Two books and a book tote

Out of Time ~ by Caroline B. Cooney, 1996, young adult, 210 pages

Strat, the wealthy boy with whom Annie fell in love during her first time trip to the 1890s, needs her help when he reveals her real origin and finds himself confined in a mental asylum.  The back cover says:

Annie Lockwood exists; everyone admits it.  Everyone has seen her.  But only Strat insists that Miss Lockwood traveled a hundred years back in time to be with them in 1895.  Now Strat is paying an enormous price; his father has declared him insane and had him locked away in an asylum.

When Time calls Annie back to save Strat, she does not hesitate, even though her family is falling apart and desperately needs her.

Can Annie save the boy she loves, or will her choice keep her a trespasser out of time?

Saint Therese and the Roses ~ by Helen Walker Homan, illustrated by George W. Thompson, 1955, young adult, 149 pages

This story from the Vision Books series for youth 9 -15 years old is a beautiful story about the most popular saint of modern times, St. Therese of Lisieux, the "Little Flower."  Growing up in Lisieux, France was occasionally painful but usually delightful for Therese and her four sisters.  For practical Marie, studious Pauline, hot-tempered Leonie, mischievous Celine, and beautiful, lovable Therese, growing up meant growing closer to God.  The Little Flower found her pathway to holiness right in her own back yard.

With their disagreements, secrets, visits to the convent, school adventures, and romances, these five girls are an enjoyable handful for their kindly, widowed father.  But Therese, because she loves her family, discovers that one of her sisters might unwittingly prevent her dearest wish from coming true.

Except that it's flat, I love this book tote (or book bag, as I call it).  Can you read the words okay?  It says, "Bans Off Our Books!"  Several were hanging at the end of one row of shelves when I bought these two books yesterday.  I resisted the impulse to buy that tote, since I already had several book bags at home.

Socks, buttons, and looking ahead to a week for readers and bloggers

Recently, I saw a different pair of socks with "read your socks off" on them, so I got online and found this illustration.  I love the idea, though I probably won't buy any for me.

A friend had a "Let Freedom Read" button on her bag, which I admired when we were having lunch one day.  The next time I saw her, she gave me a button just like it and another that says, "I Read Banned Books."  Thanks, Cindy!  I'm posting this early so all my book friends will have time to find a button (or two) in time to celebrate in Septemer.  I especially hope my book blogger friends are aware that week is coming up next month, so they can blog about it.

In March of 2024, the American Library Association reported (see HERE) that a record number of unique book titles had been challenged in 2023.

Sunday Salon is hosted

by Deb at Readerbuzz

Banned books

I recognize most of these banned books in a photo I found HERE.)  My grand-daughter Cady reviewed And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (c. 2005) on Bonnie's Books HERE.  It's on the bottom right.  Can you think of a banned book you read and liked?  Please share the title with us.

Oops! I missed Banned Books Week

Attack of the Black Rectangles ~ by Amy Sarig King, 2022, children's fiction, 272 pages

When Mac first opens his classroom copy of Jane Yolen's The Devil’s Arithmetic and finds some words blacked out, he thinks it must be a mistake.  But then when he and his friends discover what the missing words are, he's outraged.  Someone in his school is trying to prevent kids from reading the full story.  But who?

Even though his unreliable dad tells him not to get so emotional about a book (or anything else), Mac has been raised by his mom and grandad to call out things that are wrong.  He and his friends head to the principal's office to protest the censorship, but her response doesn't take them seriously.  So many adults want Mac to keep his words to himself.  Mac's about to see the power of letting them out.  Amy Sarig King shows all the ways truth can be hard, but still worth fighting for.

I put this book on reserve, thanks to Helen's post about how good it was (4.5 of 5.0).  I'm next to get the book at my library.  I missed Banned Books Week this year (Sept. 18 - 24, 2022), but I will continue to read banned books.  This also means I just HAD to reserve Jane Yolen's The Devil’s Arithmetic, the book that was all blacked out in that novel above.

The Devil’s Arithmetic ~ by Jane Yolen, 1988, historical fiction for children (Poland), 170 pages

Hannah resents the traditions of her Jewish heritage until time travel places her in the middle of a small Jewish village in Nazi-occupied Poland.  Hannah is tired of holiday gatherings — all her family ever talks about at every Jewish holiday is the past.  But this year's Passover Seder will be different.  Hannah will be mysteriously transported into the past, and only she knows the unspeakable horrors that await.

