This week (yes, a week early 😀 ) myself and some fab book bloggers/ reviewers are going to write post and talk about Banned Books. I hope you will peek over here each morning where I will link the posts to banned books. Some of these posts throughout this week will be offering giveaways, and I will be offering the Banned Book Mug to one lucky commenter here throughout the week (each comment here this week will give you another entry) and another Banned Book Mug to one one of the participants who writes a post (not too late to sign up).
Here is what the mug looks like…. feel free to “ooooh and ahhhhhhh”
I read Matthews post this morning and it is brilliant. Awesome really. It should be banned because I probably like it too much and probably smiled and nodded too much therefore causing me to spend too much time on it. 😛 But read it. Really it is brilliant!
There is supposed to be a second post up but I do not see it posted yet so I will link it later if it is posted. 😀
This afternoon, I will be opening up a book that is not banned, but is about banning and censorship:
Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet as they fall from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop. As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl’s fight for freedom of expression, as well as a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere.
*pangram: a sentence or phrase that includes all the letters of the alphabet
I heard about this book two years ago while in New York for BEA and found two copies of it last year at a book sale where I promptly snatched them both up. I have not read it yet, but think the idea behind it is brilliant.
What are you reading this week in preparation for banned book week OR what have you read that surprises you that is on the banned book list?
One of my favorite weeks to get behind each year is Banned Book Week. I love discussing banned books because many people have no idea what consists of a banned or challenged book.
The American Library Association promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them. The following is a list of frequently asked questions on banned and challenged books:
What is the difference between a challenge or banning?
A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.
~ALA website
I have never said that every banned book is one I want to read – but I do like my freedom to choose. Some of the more interesting (to me) banned books would be pretty much all of your classics:
To Kill A Mockingbird: It was banned because it had the “N” word in it 48 times out of 281 pages. It was banned because of its racist implications toward the government. Many people denied being racist, so this novel was the key to helping racism getting acknowledged. Also book reviewers said the information was wrong and that the court system she had written about was wrong, they believed the court system was fair.
The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn: It has always centered around the language of the book, although the “offending” language has changed in time. Originally, some people objected such “crude” words as “sweat.” They claim that perspiration was much less offensive and should have been used instead. Also, in 1902, the Brooklyn Public Library found offense with the novel because of the statement that “Huck not only itched but he scratched.”
Fahrenheit 451: banned for the book being about the burning (or banning) of books. No kidding.
The list goes on and on from Little Red Riding Hood, to Harry Potter, to Lord Of The Rings, To Charlotte’s Web, to Captain Underpants, to Hunger Games, to The Bible. If you are interested check out the list here to get a real feel for the books that have been banned or challenged over the years.
As in the past years, I will be hosting a Banned Book Event here at Book Journey and I would be thrilled if you would join me by writing a post during the week about a banned book you have read, about censorship…. This year will have a twist to it. I am going to be on a 7 day canoe and portage trip during banned book week and will be out of all computer and cell phone range. I hate to not do banned book week because I think it is an important week to share in the books we love that are challenged and banned each year – SO…. I am planning to run the Banned Book event a week early from September 15 through September 21. If you are interested in participating please fill out the short form below by this Saturday September 14th and I will be in contact with you to confirm your date. If you do not have a blog and wish to participate you can write a guest post and send it to me to be posted here. I hope we can once again make this a fun and educational Banned Book Week! If you need some ideas, here is a list of some of the banned/challenged books.
As a little bonus – I have two Banned Book Mugs I will be giving away – one to a blogger who writes a post and one to one of the comments on the posts during the week. I encourage you as well, if you can to have a giveaway on your blog.
Good morning and I mean good morning as I am writing this at 3:30 am. This was not the plan but I woke up at 2:50 am when hubby went to go move equipment and now I am WIDE AWAKE. 😛 Last week was the fantastic Banned Book Week event and I am still excited from all the participants. I have BUNCHES of winners to announce and here they are:
The winner of the PREP post $10 Amazon gift card is…. Belle from Book Belle!
