15-year-old Janie Johnson feels plain. Ordinary. She wishes she had a better name like her friends Sarah-Charlotte Sherwood and Adair O’ Dell. Those are names that say something. She thinks maybe she could start spelling her name with a “y”, like Jayne. Or two”y’s”, Jayyne. And maybe her last name could be something cooler, like Johnstone. How will she ever be anyone as Janie Johnson?
All of this changes when one day at lunch she sees a face on the milk carton of a little three-year old pigtail girl. The face, is Janie’s face. She remembers the dress in the picture and suddenly her world is turned upside down. Is she a missing child? Are her parents not really her parents? If she is not Janie Johnson….
then who is she?
The Face On The Milk Carton was a quick and good read. As I was reading this book I could not help but feel I had seen this somewhere and had a flash back to a younger version of me watching an After School Special about this. (Anyone remember after school specials? They were on tv around 4:00 in the afternoon and they were stories with a message. ) Sure enough, I looked it up and this was actually a tv show and seeing the actress that played Janie, it all came back to me.
The book deals with typical teenage angst. Janie gives me the impression in the beginning of just being bored. Of course that rapidly changes as she starts to have anxiety over what she discovered on the milk carton and starts to explore what that could possibly mean for her and the people she loves as her parents.
I thought the book was handled well and as I finished it I really had no idea why this book would have made the banned books list. Other than a brief possible sexual opportunity – which is considered, but declined, there really was nothing in the book.
The books ends suddenly and many questions are still left unanswered. Apparently to my surprise, the story doesn’t end with this book. There is a sequel to the book called “Whatever Happened To Janie?” AND then it goes on to a third book called “The Voice On The Radio” and concludes this series (4 books now… it is a series) with “What Janie Found“.
I never knew about the other books so that was interesting. Also interesting is that none of the other books are on the challenged or banned lists. 😀
Why was Caroline B Cooney’s Face On The Milk Carton Banned?
The faintest reference to the idea of sex (a possible first encounter) was all that it took for a challenge to be made to this book. Subsequent protests involved a perceived “challenge to authority” that occurred when Janie becomes to determined to establish her true parentage.
I borrowed this from our local library
Book Journey 
I love all the books in this series and cannot figure out why in the world it is banned?! Loved the tv movie too.
Deborah, I actually had to look it up as to why it was banned as nothing screamed “whoa!” to me in this book. 🙂
ikr
When those who are determined to do so set out to ban a book, there doesn’t have to be a logical reason. In fact, controlling others’ reading isn’t the least bit logical.
In what universe (in a free world) is it okay to subvert our freedoms by banning books?
Laurel this book was written in 1990, but I can not believe we have changed so much this then but we must have. Almost all YA books of today have this and much more.
Caroline Cooney has written many good books for teens. It is unfortunate that those who are in denial of the real world often feel it is their duty to “protect” us from it and ourselves. You can’t warn someone of the dangers out there if you don’t tell them what they are.
Seeing how someone deals with situations is a good way of learning how to do so yourself. What is the old saying -“Learn from the mistakes of others.” If these people honestly think their teen or any teen is not thinking about sex and making decisions about it every day, they really are not dealing realistically with life.
Thanks Pat!
Very interesting that it was banned. I used to watch the after school specials all the time! I loved those shows.
Nice review!
Natalie :0)
Natalie I loved after school specials! What memories. I asked Chance today (15 yo) if he knew what after school specials were… he did not. Sadly, another great thing has passed….
Sheila, do you have time to cross-post this on the Banned Books blog? It’s excellent, and people reading that blog would enjoy reading this review.
http://bannedbookschallenge.blogspot.com/
Sure Bonnie, I would love too…. just let me find my codes to do so. 😀
The reasons some books are banned really drives me nuts.
I was just explaining to my husband yesterday, I think, how a series must contain a minimum of four books. :p
Hannah the reasoning behind the bans just amaze me…. I mean, the Huck Finn one in my morning post…. they said sweat instead of perspire? REALLY? Oh wow…. 😛
I didn’t know that four books is a series…. I guessed any more than two is. That’s interesting. What is three books then?
Well, I’m not sure if the definitions have exactly been formalized, but: a trilogy is three books. :p
And, yeah. That just makes no sense.
LOL Hannah! I think you and I will just say that four or more is a series and start a trend 😛
I haven’t read this series yet but have wanted to for a while. Thanks for the review.
