Celebrate Banned Books Week!

As we in the library world gear up for Banned Books Week (September 27 - October 3, 2009), take a look at why some of your favorite titles have been banned across the states. Leave a comment to everyone what you think about it!

Most Challenged Books of 2008 (from VOYA 08/09)

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
*Anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman
*Political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, violence

Internet Girls (ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r) by Lauren Myracle
*Offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz
*Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
*Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
*Drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group

Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar
*Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Bannen
*Homosexuality, unsuited to age group

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
*Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Flashcards of My Life by Charise Mericle Harper
*Sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

For lots more information, check out the American Library Association and this list of classics!

BOOK CLUB - OCT - Sold by Patricia McCormick

Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi lives in a small mountain village in Nepal with her mother and stepfather, struggling daily with a small farm just to feed their family. When the opportunity comes along for Lakshmi's family to sell her as a servant to a wealthy family, they feel they have no other choice. Lakshmi is scared to go into the city, but is proud to do what she has to do to support her family and provide for her baby brother. After much travel and being handed over to different "aunts" and "uncles," Lakshmi ends up at "Happiness House" with Auntie Mumtaz. It is here that she eventually learns that she has been sold into the sex trade industry and is forced to grow up long before she is ready. Based on truth, the author traveled from Nepal to Calcutta and saw firsthand the impact of sexual slavery on young girls and their families. Lakshmi's story is sad, but powerful and inspirational.

Recommended for high school readers and mature younger readers, especially those interested in humanitarian and cultural issues.
Call number: YA MCCORMICK (Teen Room)

Reviewed by kate the librarian

Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa

The first in a trilogy, this Korean manga begins to tell the story of Ehwa, a beautiful young girl becoming a woman. The story begins when Ehwa is only a child, after her father's death. The story revolves around the mother-daughter relationship, and through the delicate illustrations and the interaction between Ehwa and her mother, readers can clearly see the intimacy that exists between the two women as they establish themselves as friends and confidants. Readers also experience the ecstasy and pain of the women through their separate romantic interests and experiences. Ehwa's mother falls in love with a traveling salesman who often comes by unexpectedly, with long bouts of absence in between visits. Ehwa develops crushes on two young men, both of which are doomed to fail. It is the strength and vulnerability of the two women that makes them such believable and wonderful characters, and which makes readers crave the full story of their lives.

Recommended to high school and adult readers. Some mature content is depicted graphically.
Call number: YA MANGA HWA (Teen Room)

Reviewed by kate the librarian

BOOK CLUB - SEPT - Oldies, but Goodies by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Susan Beth Pfeffer has written lots and lots of books, including Life as We Knew It (the 2009 One Book NJ selection) and companion the dead & the gone. As a teen, I grew up reading Susan Beth Pfeffer too, but instead of meteors and shopping center scenes, I just remember crying a lot. Recently I reread two of Pfeffer's acclaimed novels, hoping to use one for our Book Club discussion meeting during Banned Books Week. There may have been less tears this time around, but my heart and my head both struggled to find a place of comfort long after the stories' conclusions. There is little comfort to be found in those pages.

If there is one theme throughout most of Susan Beth Pfeffer's writing, it is about perspective. These are books that make you think, even if you don't want to.

The Year Without Michael tells of everyone's story but Michael's. When Michael disappears shortly before he begins his first year of high school, his family doesn't know how to cope. Sixteen-year-old Jody was the last to see him -- he was leaving the house to play with a friend, promising to be home by dinnertime -- and he seemed just fine, normal. With little to go on, the police don't know if Michael ran away or was kidnapped, if he's still out there somewhere or dead. Now Jody needs to comfort and support her little sister, Kay, try to be the backbone of the family while her parents fight, and listen to her grandparents blaming her parents and her parents blaming the police. Jody just blames Michael.

About David is the heart-wrenching story of David as seen through the eyes of his best friend Lynn. When evidence is clear that the seventeen-year-old was responsible for the shooting of both his parents before turning the gun on himself, Lynn is shocked. But she isn't surprised. David is Lynn's oldest friend, and she knows him pretty well, but she also knows that he had secrets and that he was severely unhappy. He never came to terms with the fact that he was adopted, and he struggled with his adoptive parents' extremely high expectations of him. But what could possibly lead him to believing that this was his only way out, his only way of relieving his own pain?

Request these books through the BCCLS catalog or ask a librarian!