September 26 to October 2 is Banned Books Week

I forgot to include Banned Book Week in yesterday's post, but the week is still new.  Here are the top ten most banned books:

1. George ~ by Alex Gino.  Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting "the values of our community."
2. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You ~ by Ibram X. Kendi and
   Jason Reynolds.  Banned and challenged because of the author’s public statements and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people.
3. All American Boys ~ by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.  Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism and because it was thought to promote antipolice views, contain divisive topics, and be "too much of a sensitive matter right now."
4. Speak ~ by Laurie Halse Anderson.  Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint, it was claimed to be biased against male students, and it included rape and profanity.
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian ~ by Sherman Alexie.  Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of the author.
6. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice ~ by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin.  Challenged for "divisive language" and because it was thought to promote anti-police views.
7. To Kill a Mockingbird ~ by Harper Lee.  Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a "white savior" character, and its perception of the Black experience.
8. Of Mice and Men ~ by John Steinbeck.  Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes and their negative effect on students.
9. The Bluest Eye ~ by Toni Morrison.  Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse.
10. The Hate U Give ~ by Angie Thomas.  Challenged for profanity, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message.

Helen of Helen's Book Blog wrote:  "If you're really into lists, check out the 100 most challenged books by decade (1990-1999, 2000-2009, and 2010-2019).  When I scan the list, I am stunned by the incredible literature that is included."  Thanks, Helen, for reminding me that it's Banned Books Week.

More banned books

How many of these have you read?

In case you can't read the tiny titles of some of the most challenged books out there, here they are:

• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Kite Runner
• Forever
• Huckleberry Finn
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Bridge to Terabithia
• Of Mice and Men
• The Catcher in the Rye
• The House on Mango Street
• The Giver
• The Bluest Eye
• The Handmaid's Tale
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• And Tango Makes Three
• The Color Purple
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
• A Wrinkle in Time

How about these?

Do you recognize these books by the illustrations?

Banned Books Week

Ooooh, I almost missed Banned Books Week.  Do you have a favorite banned book?  Harper Collins posted this:

"For #BannedBooksWeek, we recommend reading WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS by #ShelSilverstein (and breaking your plates instead of washing them, but please don't eat babies)."

I've read Where the Sidewalk Ends and even wrote about it in 2011 on this blog.  Here are a dozen books librarians picked this year as the best banned books.  How many of these have you read?  I can claim more than half of them.

• The Bluest Eye ~ by Toni Morrison
• Slaughterhouse-Five ~ by Kurt Vonnegut
• The Outsiders ~ by S. E. Hinton
• Heather Has Two Mommies ~ by Leslea Newman
• Animal Farm ~ by George Orwell
• His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass ~ by Philip Pullman
• The Picture of Dorian Gray ~ by Oscar Wilde
• The Kite Runner ~ by Khaled Hosseini
• Looking for Alaska ~ by John Green
• Two Boys Kissing ~ by David Levithan
• 1984 ~ by George Orwell
• The Awakening ~ by Kate Chopin

Banned Books Week ~ Sept. 23-29, 2018

It's been ten years since I wrote (on my blog) about my granddaughter reading And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (2005).  Night before last, I mentioned that book to my newest book discussion group, and then Helen wrote about it on her blog.  Wow!  What a coincidence!  It must be time for me to re-read this book.  I highly recommend that you read it for yourself.

It's Banned Books Week, so read a banned book.  If you need suggestions for something to read, check out this Newsweek article about most frequently banned books.  The list of ten most banned at the end of the article includes And Tango Makes Three.  And do, please, watch the short video at the top of the article.  It's only 1:50 minutes long (under two minutes!), and I want you to notice WHY the last-mentioned book was banned.  It has "unwholesome values" because of its "independent female protagonist."  Okay, I'm sure you know how I feel about that!

Here's page for you to color from the American Library Association.  (Click to enlarge it.)  WORDS HAVE POWER, it says.  Yes!  Words are so powerful that they scare some people.  After all, would we want independent females?  Obviously, some people would NOT.

Lethal ideas

"Ideas are only lethal if you suppress and don't discuss them.  Ignorance is not bliss, it's stupid.   Banning books shows you don't trust your kids to think and you don't trust yourself to be able to talk to them."

— Anna Quindlen