Good morning! 😀 Where was I? Coffee Cup… check…. making Snickerdoodles for this afternoon… check…..
Oh Yeah. A Girl Walks into a library…. oh wait, that’s me. And it’s true! I walked into the library yesterday afternoon to return the banned books I had on loan for Banned Books Week. At the beginning of banned books week I had mentioned how disappointed I was that I had been in our library, local bookstore, and a few other books stores in the area in the past week no one had even a peep up around banned books week.
So… I am in the library (every time I say what I want to add with the candle stick or the rope…) AND as I am returning my books I see behind a glass case police tape saying “CRIME SCENE” and a banned book display. In the center of the display was a large book with a padlock punched through it making it impossible to open.
Pause for dramatic effect.
I was thrilled and as I went up to the window to look at their selections I seen books I would love to read. When I asked the librarian she I could borrow whatever books I wanted to in the case and they would replace them with the books I had just returned. (LOVE my library!) So I left with three books out of the display as well as the books I had on reserve when I walked in.
Here is what I have:
Why is Beloved Banned? They cite violence and sex. I read also that is very graphic as it is about a woman who kills her daughter to keep her from becoming a slave.
Why is The Lorax banned? The Laytonville, California School District challenged this book on grounds that it “criminalizes the forestry industry.” The book says that cutting down trees is bad.
Why was Black Boy banned? ‘Black Boy’ is a memoir about growing up in the Jim Crow-era South, a story of survival in a sick society that treated 1/3rd of its population as sub-human chattel. Black Boy was not banned because of Wright’s Communism (excusable considering that-until the 1950s-the US Communists were the only political party committed to racial equality) but rather because it offended many Southerners, and also due to the book’s frank descriptions of sex, violence, and racially-charged language.
“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” is about a young resident of an Indian reservation who decides to attend a white high school.There is sexual language and foul jokes, along with themes encompassing racism, alcoholism and violence. There are also descriptions of how the protagonist, Junior, tries to realize his dreams while surviving both life on the reservation and at a new school.
This last one just looked interesting and I looked through it a bit last night. It lays out 100 different banned books with author, publisher, date of publishing, what the book si a about and why it was banned. I wish I would have found this book at the beginning of the week.
And yes, today is the last day of banned books week and here I am with another pile of books as well as a couple from my original trip to the library. Maybe they do not all get read this time around…. maybe I will find that some are not for me. I really have enjoyed learning more about the books and why they were banned and what I have read so far this week has been an adventure in reading and one I would gladly hop on board for again.
Today I am helping at a funeral for most of the early afternoon. I plan to be home in time to finish the lawn (seems like I am always mowing these days!) and pick out a new audio at audible.com for my mowing enjoyment. Any audio suggestions? Any fun plans this weekend?
Book Journey 
Oh, you’re going to love the Sherman Alexie book! It is funny, interesting, and poignant.
Really Helen? Glad to hear that. 🙂
I’ve wanted to read the Alexie for years and years now.
I was excited to see it came in Hannah, I had reserved it before Banned Books Week and it came in from another library yesterday. 🙂
I sounds soooo good!
I am almost done with it and I am going to have a lot to say about this one. I hopefully will finish it tonight.
I want to read Beloved…can’t believe I haven’t read it yet! The others sound interesting, too.
What a week you’ve had! I’ve enjoyed seeing how you “play” with the “Banned” topic in your titles. Especially enjoyed “Banned-Aid.”
Laurel I think that one sounds really interesting in a painful reality sort of way….
Thanks for the comment on my “banned week headings”. Just think – I have a whole year now to think of more. 😀
THE LORAX? Who bans The Lorax?? Oy. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is fantastic. Actually, I listened to that on audio and adored it. I also just finished The Great Gatsby on audio and loved it as well!
Erin I just heard that the audio of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is amazing! I wish I would have tried to get it that way.
The Lorax – I know right? 😛 The librarian said another of Dr Suess’s was banned too as it was believed to represent Hitler. I can not remember which one she said it was.
Thanks for calling my attention to 100 Banned Books. I was just browsing Amazon to buy myself a copy and discovered that it was updated in 2005 and is now 120 Banned Books. I got a good deal on it in Amazon Marketplace. Happy reading!
