I couldn't remember whether or not I had read Lowry's The Giver before Book Banned Week. I have heard a lot about the book and its premise. I read the first chapter of the book in hopes that I could recall any details about the book, but I quickly realized that I actually read the book before. The Giver received the Newberry award and is currently in the process of becoming a movie.

Description: Jonah lives in a perfect world where there is no pain, hunger, or war. Children receive parents and their names are given by their society. At the age of twelve years old, each child is assigned a job for life. Jonah receives the honor as being his society's Receiver of memories. He must work along with the Giver, who currently secures the memories of many years. At first Jonah is both scared and excited about his job, that is until he learns about the truth and there is no turning back.

Why it was banned/challenged: In 2003, The Giver was challenged as a suggested reading for eighth-grade students in Blue Springs, Mo. Parents called the book “lewd” and “twisted” and pleaded for it to be tossed out of the district. The book was reviewed by two committees and recommended
for retention, but the controversy continues in 2005. And in 2006, the book was also challenged, but retained at the Unified School District 345 Elementary School Library in Seaman, Kansas. Source: ALA 2005 and ALA 2006


Review: The Giver is a very deceptive book. The language and plot of the book are very simple, however, the ideas and themes behind the book are very complex. As I started the novel, Jonah's world seemed safe and warm. Of course with many dystopias, the future seems perfect because the main character(s) are not aware of the past and/or what has led to their current state. The novel becomes much darker when Jonah begins his training with the Giver. Only after learning about the past and the truths about his society in a year, Jonah no longer wishes to live in his community and wishes to leave. How he leaves and whether or not he succeeds is the remaining story of The Giver.
  I really enjoyed this book. The plot, pacing, and characters were great. The writing is fabulous. I loved how Jonah's questions and his reactions to the Giver's answers mirrored my own. The novel challenges the reader to think about the extremities of how far we are willing to deal with happiness at the risk of being in pain. Should sameness take over individual freedom as a precaution of living in peace? And what I found more striking is: how do we use the past to guide us to do better in the future? As you can see The Giver is an excellent choice for a book discussion. Due to its darker themes I can understand why parents would be apprehensive in letting their children read it; however, that decision alone seems to be what Lowry is fighting against in her novel. Children should not be completely sheltered by the dark side of society. Like everything else there should be a balance of both good and evil or the bad and good side of life.
  The only reason why I gave the book 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because of the abrupt ending. I wanted the ending to be more flushed out. I still had many questions left. I would have liked to see what happens to Jonah. I know there are two other books in what seems to be a trilogy, but I would have liked this book to stand on its own. Overall, an excellent book and highly recommended.


Rating: 4.5 stars


Words of Caution: There are some disturbing scenes that may be too much for children below 4th grade. Recommended to 4th graders and up.

If you like this book try: Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, The Messenger by Lois Lowry, or Matched by Ally Condie

  I have never read anything by Margaret Atwood before. I have been meaning to read her books for quite a while. So when I saw her The Handmaid's Tale on the list of frequently challenged books, I thought this would be a great opportunity to read a modern classic. The Handmaid's Tale was written in 1985 and it was published in 1986, which probably means her novel was in response to the conservatives taking office in the West (i.e. Reagan in the US and Thatcher in Britain) and the call for a strong, well-organized movement of religious conservatives that wanted to eliminate the waywardness of the “sexual revolution” of the 1960s and 1970s. Many feminists feared that the rights they had fought for were going to be revoked by these conservatives. Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale questions what would happen if the right wing, religious conservatives controlled the government and reversed all of women rights.

Description: In the not too distant future the Republic of Gilead, formerly known as the United States of America, a monotheocratic government is in power. In this society women are strictly controlled in order to ensure their safety. They are forbidden to have jobs or money, education, and assigned to various classes: the chaste, childless Wives; the housekeeping Marthas; and the reproductive Handmaids, who turn their offspring over to the "morally fit" Wives.


