The Wizard Of Oz by Frank Baum (Bookies Book Club done BOOKIES STYLE!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

 


You probably know the story… (I hope you know the story!)  There’s this chick named Dorothy who is kind of ungrateful living on a farm with her aunt and uncle with her dog Toto.  Then one day a tornado hits (in my book it was a cyclone) and Dorothy winds up flying in her home to another place called – yup you guessed it … Oz, where she works hard (and this is the big plot line) to find her way home AND in the mean time makes some friends with a Tin Man, a Scarecrow and a Lion – but not a scary lion because he really is rather skid-dish. 

Toss in a spooky green witch who wants Dorothy and her little dog too… a crazy Oz man who liked to refer to himself as the “Great and Powerful Oz” (I know like mid life crisis or what?  Why doesn’t he just get a sports car?) and you have quite a little story going here….

 

Yeah… a few of us dressed up. Can you guess which one is me?

So… this was out October Classic read for Bookies book club.  When we chose it back in July we thought we were brilliant because although we knew about the Wizard Of Oz from the movie… none of us had read the book.  Well, seriously – what a blast we had… the food the awesome and the discussion was fun. 

There are so many differences between the book and the movie it was kind of fun because of course – the book was more detailed.  For instance, did you know that in the book Dorothy’s shoes are silver and not red?  They were made red for the movie because red stood out more.  AND originally the yellow brick road was supposed to be red? 

SO many more details!  The book has a chapter where there are people made of China – yes, china like the plates!  It was interesting to think that this book was so forward thinking for a book written in 1900. 

Oh, and another fun fact – Judy Garland was originally supposed to be in the movie Gone With The Wind but bowed out of that role to play Dorothy!  At the time the movies were made, there was no way of knowing the hits they both would come to be!

Our book review consisted of a little trivia and a lot of good food… just see for yourself:

An Oz review would not be complete without witches brew…

 

Oh we had good food!

 

Its hard to see but my cupcakes have red Dorothy shoe book marks in them 🙂

 

 

And I am guessing that you guessed that I was Elphiba (as named in the book Wicked) The Wicked Witch Of The West. 🙂

 

Over all our group rating was 3.8 out of a 5 possibility.  A few preferred the movie, I as well as a few others enjoyed the book more because it introduced things that were not in the movie.  I highly recommend the Wizard of Oz for a fun book discussion.  We really had a great time! 

Morning Meanderings… It Ain’t Easy Being Green… and Banned Book Week Winners

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Good morning!  😀

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!!!!  😀

A Wilderness of Error by Errol Morris

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

 

WARNING:  This book is based on a true crime and the details in this synopsis may be a bit graphic and disturbing. 

 

It was February 17th, 1970 in North Carolina.  Jeffrey MacDonald, a Green Beret Doctor had discovered his two-year old daughter Kristen had wet his side of their bed, so after cleaning her up and putting her to sleep in her own bed, Jeffrey decided to sleep on the couch and deal with the clean up in his own bed in the morning.  It was late, and he was tired.  Hours later, he was startled awake by a noise, screaming actually, and seen several people in his home.  When he got up, startled, he was hit by an object and knocked out.

When Jeffrey regained consciousness he called the police for help.  It was 3:42 am and his life had just changed forever.

What the police found, was the beginning of a nightmare for all involved.  MacDonald’s pregnant wife and two daughters had all been brutally murdered.  The word “PIG” was written in blood on the master bedroom wall. 

Jeffrey MacDonald told the story of what he had seen when he woke up, four young people, one being a woman, chanting and holding candles. He believed drugs were involved.  The police felt that MacDonald’s story didn’t fit with the evidence they seen.   In 1979, MacDonald was convicted of killing his entire family and remains in prison to this day.
But…

Was clear evidence in this crime ignored?  Were there people who were possibly connected to this crime that were never investigated?  Is Jeffery MacDonald an innocent man who was wrongly imprisoned? 

 

Jeffrey then and now

 

Why did I want to read this book?  I admit I have always been drawn to true crime.  That sounds terrible.  Ugh.  I think I am curious about what would make people act that way.  What would bring one human to the brink of harming another – killing another in love or hate or whatever…. 

 

Author Errol Morris writes a story that definitely falls under reasonable doubt in this case.  The book is filled with police reports, and interviews that definitely bring the results of this case into question for this reader.  I found myself turning page after page, gathering my own evidence – even looking back through what I had already read, checking my own “facts” again and again.  I even found myself looking up things about the case on line, to get another perspective to go by.

I like books that make me think and Errol Morris covered that with A Wilderness Of Error.  I felt I came into this case cold, as honestly, prior to this reading I had never heard of Jeffrey MacDonald or this crime that took place right along the time of the Manson murders. 

The book’s title comes from a poem by Edgar Allen Poe:

 

What chance—what one event brought this evil thing to pass, bear with me while I relate… I would fain have them believe that I have been, in some measure, the slave of circumstances beyond human control. I would wish them to seek out for me, in the details I am about to give, some little oasis of fatality amid a wilderness of error.

