Tag: Review

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

 

 

“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.” ―Donald Miller

 

 

Donald Miller knew of God but didn’t really know what to do with God.  While going about college and life he discovered a Jesus different then the one that can be shoved down throats – instead he found Jesus as the one who walks beside him and teaches him about looking at people, life, and situations in new and positive ways. 

While taking off with his new-found faith in a loving God, Miller finds himself fried out on his ministry and falls away.  Yes Jesus continues to show up in the strangest of ways slowly pulling Miller back to Him and creating a passion that is bone deep.

Blue Like Jazz is an honest walk with Donald Miller through his younger years of funny college moments, a crazy hippy movement, relationships, friendships and more.  Attending Reed College in Portland Oregon, known as the least faith-based school around instead cranking out brilliance at an academic level unheard of by most colleges.  As Don struggles through, his thoughts are at times profound and even funny.  Don, like any one of us, is just trying to get it right. 

 

 

 

Why did I want to read this book?  I have read Donald Miller before and enjoyed his laid back style.  I had heard good things about this book and now there is also a movie out that I have also heard is very good. 

Blue Like Jazz is now a movie as well

 

Blue Like Jazz is a book I listened to on audio.  Read by its author, Donald Miller I loved the steady – not preachy or “lecturey” (my word) but instead in a tone of “hey, here’s what happened and here’s what I did with it…”  I actually enjoyed the narrating very much.

Blue Like Jazz was a good audio.  Don’s stories of his college, and the people he hung out with and what they did were truly college actions except Don always was looking for the connections between this life and how it plays into Gods plan for us.  Even when he seems to not be walking in a way that God would find worthy, he still was and that really is the beauty of this book.

Never preachy, Blue Like Jazz reads like any other no fiction novel with the bonus of  this book can make you think.  There are some wonderful moments in Blue Like Jazz, I especially liked his little group of Christians in the school (a rarity) and their plan to come out with a reverse confession booth – I loved this whole section of the book – shoot, I loved the whole book.  There were times I listened to whole chapters again as I loved how Don Miller talks of loving people no matter what and losing this judgey attitude. 

I can’t wait to see the movie and have it rented now from Netflix waiting for me 😉

 

Fun fact:  The book has been made into a movie by director Steve Taylor.   On his blog on September 16, 2010, Donald Miller stated that despite a strong screenplay, a stellar cast, and rave reviews, the project was put on hold indefinitely due to lack of funding. Two fans created a site called “Save Blue Like Jazz”where they urged fans to help raise money to fund the movie through a website called Kickstarter. This campaign raised over $340,000, more than doubling the original goal of $125,000 by October 25, 2010.
 

from wikepedia

I purchased my copy of Blue Like Jazz from a local sale

You’ve Been Warned by James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

 

Kristin Burns is working on her photography career and not doing too badly.  By day she is a nanny for two kids she adores, and working on getting the man she hopes to spend the rest of her life with… there are just a few kinks to work out.  Like… his wife.  But really, isn’t all fair in love and war and the wife, really is a piece of work…. really.

The Kristin starts having crazy nightmares every night.  They seem so real… and they involve 4 body bags coming out of a hotel.  As if the nightmare itself isn’t bad enough, Kristin starts seeing things throughout her daily life that make her think the nightmare may be coming true.  But who is going to believe that?  Is she going crazy?  Are the secrets within her reach, maybe through the lens of her camera?

 

 

 

I have enjoyed some of Patterson’s work in the past.  He has a couple of series that I follow and this one sounded like it could be good.  Kristin’s story I felt was a bit hard to follow.  Choppy at best.  First her morals are obviously a little off base as she justifies the affair she is having.  The random nightmares connecting with her day-to-day life are interesting enough to hold me to the read, wanting to know what is happening and why. 

Mostly – I enjoyed the story line of her life with friends and even the kids and yes, even the guy…. but the nightmare twists felt forced and odd and when it was all over I was not left with a big “AHA” moment but a “Wha?”