Why it was banned/challenged: In 2006, Judson (TX) school district board overruled Superintendent Ed Lyman’s ban of the novel from an advanced placement English curriculum. Lyman had banned the book after a parent complained it was sexually explicit and offensive to Christians. In doing so, he overruled the
recommendation of a committee of teachers, students, and parents. The committee appealed the decision to the school board. In 2007, the ban was overturned. Sources: ALA and Marshall University Library


Review: There are some books where I wouldn't mind living in, but Gilead is definitely not one of them. Atwood doesn't allow the reader to ease into Gilead. After reading the first few pages of the novel, I knew I was in for a tough read. The book is not complexly written, but the subject matter of the harsh treatment of women is not a 'curl up in the couch' read. Gilead is without a dystopian society, where women are reduced to empty vessels and used solely for the purpose of procreation.
   The novel is told from the point of view of a woman simply known as Offred (pronounced Of Fred), who is a Handsmaid to the Commander and his wife. She lives with the elite in a small Victorian home and is only permitted to wear a long red dress and a white hat with wings, which prevent her to see much. Her sole function is to consummate with the Commander in hopes of being pregnant. Sex is viewed as simply a biological function or recreation and it is not intimate at all. In fact in Gilead, the Commander's wife holds Offred's hands while her husband has sex with Offred. The act is more rape than anything else.
  The writing and the world that Atwood created are startling, complex, eye opening, and frankly, seem almost too close to home for women living in today's oppressed society. Most of the story takes place either in Offred's flashbacks of the past or her current world. The characters are cold and distant, which I believe was intentional by Atwood. It is through Offred that we are able to find out what was life before the current regime took over.  I didn't warm up to Offred, though I did feel sorry for her at times, which is why I didn't enjoy the book as much as I wanted to. It made me upset that Offred didn't do more to change her situation. In fact all the minor attempts to counteract the government of Gilead have been failed attempts.
 The plot and pace of the book also bothered me. I felt that Atwood hit the dangers of the monotheocratic government over and over again. She does not provide a solution or answer to how the world should be and lets the reader to decide that for him or herself. Obviously the answer lies in being the medium between the two extremes. Due to the repetition of themes, I thought the plot dragged and the paced slowed to a halt. Nonetheless, The Handsmaid Tale is an important novel of the 20th century. Its criticism and discussion of both politics and reproduction rights make it an easy target for bans and challenges. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language in the book. Sexual situations such as rape are alluded in the book, but not described in graphic detail. For these reasons alone, I would recommend this book to only mature teen readers and adults.


If you like this book try: Orynx and Cake by Margaret Atwood

  I'm probably in the minority of people who have never read Go Ask Alice before until now. The book has been extremely popular and not to mention controversial since it's original copyright of 1971. After 39 years, Go Ask Alice is still current with its theme of drug abuse.

Description: An unnamed 15 years old teen chronicles her descent into drugs after struggling to find acceptance amongst her peers and her overachieving parents.

Why it was banned/challenged: Go Ask Alice has a long track record of being banned and challenged throughout its 39 years of being in print. In 2008 the novel was challenged as a reading assignment at Hanahan Middle School in Berkeley County, South Carolina because of blatant, explicit language using street terms for sex, talk of worms eating body parts, and blasphemy. Source: ALA

Review: Go Ask Alice is a harrowing account of one teen's desperate attempt to find acceptance by doing anything possible. The unnamed narrator finds comfort in recording her struggles in a diary. She feels left out in her over achieving but distant family, she is ignored by the boy who she has a crush on, she has insecurities about her appearance, and is the new/weird girl at her new school. What starts off as a spiked drink at a party quickly turns into a crush and burn drug addiction and eventually time spent at a psychiatric center.
  I can't help but think that Go Ask Alice is anything but a cautionary tale of drugs. It is written during the 1970s where teens were highly experimenting with both drugs and sex. The diary entries are a cry of help and you can feel the teen's confusion leap off the page. Interestingly enough it is no way near graphic or horrific of other YA books that I have read about that deal with characters' drug abuse. I clearly remember being taken aback when I read The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carrol and the passages where the horrible withdrawals are described.
  Although the book is marketed as a "true story", it turns out that the book is not based on any teen's story but rather a culmination of various teens' case studies conducted by Beatrice Sparks. Sparks is credited in most places as the editor of Go Ask Alice. The true author of the book has never been clearly identified. Reading the book as an adult, I can easily pinpoint the inconsistencies in the narrative and voice. There are many vocabulary words and phrases such as "Dear Diary" that a 15 year old would never use. Nor would the teen remember her drug trip so vividly after being passed out for hours. Despite the inconsistencies in the writing, I can see why teens are drawn to Go Ask Alice: because it happens in real life. It does not hide or sugar coat life's problems but shows the gritty details. With drugs and sex still being a predominant factors in teen's lives, I can understand why schools would want to use this book for discussion.  

Rating: 3.5 stars

Curriculum Connection: Health

Words of Caution: Since this is a book about drug abuse, there are numerous drug references throughout the book. There are also allusions to sex, however, there is no graphic detail except the narrator telling the reader she has slept with someone. There is also some strong language and street slang in the book. I would recommend this book to mature 8th graders and up.