 

I was bewildered by how this case was handled – granted these were the days before CSI and all the things we have in today’s world to track evidence but if you go by Errol Morris’ account, this case was truly misguided.  There is even a woman, Helena Stoeckley, who admitted time and again that she committed these murders, but was written off as being an unreliable drug addict.

I found the book to be very interesting and well written.

In the end – I personally can’t say if MacDonald did it or not.  MacDonald himself, now 68 years old, still claims he is innocent.

 

For more information about the evidence surrounding this crime and how Errol Morris came up with is facts, see this interesting site.

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of a jury by reading this amazing book.

Morning Meanderings – the first in a week New Book Window and a WINNER!!!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

 

Good morning!  Can you believe this is the first Morning Meandering in a week?  Last week was all banned books week… all week.  😀  After a crazy busy and fun weekend I made it home yesterday afternoon tired but happy.  Pictures from the bike ride will show up on Saturday. 

Yesterday afternoon I took down the Banned Books display from the library and brought “My Precious” books home and switched out the window with “Spooktacuar Reads” for October for all ages.  I put up a shelf of books for children, middle grade, young adults and adults.  I use my own books or print covers of the books and put over a small box so that we don’t pull books off the library shelves – I wasn’t to be sure that if someone sees a book they would like to read, they have the opportunity to check it out – which yes, I also checked our on-line library catalog to be sure all the books int he window are books the library has.  Yes, I can be anal.  😀

So here is a pic of that window:

 

 

I didn’t go all scary – but good mysteries and for the younger kids a couple about pumpkins too.  😀

 

I do have MANY winners yet to pick from Banned Book week but that is going to have to wait until tomorrow I will however tie up my giveaway from the Bloggiesta post, which is:

 

Kimberly of The Windy Pages!!!

 

Congratulations!  😀  I will get that sent off to you in the next couple of days here.

 

Today I work and tonight is our book club review of The Wizard Of Oz!  Expect great pictures to show up from that one as I know a few of us…a re planning to dress up and you never know what can happen when the Bookies get together!  It is going to be a busy – but fun day!  😀

 

 

 

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)24 Comments

 

Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too!  As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme.  I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited.  **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

Since I was out of town last weekend I never got the previous winner posted so this is the two week ago winner and this past weeks winner using random.org (because that is how I roll!)

 

Last weeks winner: Lori from Escape With Dollycas!!!

 

Congratulations!  Please choose a book or bookish item from the Reading Cafe!  And for those of you waiting on a win, the book room as you will see below is now done so I can find the books to mail you :D

I am coming in a little later on this one today.  Usually I post on Sunday evening for all of you who live outside the US and my Sunday is your Monday… however,

I am currently in Mankato Minnesota where yesterday morning I biked with friends for the Mankato Ramble, and then I spent the rest of the day with College Son and stayed at his place.  I never get to Mankato – it is a 3/12 drive from my home in Brainerd coming this weekend to ride bike one last time this year and see my son was so worth it.  We went out to dinner last night, and then to a movie.  By the time we got in I was wiped out and knew this post would have to wait…

BUT  – here it is and if you hung out here at all last week didn’t we have a great time with Banned Books Week?  And if you did not hang out here last week then this is all the awesome stuff that was going on:

PREP by Curtis Sentenfield (Banned book with a giveaway!)

 

The Giver by Lois Lowry (banned book with a giveaway copy!)

 

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky ( banned book and now a movie!)

 

Sad Desk Salad by Jesse Grose (a book tour)

 

The Chocolate Wars by Robert Cormier – a banned book and a giveaway

 

The LORAX by Dr. Suess (discussed for Banned book week – yup – it is banned!)

 

October Mourning by Lesea Newman -(a book surrounding thoughts on the terrible murder of Matthew Shepard)

 

 

If there is one thing banned books do for me, is they give me an incredible reading list for a week each year,  There are so many great books to chose from and if you scrawl through my posts of last week you will see all the wonderful book bloggers and authors who also tied into banned books week with reviews, talks, and giveaways.

So this week is going to particularity crazy – today when I get back to Brainerd I need to change out the Banned Book Window in the library.    I think I am going with a theme of “Spooktacular” Reads and going with a shelf of good books for October – one shelf for kids, one for MG, one for YA, and one for adults.  Any thoughts on what those titles may be – please feel free to give me ideas in the comments 🙂

Then tomorrow is book club – we are dressing up and reviewing The Wizard of Oz! Wednesday I work with students after work until 8 pm and Thursday I am leaving for the cabin with friends to have a crafting weekend.  Coming back on Saturday evening.  😀

So – knowing that I will not get a lot of reading in this week – here is my lay out:

 

 

I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve…I used to not like God because God didn’t resolve. But that was before any of this happened.In Donald Miller’s early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.

