Good morning! This is going to be an exciting next 7 days! For the second year in a row I am taking a big part in Banned Books Week. All week-long here, and on other book blogs that I will be sharing with you, there will be banned book reviews, discussions on banned books and why they are banned/challenged, of and did I mention giveaways? Uh yeah… there will be giveaways. 😛
One of the events that starts today is that I have set up a blog a day that will post a review that I will link to each morning. I encourage you to go and check out what they are reviewing and at the bottom of each review they will have a letter to a clue. At the end of the week (next Saturday) you will have 8 clues gathered and coming back here I will have a form for you to put your answer on. Correct answers will go into a drawing for a Banned Book package which you will see here:
All 4 of these books: SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson, Beloved by Toni Morrison, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston have been on the Banned Books List. All 4 of these books will go one winner next Saturday who gathers all the clues, as well as a $10 Amazon Gift card to hopefully pick up another book that draws your interest over the week.
You will also receive extra entries for commenting on the posts that I will give you links to each morning. My hope is that you are introduced to a great book this week that has been through the ringer by being challenged or banned.
What do you mean be “banned book?”
A banned book is one that has been removed from the shelves of a library, bookstore, or classroom because of its controversial content. In some cases, banned books of the past have been burned and/or refused publication. Possession of banned books has at times been regarded as an act of treason or heresy, which was punishable by death, torture, prison time, or other acts of retribution.
A book may be challenged or banned on political, religious, sexual, or social grounds. We take the acts of banning or challenging a book as a serious matter, because these are forms of censorship–striking at the very core of our freedom to read.
My reviews this week will all be banned books and some will be with giveaways. Pay special attention to my review that will pop up later today as that one will be holding one of the clues you will need to gather…
As for other things happening today banned books wise….
***The awesome Cass at Bonjour Cass has reviewed The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (she also has the clue you will need for today! **Yes, two clues today – one will be here later with my review, and the other is with Cass)
My wonderful friend and fellow Bookie Angie from By Book Or By Crook has reviewed What My Mother Doesn’t Know by Sonia Sones
The great Julie at My Book Retreat has reviewed And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
The amazing Katie at Curse Of The Bibliophile reviewed The Giver by Lois Lowrey
My BEA Audio Book pal Jill from Rhapsody In Books reviewed In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The super Danielle of Mercurial Musings is kicking off Banned Books Week by posting about the most frequently challenged books of last year, and a giveaway!
** Comment on any or all of the above links and you will have extra entries available on the form I post next Saturday for the Banned Books Package Giveaway. *One extra entry per comment
In other Banned Books happenings…
I Am A Reader Not A Writer has kicked off today with a Banned Books Week blog hop and the giveaways are everywhere!
And it is not too late for you to jump on the Banned Wagon! Click the picture below if you want to be added to my review list for banned books this week and feel out the form. 😀
Book Journey 
Ha-ha! I got so busy clicking on links and commenting at other sites that I almost forgot to enter a comment here!
I’ve really been wanting to reread Rebecca. I’ve been seeing that one pop up here and there.
I wonder why the folks that want to ban books don’t realize that, for some of us anyway, something forbidden is even more appealing?
I picked up the book in the summer of 2009 as part of a summer reading challenge I was doing… I never got it read. I am hoping this may be the week 😀
I am excited to read your reviews this week. I wish I had planned a little bit better so that I could participate but it seems like banned book week just popped up on me!
Good morning Lola, I really am too as many of the books unless I look them up, I dont know why they are banned…. some are downright funny…. The Lorax by Dr Suess is banned as they think it puts down the forestry department for taking down trees… 😛
It seems like you can almost always find a reason why a book would bother at least one person, but to ban them seems harsh. Although I do monitor what my children pick out at the library, but that is to make sure it is age appropriate, not because I never want them to read it. Some topics they just aren’t ready for or wouldn’t comprehend fully anyway.
Exactly Jill- not every book is for everyone and yes, it is wise to know what our children are reading. The thing with banning is that while this book may not be a fit for someone, it could be the exact book that someone else needs to read. (Take SPEAK for instance… that book has saved lives).
Readers can find banned book reviews and reading suggestions here: http://bannedbookschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/09/get-on-banned-wagon.html
Also, Bonnie at Bonnie’s Books is hosting a read-a-long/book discussion of Lady Chatterley’s Lover for Banned Books Week – that discussion is taking place here: http://bookbuddies3.blogspot.com/2011/09/lady-chatterleys-lover-by-d-h-lawrence.html
Fantastic – thanks for the links Wendy!
Sheila –
I’m so excited for Banned Books Week! I’ll also be reviewing Banned Books this week and I’m hosting of giveaway of Shine by Lauren Myracle whom I saw speak on Friday. Make sure you stop by!!
http://afewgoodbooks1.blogspot.com/2011/09/win-signed-copy-of-shine-by-lauren.html
Awesome Emily! I sent you an email about connecting you here… I can add your giveaway tomorrow morning! YAY!!! 😀
Thanks for letting me participate, Sheila! Your Banned Wagon graphic is hilaaaaarious.
LOL thanks Cass… “YEE HAW!” 😛
Sheila, I love your new Coffee Cup for this week!
Thanks, Wendy, for the heads up about our Banned Books blog and the book discussion of Lady Chatterley’s Lover on the Book Buddies blog .
Thanks Bonnie, I found the cup appropriate for me week! 😛
You and I will be discussing some of the same books! I look forward to reading your reviews. Thanks for the comment on my blog.
Awesome – I will watch for your review too 🙂
I picked up A Prayer For Owen Meany to read this week, but I am having a hard time getting into it, but will keep on for a few more pages. I
I havent started it yet, but I had seen the movie that was based off the book, Simon Birch and thought that was pretty good. I head the book is better. Good Luck Nise!
Thanks for organizing all this and letting me participate! I can’t wait to read about all the banned books this week!
This is fun Juli e- thanks for participating 😀
Because I read from new to old, I asked you a question in the newest post, but that is answered here, thanks!
YAY! 😀 Glad to be on help! 😛
I always mean to do something to commemorate Banned Books Week and then it always slips by, but this year, I am very proud of myself. Last night, I started reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I haven’t read it since I was a teen, and I am thoroughly enjoying this brilliant book. This one is particular carries huge irony as a banned book because it is about banned books! Duh…I guess people who ban books aren’t good at catching irony.
Thanks for the overview!
Sue
Thats what I loved about that one too Sue. Before I listened to it on audio last year I didnt know it was about book burning. 😀
Thank you for organizing this fun event!
I think it is important that we understand why a book is banned before we choose not to read it. 😀