If you like this book try: Crank by Ellen Hopkins, Smack by Melvin Burgess, or The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carrol

  I was in fourth grade when my older brother suggested that I read Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond. I clearly remember looking at the title and cover, briefly skimming the excerpt of the book, and then said, "No thanks". Looking back, I realized that I would probably not appreciate the book as I do now.

Description: In 1687 Kit Tyler moves from her luxurious place in Barbados after her grandfather dies to live with her aunt's Puritan household. Feeling out of place, she befriends an old woman who is called a witch by the community and suddenly finds herself standing trial for witchcraft.

Why it was banned/challenged: In 2003, The Witch of Blackbird Pond was challenged at a middle school in Cromwell, Connecticut on concern that it promotes witchcraft and violence. Source: Marshall University Library

Review: My fourth grade self would not have liked The Witch of Blackbird Pond. The pace of the book moves pretty slowly with a little bit of action towards the end of the book. The characters were not instantly likeable either. Pace and the likability of the characters were two important things that I looked for in a book as both a reluctant and avid reader. If I'm not interested, my attention goes elsewhere and I simply don't care what happens.
  The Witch of Blackbird Pond takes time to open up to the reader. At first I had to adjust the historical context of not only what was happening in 1687 America/New World, but also the mannerisms and speech of the characters. I liked Kit's impulsiveness and her refusal to conform her society's thoughts and ways. She was an independent mind and free spirit. It's no wonder why she would connect the outcast Hannah, who is thought to be a witch and practice witchcraft.
 Although there are rumors of witchcraft amongst the community members in the book, there is no element of fantasy in the entire book. Contrary to the challenger's fears, the book's central theme is to avoid jumping to conclusions, not being prejudice towards others who don't share the beliefs as yours, and to be frightened of the mob mentality that many had during that certain period in American history.  

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. I think this title would be appropriate for Grades 6 and up.

If you like this book try: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

 One of the main highlights of my summer of 2009 was meeting Judy Blume in person at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. I grew up reading Judy Blume and enjoyed her books as well as her frankness in discussing amongst many other things the confusion of puberty. Out of her popular books, I have not read the 'scandalous' Forever until now. It was book that my friends at school giggled about and one that I pretty much knew the story before reading it. Forever was written in 1975 and has been listed in the has been listed in the Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000-2007. I chose to read Forever not because of its notoriety, but rather to see how this one book has paved the way for YA realistic fiction as we know it today.

Description: Katherine and Michael are your average teens. They meet at a party and sparks fly. They become close and then become inseparable. They both feel like they should take their relationship to the next level. When they think that their love will last forever, they are faced a summer apart where things slowly change? Will Katherine and Michael's relationship survive the obstacles facing their relationship? Will Katherine and Michael stay together forever?

Why the book was banned/challenged: In 2005, Forever was challenged at Fayetteville, Ark. Middle and young adult section by a parent claiming its “deplorable” content was unfit for young minds. The book was retained. Source: ALA

Review: Forever is an okay book but I wouldn't consider it Judy Blume's finest. There is hardly any character development outside of Katherine and Michael's relationship and the secondary characters are pretty much one dimensional. The dialogue is terse. Where Forever does excel, however, is being frank about sex. While it does have some graphic scenes (nothing more than your general rated R movie), the book is not a manual for sex. The book is actually a message to teens about the complexity involving sex. In lack of better words, it's a point of no return. You have to be mentally, emotionally, and physically be ready for the consequences that are associated with performing the deed.
   Blume does a great job in allowing Katherine to stand up for herself and vocalize when she is not ready. She is also smart enough to know how to take care of her body by going to medical facilties for birth control. As for Michael, I have no idea what Katherine saw in him. He has zero personality and is very forgettable.
  While Forever deals with a touchy subject, I highly doubt teens would want to go have sex because they read this book. I think that's not giving teen readers enough credit. Tweens and teens, girls especially, are bombarded with mixed messages of sex by the media. Not to mention the myths they hear from friends about pregnancy and STDs. I think teens reading Forever will appreciate writing a story where teens are responsible and can have a healthy physical relationship where no one dies, which is exactly what Blume intended.  

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: Since the book is about sex, there are some explicit scenes. There is also some strong language in the book. I would not put this book in an elementary school. I would also be hesitant to put in a middle school, however, I think it is appropriate for high school.