I have heard this is excellent and I have had the audio for a while.  It is my “listen: on the way home today.  It is also a movie now!

 

 

 

 

The brutal murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming, brought violence based on sexual orientation to public view. His mother, determined that Matthew’s life should have meaning, has become an activist for the inclusion of sexual orientation in hate crime legislation (the federal act, named for Matthew, was enacted in October 2009) and for gay rights in general. Judy Shepard’s narration is consistent with her statements in the book that in various public situations she is determined not to break down–as she wants the focus of the story to be Matthew, not her. Matthew’s father delivers the statement he made at the trial of one of the assailants. Both parents read in tightly controlled voices that are poignant and, by the absence of dramatization, tell a haunting story.
This past Saturday was the anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s beating that led to his death.  Above, I had read October Mourning but thought it was going to be more about his life and story – it was poetry and I did not know that going in.  However, I have had this one on my shelf for awhile, written by Matthew’s mom. 

 

 

 

That is probably all I am going to list from Mankato.  😀  Once I get home I may see something in my notebook that I am supposed to read this week so I am going to keep this the way it is. 

Now it is your turn!  What are you reading these fall days?  Has your reading style changes as summer came to a close?  I would love to know!  Please link up your Its Monday What Are You Reading here below where it says click here:

 

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and those of you who read mainly children’s through YA reads – please ALSO link your post here:

October Mourning by Leslea Newman (A song for Matthew Sheppard)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)8 Comments

It was October 6th, 1998,a crisp fall evening, when 21 year old Matthew Shepard left a Wyoming bar with two young men about his own age.  Matthew was gay, and he was under the assumption that these men were as well.  In fact, that was not true. 

Instead, Matthew was driven to a remote area, beaten horrifically and tied to a fence.  At that time the two men left in their truck .

Several days later after Matthew was found, he died of his severe injuries.

Matthew never regained consciousnesses from the time he was tied to the fence to die.

At this time, Gay Awareness week was just beginning for Wyoming University and the keynote speaker Leslea Newman was scheduled to be in town days after Matthew’s beating.   The crowd in light on the resent tragedy was much bigger than expected.

October Mourning is Leslea’s novel in verse of her thoughts of what happened that night…

Why did I want to read this book?

The Matthew Shepard story is one that has always touched me deeply.  Hate crimes boils my blood but they also break my heart.  When I see this book on Shelf Awareness and that the anniversary date was coming up, I knew I wanted to read it.

First of all I have to admit when I ordered this book after seeing that above video, I did not pick up on the fact (my error) that this was a book of free verse poetry.  In my haste, I thought it was a book being told from Leslea Newman’s perspective of the happe.nings of that tragic event and about the speaking engagement she had shortly after. I am not a big fan of free verse books

I did read October Mourning and I have to say many of the poems were touching.  Her first poem in the book, Outnumbered (which she also reads in the video clip, is breathtaking.  I honestly can not even imagine…

I truly can not imagine.

This book will remain on my shelf and while it was not what I thought I was getting, it did inspire me to pick up another book I own called The Meaning Of Matthew written by Matthew’s mom, Judy Shepard.  

 

I would like to say the world has grown since that tragic day in 1998, but sadly I am not sure if that is true.  There are still people out there hating people.  Please take a moment today to think about and or pray for Matthew Shepard and his family.  And if you want to know more about Matthew’s story, I have just mentioned two books here that may be of interest to you.

The Lorax by Dr Suess (Yes, another banned book)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

 

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.

Sheila

CELEBRATE Banned Book Week Day 7 (and a couple of annoying pictures…)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)46 Comments


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 morning
Back 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!

Will from Henderson’s House Of Cards shares a brilliant post called “If I Were A Banned Book”

 

 

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 from Great Books for Kids and Teens shares a YA review of The Chocolate War

 

 

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.  😀

 

Here are easy quick links to get to those posts:

The Chocolate Wars and chocolate giveaway

The Giver and a copy to give away!

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

PREP and a giveaway!

Day 6

Day 5

Day 4

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1

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!  😀

Any plans this weekend for you?

Banned Books Week Day SIX! Posts and giveaways!!!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Here we are on day 6!  It has been a really exciting week. 

Belle from Book Belle is going to talk about banned YA books and offer up a $20 gift card!

 

Mandy from Well Read Wife is reviewing Go Ask Alice with a cool banned book T shirt giveaway!

Rebecca from The Key To The Gate is discussing The Grapes Of Wrath and offering a new book giveaway!

 

Jenna from Lost Generation Reader is going to host a banned book giveaway!

Will from Henderson’s House Of Cards talks about Characters he wants to meet.

 

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!

 

The Chocolate Wars and chocolate giveaway

The Giver and a copy to give away!

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

PREP and a giveaway!

Day 5

Day 4

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1

The Chocolate Wars by Robert Cormier (Banned Book Review and a CHOCOLATE GIVEAWAY!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)41 Comments

 

Do I dare disturb the universe?

 

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.