's Garden. This is a fictional account of a girl and a grandfatherly neighbor taking a trip to France to visit the garden of Monet, which he epitomized with his paintings of impressionistic lily pads and bridges. It is an entertaining book, but what I love most about it is how it incorporates real paintings, photographs, and history of Monet and his family into a story.

There are many children's books that do this so beautifully. Another is Emily by Barbara Cooney, the story of a young girl who moves into the house across the street from the reclusive poet, Emily Dickinson. Sprinkled throughout the book are lines of Dickinson's poetry. 

Besides being engaging stories, books like Linnea in Monet's Garden and Emily have the added benefit of teaching history to children. Unfortunately, not many young children are exposed to Monet and Emily Dickinson. Mainly, that is because we tend to think children are not sophisticated to appreciate or understand art and poetry.

Soapbox #1: If you introduce children to art and beauty at a young age, there is no reason they can't appreciate it. A little goes a long way with children, and, certainly, there are appropriate and inappropriate ways of teaching the young about art, but introducing children to beauty is part of the job of a parent! Thank goodness there is literature around to help.

There is currently a line of board books, Babylit, that introduces classic stories to preschoolers. Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre, Dracula, and A Christmas Carol are all board book titles that use the characters and settings of these classic stories to introduce colors, numbers, the alphabet, and other preschool-appropriate information. But how would children benefit by having an introduction to classic stories at such a young age?

 

Soapbox #2: The younger you introduce a child to something, the more natural it seems to him or her.  One of the reasons I chose to homeschool my children for many years was so I could invest time on art and literature, making it a natural part of their education.

When I was teaching my son, M (not using his name to spare him any possible embarrassment :-) ), at home, I decided to introduce him to Shakespeare in elementary school.  Lois Burdett publishes a wonderful series of Shakespeare stories (illustrated by her students--it's inspired!) that is geared toward 2nd-5th graders, so we read through a couple of those.  One night at dinner, my husband told a story about something that had happened at work.  When he was done, M pipes up with, "Hey, that reminds me of when Prince Hamlet said, 'The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king'"!  Oh, my gosh!  My 3rd grade son had not just accurately quoted the Bard, he had related literature to a real life situation!  It's been over 10 years, and I'm still not over it.   M really enjoyed Shakespeare, so much that I felt like we were missing out on some other literature that I wanted him to know about. The only way I could persuade him to take a Shakespeare break was to promise that we would cover some new Shakespeare stories the next year. Because of his enthusiasm, we studied Shakespeare for three years. And this was the reason why:  When M got to high school and "had" to read Shakespeare, I didn't want it to be negative or challenging for him. I knew that introducing him to this classic author would give him just enough framework to read the real books in a meaningful way.

Reading Linnea or Babylit's Pride and Prejudice will not make your baby into a literary genius, but one thing it may do is introduce him or her to literary classics. Doing that will make reading the real thing familiar and hopefully a more enjoyable experience. Pin It

Andrew Clements, An Author for Boys (and Girls too :-) )

There are countless websites devoted to discussing boys and books.  There are numerous reasons for this (which I will discuss another day, as it is a very interesting discussion), but today I want to focus on an author who appreciates and understands boys.  He writes intelligently about their motivations, ideas, creativity, and experiences because he lived them himself, growing up in a traditional family in the 50's and 60's.

I love Clements' books not only because they appeal to boys, but also because they are not too edgy.  If today's "boy books" don't have poop and fart jokes or bad language and budding sexuality or fantasy-laden futurism, then authors seem to think boys won't want to read them.  Yes, boys like all those things, and I'm glad they do and that there are books that appeal to those interests.  But Andrew Clements seems to have found a way of communicating that isn't banal but still includes humor, technology, and hormones.  His genre of choice is usually realistic fiction, which means boys are reading about things that could really happen to them. 

Clements' first and most popular novel is Frindle, about a boy who provokes his teacher by creating a new word for "pen."  He encourages all of his classmates to join him in this mini-rebellion.  Boys love this book because it has some mutiny and a budding leader . . . but he's not too bad--just experimental.

Allow me to share a personal story.  When I was working in a cognitive training center last year, I was developing a curriculum for teaching reading comprehension to children who struggled academically.  Most of our students, no surprise, were boys.  One mom asked me for some suggested titles for her reluctant reader son, who "hated reading."  I gave her a short list (including Frindle) that he would work on at home and during his sessions with his trainer.