The Blog Participant drawing of a $20 Amazon gift card that was for everyone who signed up and offered a post during banned book week goes to…. Gina from Book Dragon’s Lair!
And finally – I had mentioned that all comments go into a LARGE Banned Book drawing for my banned book week posts as well as commenting on the other posts I linked for banned book week. That prize package looks like this:
Gina from Book Dragon’s Lair sent me a little package last week… she knows that every July my book club dresses in formal wear for our annual “Queen Event”. She sent me two gorgeous dresses for any of the eighteen girls in book club to choose to wear if they would like. How cool is that! Here are the dresses:
Just another thing I love about the book blogging community! Thank you Gina they are beautiful!
So this morning I leave for our cabin for a crafting weekend. I am really looking forward to a couple of days of chilling out. Next week we serve for IHN (homeless in our community) so it will be a bit of a busy week and a little down time is just what I am looking forward to. Posts and reviews are prepped to go up while I am away so continue to stop in and see whats happening and what I have been reading 😀
Hope everyone had a wonderful Tuesday and now working their way to a great Wednesday. Last nights book club was WONDERFUL! We reviewed The Wizard Of Oz and in typical Bookie style, the food was AMAZING and a few of us…
dressed up.
I need to also post the winners from the Banned Books week event! I have not forgotten! SO here they are from all the giveaways I held last week during banned book week:
Ok – I had just finished this post with all my winners and post links and hit submit – it logged me out and when I came back in my post ended here. *sigh* I do not have time to re do it this morning as I have used up all my time and must get ready for work. Ugh. We will try this again tomorrow morning – so sorry for the delay. Have a great day!!!! 😀
In the event that you are sad that is the last day of banned books week for 2012 and you either have not had time to read a banned book this week or you wish there was time to read one more – no fear! There is time! 😀
The LORAX is 72 pages of glorious pictures and short sentences. AND if you are more the audio type… the audio book was 30 minutes long AND that included another Dr. Suess book on it as well.
Narrated by a nameless, faceless “Oceler”, The Lorax is a tale of mass marketing before mass marketing was cool. In this case, our Onceer discovers this beautiful area filled with Truffala Trees that make lovely hats and shirts, socks and gloves. The Onceler starts to chop down the trees and selling his wears against the Lorax’s wishes.
The Lorax is a fuzzy yellow creature (bigger that the Travelocity Gnome, but not my much) and he speaks for the trees, for as he points out, the trees can not speak for themselves. Despite the Lorax’s repeated warnings the Onceler is making money selling his product he does not care. As time passes, the wildlife that lived with the trees disappear and even the Lorax himself sadly goes away leaving only a rock behind that says “Unless”.
What will become of the forest of Truffala trees as one by one and then two by two they disappear to be made into products that are sold? What will become of the fish and the ponds, and the Onceler, once all the trees…
are gone?
Why did I want to read this book? There are many banned books out there that deal with subjects that some may find too bold, or too mature or too out of their own personal comfort zone…. The Lorax has always been my go to “laugh out loud” at banned book, and I love sharing with people who, when you think banned books… you also need to add in The LORAX.
I love The LORAX and its messages about handling our earths resources wisely is as timely now as then it written in 1971. It’s a fun read and an easy red – and apparently s I recited memorized line, a book for all ages.
So Sheila…. ummm… why was The Lorax Banned?
In a nut shell (or in this case, in a wood chip) The Lorax was banned because it portrays the foresting industry in an arguable negative way. Some people felt that this book was persuading children to be against logging.
Yup, that’s it. 😛
With this final banned book post for banned book week 2012 I want to thank you for reading the banned book posts this week as well as a huge thank you to all of you who have commented, contributed posts, and giveaways. May you always feel at liberty to read the books you choose to read – the books that make you think, care, love, hate, cry, shout, dream and put on the shelf.