So in the end I would rate this one an “Eh”

 

 

Titanics Last Secret’s by Brad Matsen

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

In August of 2005, 93 years after Titanic had sunk and become the worlds biggest ship disaster – a discovery about the ship is revealed.  A team that had been diving found previously undiscovered wreckage of the ship that led to the conclusion that Titanic’s bow had not rose up in the air as the famous movie scene dictated – but instead had broken in half while the ship was horizontal. 

How is it that all these years later that this could be true?  With all the eye witnesses from the life boats, how was this one fact told incorrectly or pushed so far from what really happened?

I have always been fascinated with all things Titanic.  The tragedy is monumental and to this day I struggle wrapping my heard around the sheer magnetism of the senseless loss of life.  I have read many books on the subject feeling almost as though I had put myself on the ship, trying to escape Titanic and hoping for another outcome….  when I seen this audio I knew I had to listen to it.

What Brad Matsens research for this book covers is why the Titanic sunk so quickly, when in all rights it should have been fine to float until the rescue boats came… instead, the time between the iceberg hitting the boat and the sinking of this great ship was two hours and forty minutes.  That’s enough to give my chills.  What is pointed out in this telling is that the Titanic and in fact other large ships like her, were not built sound enough – too large for the building skills of the time.

The book while  starting out in modern-day, travels back to the original building of the ship from the three famous men who were the creation and ultimately the fate of Titanic, Lord Pirrie, Bruce Ismay, and Thomas Andrews, all through the discussion of the lifeboats and how ugly they were on the ship so really why not cut them to the bare minimum?

You also get a retelling of what happened that night and perhaps most interesting for me, what happened in the days and weeks after the ship sank as far as the trials and the holding of the ships crewman who survived for questioning. 

Those of you who are interested in Titanic like me will find this an informative and thought-provoking read – a definite addition to my Titanic resources.

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! 

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.

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

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. 

 

Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

 

Alex Lyons loves her job as a writer for Chick Habit ‘s website.  After all who wouldn’t love a job where you get to sit at home on your couch scouring the web for hours looking for the next big story.  Celebrity mishaps is Alex’s bread and butter, and she knows she is only as good as her last story. 

When a juicy tip comes in about a squeaky clean Ivy League daughter, Alex in on that like white on rice.  This tip is too hot and way to good to pass on… but will Alex’s “tell all” be worth the pain and destruction it will cause in the girl’s life?  And what will it do to Alex’s own life?

Why did I want to read this book?  Helloooooo… look at that fun title!  Right away I was curious about this and had to (had to!) know more!
Sad Desk Salad is a fun read for anyone who enjoys on-line blog reading (like me!)  Alex is witty and clever, and hey – so is author Jessica Grose who sprinkled the magic dust that made Alex come to life in this “snort out loud” tale of the blogging world from a tabloid like atmosphere.  (And really – why not?  As author Jessica Grosse happens to be editor of a site called Jezebel and Slate. )
The title refers to the fact that the fictional Chick Habit’s website in the book gets the most hits over the work day lunch hour when the women are at their desks eating their sad salads and scanning the internet for their favorite gossip. 
While Alex is not always awesome – clearly her “work from home” hygiene habits need some literal “cleaning up”, she was surrounded by enough secondary characters that leveled her out so I was able to take her faults in stride.    Mostly I enjoyed the way the book held my attention and whenever I had to sit it down (darn life stuff like work and errands!) I found myself thinking about how it would all play out.
A good debut novel about online blogging and where to draw a line when it comes to privacy in today’s highly social networking world.  Worthy of taking a look at and maybe enjoying this lite read over a few or your own lunch breaks. 