Reviewed by kate the librarian

BOOK CLUB - AUG - A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd

From Random House publishers:

Setting: Ireland,1984. After Shell’s mother dies, her father gives up on work and his children and escapes reality by drinking. The unexpected challenge of caring for a home and her two siblings leaves Shell little opportunity to enjoy her youth. She frequently skips school just to spend time with her only friends, Birdie and Declan. But when Birdie leaves town to live with her aunt, Declan and Shell’s friendship evolves into intimacy until he flees to America, leaving Shell pregnant. Months later, scandal erupts in the community; a baby boy is found dead in a cave, and Shell admits to giving birth to a stillborn daughter. Two babies dead, and no one knows the father of both is Declan, and no one knows the baby boy’s mother is Birdie—no one, that is, except Shell.

• When Birdie sees Shell and Declan kissing, why does she only blame Shell? What role does Shell play in Declan’s betrayal of Birdie? Why does Birdie refuse to speak to Shell? How does Birdie’s betrayal of Shell affect each of them?
• As Shell’s father grows more distant and turns increasingly to alcohol, Shell begins to assume more responsibility for Trix and Jimmy. From what is her father trying to escape?
• Young Shell must cope with a secret pregnancy, the care of her two siblings, her father’s neglect, and her mother’s death. What character traits does Shell possess that enable her to handle all that life has thrown at her?
• Shell does not think she has anyone to support her when she discovers she is pregnant. Why is she so fearful of asking anyone for help? Who could have helped her?
• When Rose is born, Shell either does not realize or is unwilling to accept the fact that Rose is dead. How does Jimmy help Shell understand that Rose is dead? Why does Shell assume the responsibility for Rose’s death? Could Rose have been saved?
• Why does Shell’s father confess to a crime he did not commit? Why does he think he is guilty? How does his admission of a crime he didn’t commit help Shell communicate with him? How does it alter their relationship?
• What impact does Father Rose have on Shell? How does he help her through a difficult time? How does he fail her? What factors influence Father Rose to leave the priesthood?
• The people in the community are devastated to learn that two babies in their community have been found dead. How could the police have better handled the cases? What role do the gossips play in Shell’s arrest? Besides Shell, who knew the identity of the parents of the baby boy? Was his death intentional?
• Shell receives a letter from Declan telling of his adventures and life in America, but Shell burns the letter and does not respond to it. Why?
• Do you think this is an apt title for the story told? Why or why not?

Beach Reads

As I was on the beach this weekend (my one beach weekend of the year!), I realized that I am obsessed with seeing what everyone else is reading as they lounge in their beach chairs. Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper) definitely won out, and I didn't see a single Harry Potter this year. There have been reports for years that people are reading less and less (unless maybe you factor in newspaper and Internet reading, which you certainly could), so it intrigues me to find so many people reading on the beach year-in and year-out. The same people who say that they "don't read" are very often the ones saving that perfect book for when they are on the beach. When they finally have some extended time to relax and do anything they want . . . they choose to read. I guess reading can't be that boring. ;)

I brought three books (Seventeenth Summer, The Au Pairs : Skinny-Dipping, and Uncle Tom's Cabin) to Sea Isle City this year (to read in less than 48 hours), but I only finished two (Seventeenth Summer and Skinny-Dipping). The Au Pairs series, about three girls who all score a high-paying job as an au pair for a high-class family for a summer in the Hamptons, is definitely one of my favorite beach reads of all time. The adventures of Jacqui, Mara, and Eliza -- and their many boyfriends, or boys who are friends -- are at times thrilling, at times embarrassing, and always hilarious. There's four in the series and I'm halfway through; can't wait to read Sun-Kissed next summer! Anyway, here's a list of some more great beach reads for the summer . . . or any time!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith.
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway.
Forever by Judy Blume.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (series) by Ann Brashares.
How to Deal (this is a paperback publication of two books: Someone Like You and That Summer) by Sarah Dessen. I love anything by Sarah Dessen for a lazy day.
Stormbreaker (series) by Anthony Horowitz.
Guyaholic by Carolyn Mackler.
Maximum Ride (series) by James Patterson.
How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt.
The Uglies (series) by Scott Westerfeld.

Maybe I'll get around to my old stand-bys, Uncle Tom's Cabin and Gone with the Wind, next year, too!

CD Clocks

We wrapped up Crafternoons by making clocks using CDs as part of the "decoration." We ordered the pieces from Oriental Trading, but I think I could have figured out a way to make it even cooler by just buying the clock hardware (the hour/minutes/seconds hands and the workings to make them keep time!) and allowing the kids to be creative with a clean slate. Still, all-in-all, what matters is that I think we had a pretty wonderful summer of creative expression! Looking forward to tonight's End of the Summer Celebration with Didgerdoo Down Under!