Good morning! It is Saturday and I feel like I am recovering from some extreme event. In truth, although I was gone all day yesterday it was nothing that extensive. I got up at 5 am yesterday to drive my friend Connie to the cities for her doctors appointments. We did not get back into town until 8 pm last night and all the way home traffic (on a Friday after 5) AND construction knocking it down to one lane… made our 2 hour and 15 minute drive almost 4 hours. After arriving home, I was wiped out and was in bed by 9:30 pm.
Before I get into the awesomeness of banned book week – I want to take a brief moment and add a couple pictures for Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot which I love to participate in when I have some pictures I want to share and this morning…I do. 😀
Here is what I woke up to this morning:
Front deck this morningBack deck this morning
Yes. SNOW. 😯 Now you can fall into one of two camps here:
Camp 1. Yeah Sheila, its just a little snow , it will be gone by noon! Suck it up – its pretty.
Camp 2. Oh no, that’s horrible don’t you have a bike ride tomorrow? Snow SUCKS!!!!
Ok, Camp one… you may exit the blog now… nothing here for you to see, obviously you do not know how I feel about snow. 😀
Camp two, you are my people. Thanks you for feeling my pain and yes, I do have a bike ride tomorrow with friends in Mankato on my ROAD BIKE. The snow… must go away.
Alright – that is it for the pitty party because it is the final day of Banned Books week and I am a little bummed about that. This week I had the opportunity to read some great books that are on that list: PREP, Perks Of Being A Wallflower, The Giver, The Chocolate War, The LORAX and watched the last Harry Potter movie. All of what I just mentioned has been banned or challenged somewhere in the world. AND there have been a whole ENORMOUS team of awesome bloggers who have helped out this week by also reading and reviewing banned books and posting about them and offering giveaways and seriously – a good good time. 😀
Here is today’s posts by these bloggers. I hope you can check out what they have to say, many of them are having giveaways to go with their posts:
Laurel from Rainy Days And Mondays fantastic post on The Catcher In The Rye was linked wrong yesterday so I am bringing it back today.. She is also having a book giveaway. Please check it out!
Erin from Quixotic Magpie wrote a review of The Awakening and is offering a book giveaway!
Julie from My Book Retreat shares about the banned/challenges books of the Junie B Jones series. Julie is also having a book giveaway!
Liza from Reading With ABC is talking about Forever by Judy Blume and offering up a book giveaway!
Marie from The Boston Bibliophile is discussing The Handmaids Tale (one I need to read!) and giving a book giveaway!
Rachel from Resistance Is Futile has posted some interesting titles this week and today she talks about Roll Of Thunder, Hear Me Cry by Mildred D Taylor
Kristin from My Little Heart Melodies wrote about The Things They Carried, a book that has graced my shelf a long time and I still need to get to.
Marj from In Library Paradise shares about The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and has a book giveaway!
Priya from The Faceless Author shares her thoughts on child sacrifices in the Hunger Games – she is giving away one of her custom made comic strips!
Sue also posts at Book By Book and shared about Brave New World Today. A book I am still hoping to read this year!
That is today’s line! I hope you can visit them – if your Saturday is cold and damp like mine why not grab a second (or third cup of coffee or cocoa) and check out some of these posts. You may be surprised what you learned about why these books were challenged. AND for that matter, dont forget the posts from earlier this week as well – many of them have giveaways that will end after today so get in on those deals – some of the giveaways are truly “drool-worthy” and I have been checking them out and tweeting about them all week. 😀
I am refilling my coffee now and going to check out these links and posts. Later today I will pack up the jeep for my trek to Mankato where I will stay with friends tonight, tomorrow ride my bike in the Mankato Ramble and then I am hanging out with College Son all day Sunday and staying at his place and coming home Monday morning. I will be posting throughout the weekend as Laptop will be making the journey with me.
Thank you to everyone who posted about banned books this week. Thank you to everyone who read these posts and learned something new about banned books and thank you for a great week. I have had a blast and really wish it was two weeks long… I have two more banned books checked out from the library I have not even started yet! 😀
Julie from Diary Of A Word Nerd is going to talk about The Kite Runner (AMAZING READ!) and BOOK GIVEAWAY!