 

 

The Giver by Lois Lowry (Banned Book Week with a giveaway copy!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)50 Comments

Jonas lives in a world where there is no poverty, no sickness, and no thought or dream that is left unturned by his elders.  In Jonas futuristic world, children are given privileges and assignments by age.  At 9, you earn your bike… your transportation.  At 12, which is where Jonas is at, you are assigned your life career bu the elders of the community.  While Jonas anxiously wonders what he will be – and hopes he likes what is chosen for him…

Jonas is assigned a position that was considered an honor position, he would be The Receiver Of Memories.  At first, this seems pretty cool.  Jonas is given rights that others (even the elders) have never been given.  While being trained by the elderly man “The Giver” who has maintained the position for years, Jonas is allowed to ask questions that in other places would be rude, but as the Receiver, he had privileges and rights.  He is given the right to see and posses all the memories through the history of his world and he soon learns he can go back in this new memory and see birthday parties (something he had never seen!) and scents, and families, and the word love… but he also sees war, and learns the truth about his world, a truth he does not wish to know…

and now he has to decide if he can live with knowing…

 

Reminds me a bit of the Hunger Games

 

Why did I want to read this book?  This is another book that has graced my shelves for years…. I knew this was a book that I must read, but I had not.  Now, during Banned Book Week, the title came up on the list and I knew it was time.  I chose the audio version as it is a little over 4 hours long and worked well into my schedule – I could listen while cooking and cleaning.

I admit, I am always a little nervous on older titles that deal with “futuristic” scenarios.  I never have enjoyed sci-fi, but let me stand before you.. corrected.  The Giver is dystopian before dystopia novels were cool.  Or, more accurately, before we knew dystopia novels were cool.  I picked up themes of The Hunger Games, and Divergent…. two books I really enjoyed.

And another thing.  The Giver, although the cover is a picture of this God-like old man… is indeed a YA novel.  Seriously, I am blown away.

The Giver is one of those books that I would say need to be on everyone’s book bucket list.  Filled with wisdom and thought provoking dialogue, The Giver is one that will remain on my keeper shelf. 

 

Why was The Giver Banned?

* The Giver was challenged in 1995 by a parent in Franklin County, Kansas, on the grounds that it is “concerned with murder, suicide, and the degradation of motherhood and adolescence.” The book was removed from elementary libraries but remained available for classroom use at teachers’ discretion.

* In Wrenshall, Minnesota, a school board member and two parents objected to the inclusion of The Giver on a list of books to be purchased for a high school, on the grounds of offensive language and objectionable themes. The school board approved the book but stipulated that parents would receive a list of books to be studied during the year.

* In Johnson County, Missouri, complainants charged that The Giver desensitized children to euthanasia and asked that the book “not be read in class to children under high school age.” The book remains in the high school section of the K-12 library.

* A parent in Sidney, New York, publicly objected to the novel’s “usage of mind control, selective breeding, and the elimination of the old and young alike when they are weak, feeble and of no more use…” but did not file a formal complaint.

* A review committee in Brecksville, Ohio, recommended the removal of The Giver from an elementary library. Objections referred to infanticide and adult themes in the novel. The book was removed.

* Somewhere in Oklahoma, a parent objected to the novel’s use of terms such as “clairvoyance,” “transcendent,” and “guided imagery,” because these are “all occult New Age practices the Bible tells us to avoid.” The review committee voted unanimously to retain the book but prohibited it from being read aloud in fourth grade. The committee also recommended that immature readers be discouraged from trying it, and that the librarian should make fewer copies available.

* Medford, Oregon: In the absence of a formal review policy, language arts teachers decided not to use the book in seventh grade classrooms after a parent complained of graphic descriptions of euthanasia.

* In 1994, The Giver was temporarily banned from classes by the Bonita Unified School District in LaVerne and San Dimas, California, after four parents complained that violent and sexual passages were inappropriate for children.

* The book was restricted to students with parental permission at the Columbia Falls, Mont. school system in 1995 because of its treatment of themes of infanticide and euthanasia.

I am giving away a copy of this book!

To enter this giveaway – share with me in a comment, using the book you are currently reading (banned or not) and tell me why that book should be banned.  Just make something up!  Have fun with it!  😀  Winner will be chosen on Sunday using random.org 🙂