If you like this book try: The Lighter Side of Life and Death by CK Kelly Martin, Doing It by Melvin Burgess

  While looking at the list of books that have either been banned or challenged and deciding which books to read to celebrate Banned Books 2010, I came to realize how many books that I've either read already or have on my bookshelves have been questioned by others. My first book for the Banned Books Reading Challenge is Ray Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451 which centers around the issue of censorship itself. Isn't it ironic that a book fighting against censorship gets banned itself? Unlike my younger brother, I didn't have to read Fahrenheit 451 for school but I'm glad that I read it now.

Description: In Bradbury's classic, the future America is very frightening. Firemen don't extinguish the fires, but start them in order to burn books. In the future happiness is the ultimate and highest goal. It is a place where  trivial information is good, and knowledge and ideas are bad.
   Guy Montag is a book-burning fireman who seemed to have a very happy life until he ran into a teenage girl named Clarisse who turned his world upside down by asking him a simple question: "Are you happy?" Quickly, Montag goes through a crisis of faith and questions his actions. Why are books being burned in the first place? And why are the citizens forbidden to read?

Why it was banned/challenged: In 2006, Fahrenheit 451 was challenged at Independent School District at Conroe, Texas because of the following: "discussion of being drunk, smoking cigarettes, violence, 'dirty talk', references to the Bible, and using God's name in vain". The novel went against the complainant's "religious beliefs". Source: ALA

Review: Fahrenheit 451 is a frightening book to read. I can't imagine a world where books don't exist and reading them is a crime. The novel not only demonstrates a society where the norm is accepted blindly, but also how censorship prevails by closing the minds of its citizens. In Montag's world, no one questions. No one is allowed to think because thinking leads to disputes and disputes lead to a world of chaos. And who needs a world of chaos?
   Although the novel was originally written in 1953, it is very creepy to see that our current world isn't all that different from the world that Bradbury created. With technology increasing and being omnipresent in our daily lives, we seemed to almost behave mechanically. Books are still being banned and challenged because they don't match our own personal views.
  Bradbury's writing is superb. His descriptive paragraphs are a pleasure to read. I could easily see the layers of Montag's confusion and frustration unfold right before my eyes. Besides censorship, there are a lot themes that could be discussed in the book such as: knowledge vs. ignorance, freedom of speech/expression. My minor complaint with the book is the notion of a mechanical dog is just plain silly.
   While there are certainly references to the Bible in the novel such as turning water into wine, these are used by Montag to refute the current status quo and to change himself from being a mindless robot to a person who upholds Christian values and who can think for himself. It's ironic that the challenger is twisting the passages out of context just like the antagonist Fire Captain Beatty has done throughout the novel. The novel is also rich with symbolism and metaphors. Overall, Fahrenheit 451 is a thought provoking classic that urges people to think critically. It's unfortunate that some are not willing to do so.

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies and English

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is mild language in the book. I'd recommend it to 8th graders and up.


If you like this book try: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation by Ray Bradbury and Tim Hamilton

  With the recent article calling for the book banning of Laurie Halse Anderson's phenomenal Speak and the disinvite of bestselling and critically acclaimed YA author Ellen Hopkins at a literary festival in Texas  last month, I wanted to do something to promote ALA's Freedom to read banned/challenged Week. Thanks to Steph Su at Step Su Reads and Donna at Bites, I will pausing my current reviews and will be taking part in a Banned Books Reading Challenge. I will be participating in the challenge on September 25 through October 2nd.
  The goal of this challenge and ALA's Banned Book Week is three folded: to bring attention to the books that have been challenged or banned, to support authors whose freedom has been scrutnized and read their books, and most importantly, increase the awareness of censorship. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I believe everyone has the freedom to decide what they should or should not read.
  I haven't yet decided which books to read for this week, but I will definitely pick 7 titles for each day and from each literary cannon: children's, YA, and adult. I will choose the titles from the following lists:

• The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's (my alma mater!) Challenged Children's Book List. This list is divided up into age group, which is very helpful.
• Hit List for Young Adults 2 by Teri Lesesne and Rosemary Chance. Written for librarians combating censorship but also provides a list of 20 titles of YA books that have been challenged/banned. 
• The Illinois Library Association has a great bibliography every year noting the books challenged that year. This would be most help if you were looking for the most current challenged books.  
• ALA's Yearly Challenged/Banned Books, which lists books challenged, restricted, removed, or banned in that year as reported in the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom.

Not only will I be doing a review of the book, I will also include information as to where and why the book was banned/challenged. Join me in the fight against censorship and celebrate the freedom to read.

Why not start your reading challenge by entering my International SPEAK Giveaway? Just click HERE to enter! No following necessary. Winners will be picked randomly. Giveaway open until October 2nd.