The AWESOME Laurel from An Interior Journey is chatting up The Catcher In The Rye and offering up a book giveaway!
Erin from In Real Life is going to talk about how banned books have impacted her life with a bookmark giveaway!
Rachel from Resistance Is Futile is going with a FAVORITE of mine, Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone (SSQQUUEEE!!!)
I am out of town today, doing a little research in the cities but as I get time I will be popping in throughout the day 😀
In a quick recap – here are the past weeks posts and giveaways that you will not want to miss…. each comment on one of these posts (including mine) enters you into the grand prize banned book drawing!
Jerry Renault ponders this question from the Private Catholic School he newly attends. Each year the school partakes in a chocolate sale which help funds programming. While the sale is said to be optional for students to participate in , they are strongly, STRONGLY encouraged to do so.This year the students are encouraged to sell double what they did last year, and the cost has doubled as well.
A group of bad-boy “secret society” types called the Vigils find Jerry to be a target for their latest prank and tell him that he is not to sell the chocolates for the first 11 days. Each week as the students are tallied for the number of boxes they have sold, Jerry announces he has sold none. The head master is furious much to the Vigils delight, but after day eleven, Jerry decides to take a stand and not sell the chocolates as all, thus making the head of the Vigils a laughing stock amongst his peers, and this does not go over well. Jerry’s stand turns into a war witht he Vigils, with some of the students, and with the school.
As Jerry’s fellow students admire Jerry for his courage, the headmaster as well as the head of the Vigils have other plans for making Jerry comply…
The Chocolate Wars is also a movie
Why did I want to read this book? It is a banned book and looked like one I wanted to give a try to.
Wowza. Can say we have a winner? The Chocolate War is the portrayal of a dystopian type world where you just need to fall in line with what you are told to do… (think Pink Floyd, The Wall video). When Jerry comes on the scene and at first is bullied into not selling the chocolates like everyone else and then decided to not sell at all.. things get pretty crazy in this book.
Bullying is a strong theme throughout the book, and not just the physical kind – and not just from the students…. really the book is powerful and sad but really made an impact on me. I am so glad I read it.
The audio is a 5 1/2 hours and was perfect with my current crazy schedule. Narrated by Frank Muller the book read well and kept me engaged. Recommended!
Why Was The Chocolate War Banned?
2010
Challenged and/or banned for nudity, offensive language, being sexually explicit and unsuited for age group.
2008
Initially removed from Harford County (MD) High School curriculum due to vulgar language overshadowing anti-bullying message, but in November 2007, the school superintendent reversed the ban to allow the use of the book in classes dealing with harassment for which all parents have signed permission slips. Challenged as optional reading in a bullying unit at the Lake Oswego (OR) Junior High School because the novel is “peppered with profanities, ranging from derogatory slang terms to sexual encounters and violence.” Challenged in the Coeur d’Alene (ID) School district where parents say the book, along with 5 other, should require parental permission for students to read them. Challenged as required reading for 7th-grade students at the John H. Kinzie Elementary School in Chicago (IL). Challenged at the Northridge School District in Johnstown (OH) because “if these books were a movie, they would be rated R, why should we encourage them to read these books.”
2007
Challenged, but retained in the West Hartford (CN) schools. Parents of a King Philip Middle School eighth grader thought the language, sexual content, and violence made the book PG-13. Challenged in the Wake County (NC) schools because the book has “vulgar and sexually explicit language.” Parents are getting help from Called2Action, a Christian group that says its mission is to “promote and defend our shared family and social values.”
2006
Challenged for sexual content and offensive language.
2005
Challenged for sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint, being unsuited to age group and violence.
2003
Challenged in Fairfax (VA) school libraries by a group called Parents Against Bad Books in Schools for “profanity and descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct and torture”.
2002
Challenged for profanity, scenes of masturbation and sexual fantasy along with segments denigrating to girls.