Good to know Kathy – I think that is a book I would like to own. Looking up some of the reasons that books have been banned isnt easy in many cases, it was hard to find out why. The book has already been good for information on books i have been curious about.
I’ve read all of those EXCEPT Beloved and the book on banned books.
They are all excellent. Although, The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian is AMAZING. I just read it. Oh man, so funny, and heartbreaking, and touching. I think you’ll really enjoy it, Sheila!
Thanks April. I hope I can squeeze it in after hearing so many positive mentions of it here. 😀
Awesome display! I had the same problem with my library. When I went in to grab some “sexy” books, I asked them why they didn’t have a BBW display up – they admitted they had just forgotten and two days later they had something up!
Trisha I had stopped at several book stores last weekend and not a one had anything displayed. Some of the smaller ones told me they were sent a banned books week kit but just did not have time to deal with it.
I was really surprised that Barnes and Noble had done nothing for the week either.
What a great stack of books! I love the Alexie book and thinks it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. I’m hoping to read Beloved soon since I have it on my shelves. My only plans for this weekend is blog maintenance and doing homework.
For audio recommendations, how about Throw Out Fifty Things by Gail Blanke? I started it a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. It’s non-fiction/self-help but not really. It’s more like having a conversation with a great new friend.
I have never heard of Throw Our Fifty Things Vasilly. How outright frightening! 😛 I will have to look at that one.
I wish I could have a weekend of of Blog Maintenance… I could use one 🙂
Oh those silly school districts! The Lorax does not say that ALL forestry is bad. It says that exploiting our natural resources is bad. Huge difference. Some people have such narrow minds.
LOL Lisa – I love trees and I found nothing wrong with the book when I originally read it years ago… we will see if during the re-read if I change my mind 😀
Sounds like a great display…and what wonderful books you checked out!! I have never read a Toni Morrison book, and Beloved is on my must-read list. The Absolutely True… is a fabulous book – I listened to it on audio last year. And The Lorax? Seriously?? Geez…one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books.
Enjoy your books!
Sue
I started reading Sherman Alexie book this afternoon Sue. I am curious as to where the book is going to go but finding it interesting 🙂
Someone banned a Dr. Suess book? How crazy is that?
Apparently more than one Kathy…… 😀
Beloved disturbed me deeply because of the plot point you mentioned; I’ve never been able to forget it. I doubt I ever will.
I love this post. Your comments on these banned books are fascinating, and I am loving the image of you in the library with a candlestick or rope. 😀
LOL…. where I work there is a library and when someone says I am going to go and working the library I always ask them if they are going to take the rope or use the candlestick…. sometimes I think they do not get me. 😛
I think Beloved sounds intense and one I want to have time to read.
I just can’t believe that The Lorax was banned for criminalizing the logging industry. Good grief.
Jill is that not just the funniest? 😛
Absolutely True Diary is one of my favorite books ever. My son made me read this one last year and since then I’ve checked it out to more boys than I can count who have told me that they hate to read. Once they finished this one they came running back to the library for something similar!!
That is awesome Staci. I am reading that one now and finding it to be pretty good.
The Lorax is one of my absolute favorite children’s books… I have read it with most grade levels throughout my teaching experiences (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th)..okay, so just not 2nd- and only because I’ve never been in a 2nd grade room!
I use it during science and when we discuss environmentalism- and we always discuss the good/bad.. and really get to discuss the banned aspect with the upper grades. It is an excellent teaching tool for so many reasons beyond its logging industry theme.
Great comment here Jenna… you know I never thought about the logging aspect of this book when I read it to my kids… I guess I just love the rythym of the Suess books and how much my kids (any myself) just love the books. Now that I am reading it again I will try to see what offended people so… but seriously, I know I am still going to some out the other side loving the book. 😀
I stopped by the library where I used to work and there was virtually nothing about Banned Book Week. The display area was covered with Halloween books. On one little shelf was a 3×5 index card with something about taking away choice in books, so small you could hardly read it. There were 4 books on the shelf. That was it. No posters, nothing. Too bad they don’t feel it is important.
I hear you Pat. So many people have told me that they had no idea about the books that were banned until people started doing posts on them this past week and they seen that they were actually books that they knew and loved.
It is important we talk about censorship and I plan to do a much bigger presentation here next year.