Sure Vicki, it took me about an hour and a half to read this one. They are little paperbacks. 🙂
I don’t remember the after school special, but I do remember the made for tv movie, The Face on the Milk Carton. I had no idea it was based on a banned book, that’s crazy. Yes, I do remember the after school specials on at 4:00 pm. Many starred Kristy McNichol. They were always good stories with a good meaning behind them….oh the “old” days. 🙂
Oh that’s right Jill – Kristi McNichol! I remember that! 😀 The always had a good message.
I’ve never read this but I have heard of it. I want to say I’ve seen the TV movie adaptation of this but I’m not entirely sure.
I hadn’t remembered the movie Ladytink until I was into the read then I was like… oh yeah! 😀
I just have to make a comment on this one…
First of all, I used to watch those after school specials all the time when I was a kid. I also saw the TV movie based on this book. I certainly don’t understand why it was banned, even for the minor sexual reference as it was handled correctly.
But, the most interesting thing is that I’ve had my own experience with a face on a milk carton. When I was in college I worked a Christian camp in the summers. We had hundreds of kids pass through those gates every summer and we all drank our morning milk from those little milk containers we used to have in school and they had those faces of missing kids on them.
One morning as I was drinking my milk, I just about choked. The kid on the milk carton was a kid I had seen that summer. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind to this day… I saw that kid. The trouble was as I said we had seen 1000’s of kids, not only that but we’d been all over the country promoting the camp and had visited malls, and very public places where we had seen tons more kids. I called the number and gave them all the information I could about where I had been that summer. I don’t know if they ever found her…. still haunts me to this day.
Deb I just got chills reading your comment. Oh wow.
When I worked at Wal-Mart we always had those big posters int he front of the store with all the missing children on them. It became second nature to just walk by and not even notice it anymore, much like anything in your home… it is just there. However, for the reason you just talked about, I always tried to take the time to look because you just never know.
Thanks for sharing that Deb.
I loved this series when I was a teenager. I was totally addicted.
Kim you read them all? I never have – in fact I did not even know there was more. 😀
ah yes the after school specials!!! portrait of an alcoholic starring eve plumb (jan the brady bunch) comes to mind they always dealt with “timely” issues
LOL Diana…. I almost spit coffee on my laptop when i read this! 😛
I have added this book to my TBR list. I remember the after school specials. We used to make fun of them until we started seeing things from them in real life.
Right Bobbie! Glad you will be reading this one. 🙂
I am shocked that this book would be banned. I loved this series as a kid!
I wish there was more info out there about this ban Lola but I could only find that small little paragraph.
I remember either reading this book or seeing the after school TV show! Whichever I saw/read I remember enjoying.
I liked it too Helen. I cant remember how the show ended. I am curious now if it ended as abruptly as the book or if went on to include pieces of the other books.
I remember reading this book in middle school. I had no idea it was part of a series. I can’t believe this got banned.
Throughthehaze I didn’t recall that it was more than one book either! 🙂
This sounds really good! And yes, I’m definitely old enough to remember afterschool specials. 🙂
I remember the movie, but didn’t know that there were other books about Janie. Will have to read them now, as I can’t believe this book was banned. People are nuts! 😮
LOL – I know right? 😛
I can’t believe this is a banned a book. I read this several times when I was younger, and certainly never saw anything “ban worthy” within its pages. I think some people just have too much time on their hands and go searching to make something out of nothing!
Emily its always fun to read a book you know is banned and come out the last page going…. “what was the ban about?” I seriously had to look it up. 😀
Sheila, sorry I’m so late stopping by to check out your mini-challenge post. I’m so behind! Thanks for sharing. I have not read this book, but it sounds intriguing…probably even more so since it has been challenged/banned! I hope you have been enjoying the read-a-thon too!
Thats ok Michelle, I was late too! 😀
I have enjoyed the read a thon thank you!
This sounds like one I can’t resist!
Its a tiny read Kathleen, I think you could read it in a couple hours.
I absolutely loved that movie when I saw it. 🙂 It comes on occasionally on cable and my husband always rolls his eyes at me if he catches me watching it. I haven’t read the book, but I’m sure I’d like it too.
When does this book take place? (The full date).
hi this book was great. im 12 years old i love this book. theres one thing i hate about is it leaves you with a cliff-hanger.
sorry a bout the pink
im a boy btw
i think that challenging this book is DUMB!