2001
Challenged in York County (VA) for sexually explicit language. Retained as optional reading for eighth graders in Girard (PA) despite a grandmother finding the book offensive and not wanting her grand-daughter reading it. Challenged for being on the eighth grade reading list of Lancaster (MA) school district for language and content. Challenged at a Lisbon (OH) board of education meeting as a “pornographic” book that should be removed from high school English classes.
So… you want some chocolates? 😛
My friend Florinda at The 3 T’s Blog also wrote a post on the Chocolate Wars today (book version) and we thought it would be fun to a little “sweetness” to our reviews. I will be giving away Ghiradelli chocolates to one of the lucky commenters using both out blog posts to enter. Just leave a comment on either my or Florindas post for an entry – comment on both and you will get three entries because math… is not my strength :D.
Day five! I hope you have been enjoying these posts and finding them informative. I am having a blast working with all these awesome bloggers who have put forth their thoughts on banned books and many with giveaways too! Before I list today’s participants remember at the bottom this post I am listing the four previous days participants as well and these are DNM (Do Not Miss) posts! There has been a lot of great banned book reviews and I have entered some of the awesome giveaways as well! 😀
But first…
Ok lets see who is up today and what they have to say…
The AWESOME Natalie from Coffee and a Book Chick is sharing today about The Chocolate War and hosting a book giveaway!
Sweet Florinda from The 3 R’s Blog (and I as well!) will be reviewing The Chocolate War, she read it and I listened to it on audio. Check out my post later because oh yes, there will be chocolate!
The amazing Cass from Bonjour Cass will be sharing her thoughts about banning children’s books and she will host a book giveaway as well!
** so I am going to break in here to share a fun fact about these 3 above bloggers. I have all three of them in person in New York. I had dinner with Natalie and Florinda and I have went to the broadway play, Mary Poppins with Cass. 😀
Kendal from Kinx Book Nook is sharing thoughts on The Color Of The Earth, a fantastic looking book!
Shannon from I Run, Teach, Read is posting about an old favorite of mine, Little House On The Prairie. Yup. A banned book. Check out her post to find out why it was banned. She is also hosting a giveaway.
Tara at Finding Wonderland is reviewing Catcher In The Rye with a book giveaway!
Johnathon Of The Rogue Scholar has taken on Brave New World along with a book giveaway. (Oh and I am loving his style for his giveaway… just saying 😀 )
Dont forget I am offering up a Banned Book Package with a gift card! By commenting on any (or all) of the posts on banned books I have linked this week – including my own, you are entered… that means one entry per comment so go, learn about these great books – and have some fun!
SO that’s todays offerings. 😀 I am working today but an going ot the library to help with their E Book launch this morning which may be fun. 😀 I know I have a banned book ot two to pick up as well, so double duty. 😀 Out weather has turned MUCH COOLER this week which is not making me too thrilled as I have a 50 mile bike ride this coming Sunday in Mankato, MN.
Day four of banned book week already! Are we having fun? Have you learned anything about banned books this week? (Hang on to that question – I am going to ask again at the end of this post. 😀
So… let me dig through the videos… what can we show today. Hang on, I need to pull some footage off the top shelf….. there. Ok, here we go:
And there are the amazing bloggers who have banned book posts and giveaways to celebrate today:
Gina At Book Dragon’s Lair comes today with her thoughts on The Absolute True Diary Of A Part Time Indian
Suey from Its All About Books is going to talk to us about Slaughterhouse Five (I haven’t read this one yet!) and a book giveaway!
My buddy Ryan from Reading In Taiwan wrote a great post of Fahrenheit 451 and a discussion on the ban.
Kristi from Kristi Loves Books is going to chat about The Lord Of The Flies (creepy title!) and a book giveaway!
Also, if you are enjoying banned book week, make sure that anytime you stop and check out Bonnie’s Banned Book Blog . Bonnie posts reviews about banned books all tear long and when I am organized (ummmm…. not currently) I post my banned book reviews there as well. 😀
Ok, I need to get ready for work but I will be back this afternoon to posy another banned book review and… some fun 😀
Have you learned anything about banned books this week?
Today’s hot topics come from:
Book Journey 