One day I was sitting at my desk, and a little whirlwind ran through the front door, past my desk, and to his trainer who was going through the program with him.  "Joe! Joe!  Guess what?  I LOVE READING!"  I had tears in my eyes, and Joe had a hard time keeping it together.  He asked this student, "What changed?  What has happened since last week?"  "This book," he announced, waving his copy of Frindle.  By then, his mom had met me at my desk.  She said, "I just ordered everything Andrew Clements has written.  I've never heard my son care about a book before."  That's what it takes with reluctant readers--finding THE book--the one that will draw them into the world of books.

So, Frindle saved this student's life, if you dont mind me being a little melodramatic.

My personal favorite of Clements' is Things Not Seen.  A 15-yr old boy awakes one day to discover that he is invisible.  It has elements of science fiction, but it is a beautiful relationship book, as the boy befriends a blind girl (who has no way of knowing he is invisible). This book was very meaningful to one of my sons, who read it when he was 15. There are a couple of sequels to this storyline (Things Hoped For and Things That Are).  These are great books for early teen boys who don't necessarily crave manga or futuristic technology.

As realistic fiction, these books are ones that boys can relate to.  Most of Clements' books star boys, which is an appealing element to boy readers.  They are clever and enjoy typical boy things. Clements' boys are "everyboy," in a good sense.  They are relatable and enjoyable, but they are not perfect.  Most of the stories take place in a school setting, also relatable to most boys. 

If you have or know of a reluctant reader boy, or if you just want an entertaining story to read to your kids or for them to add to their summer reading list, add Andrew Clements' titles to your list.  (Hint: The Clements' books that are early readers--ages 9-12--all have the same cover illustrator.  They are done by Brian Selznick--remember him?  The Invention of Hugo Cabret?  [see entry on 6/6].)  Here's a sampling:

Middle Grade Readers
Frindle
The Landry News
The Janitor's Boy
The Jacket
A Week in the Woods
The Report Card
The Last Holiday Concert
Lunch Money
Extra Credit
Trouble-Maker

Teen Readers
Things Not Seen
Things Hoped For
Things That Are


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The Magic of a Good Story--The Invention of Hugo Cabret

One of the reasons children (and adults!) are encouraged to read is that stories take the reader to other worlds. Escapism. Exploration.  It is a gift to readers when an author can truly help you leave your present reality and live in the pages of a good book. I am reading a book that does this in a magical way.

I love innovation in the arts. I've always loved three-dimensional art, movies that do something new, and even books that create an experience that is unique. (This is one of the reasons I loved The Book Thief--see the post on May 10.) Perhaps you saw the movie Hugo. It was a visual and storytelling treat. Scorsese was able to direct such a beautiful visual experience because of the uniqueness of Brian Seltznick's illustrative genius in the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Here are some of the unique elements of Seltznick's book:

1. The pages are black, not white. This gives a feel that I've never had while reading before.  Much of the book takes place at night or in the clock towers, so it is appropriate that black should be the background. The mood-making is perfect.  The black pulls you in and causes the reader to see the book differently than typical white pages would.

2. Most of the story is told through illustration. To say that Seltznick is an illustrator is almost minimizing his incredible talent. There should be a word for artists who can draw like paintings. It is such a remarkable gift. Reading the pages of this book is like slowly watching a movie--Seltznick will draw four or five illustrations of the same scene, bringing the reader in closer with each frame. It is very personal and makes the reading an experience. I find that I "read" the illustrations slowly, so as not to miss any details. The author will tell four or five pages of story through 2-page spreads of illustration, then two to four pages of text. The written story is wonderful, but the illustration is what pulls the reader in.

3.  Unlike most illustrated stories, The Invention of Hugo Cabret is told exclusively with black and white illustrations. I'm sure part of the reason Seltznick did this was because he was telling a story of early film and was reflecting that black and white motif. It also truly showcases his style of line pencil drawing.

Every year the Association  for Library Services to Children chooses a book to honor with the Caldecott Medal, awarded for outstanding illustrations. The honored book each year is usually a picture book--they are the ones filled with illustrations!  Hugo, however, is a middle reader book (7-12 year olds), with a more complex story that will appeal to children beyond the picture-book stage.  Brian Seltznick won the Caldecott Medal in 2008 for The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and if you read it, you will most certainly understand why. Pin It