While I didn't get a chance to completely finish my Banned/Challenged reading challenge from last year, I did manage to squeeze in a few more reads before the challenge's deadline. I've read many stories about the following books but haven't actually read them until now.

Description: Fearing that her legal guardian plans to abandon her to return to France, ten-year-old aspiring scientist Lucky Trimble determines to run away while also continuing to seek the Higher Power that will bring stability to her life.

Review: It's a shame that one word overshadowed a great book. The Higher Power of Lucky is story of a young girl named Lucky who lives in tiny, poor town Hard Pan, California with her dog and the young French woman who is her guardian. Her mother died in a thunderstorm and her father handed her over to his first exwife, a French woman named Brigitte. With a personality that reminded Ramona Quimby, a character that I absolutely adored,  Lucky is contemporary and relate-able. She teeters between being a grown-up that can easily gather insects and scares away snakes without any hesitation yet she is vulnerable and fears that her guardian will leave her to return to France at any moment. Looking for solace, Lucky eavesdrops on the various 12-step meetings held in Hard Pan, hoping to discover her own higher power that will see her when she hits 'rock bottom'. Peppered with memorable secondary characters such as her best friend and crush, Lincoln, who has a fixation for tying knots, and a little, adorable yet pesky toddler named, Miles, who can relate to Lucky's fears. Patron's plotting is as tight as her characters are endearing. Lucky is a true heroine, especially because she's not perfect: she does some cowardly things, but she takes pains to put them to rights.

Rating: 4 stars

Reason why it was banned/challenged: There was a big controversy when the book was published, specifically because the word scrotum appears a handful of times throughout the book. Lucky first hears of the word while eavesdropping on a conversation when a character says he saw a rattlesnake bite his dog, Roy, on the scrotum. Many educators including elementary school librarians felt the inclusion of the "s-word" was highly inappropriate and unnecessary. They even called for the book to be removed from library shelves and some even thought the book should be stripped of its Newbery award. I, personally, feel that the inclusion of the word is a nod to Lucky's curiosity which natural for her age. Though she wonders what the word means as she thinks it's important, she isn't fixated on it and nor does it drive the story. Unfortunately, this controversy has overshadowed the book's importance. Most people including me had to really think of the book's real title instead of referring it as the book with the "S-word". To read more about the controversy, read the New York Times article and then the author's response as well as her interview.

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 3 and up.

If you like this book try: Lucky Breaks by Susan Patron, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor


Description: At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

Review: And Tango Makes Three is based on a true story about a charming penguin family living in New York City's Central Park Zoo. In this heartwarming story, readers will meet Roy and Silo, two male penguins, who are "a little bit different" than the other penguins. They cuddle and share a nest like the other penguin couples, and when all the others start hatching eggs, they too want to be parents. Determined and hopeful, they bring an egg-shaped rock back to their nest and proceed to start caring for it. They have little luck, until a watchful zookeeper decides they deserve a chance at having their own family and gives them an egg in need of nurturing. The dedicated and enthusiastic fathers do a great job of hatching their funny and adorable daughter. Done in soft watercolors, the illustrations set the tone for this uplifting story. The words are matched well with the illustrations and the message of tolerance and a broader definition of family is well received.

Rating: 4 stars


Reason why it was banned/challenged: And Tango Makes Three is frequently challenged since its publication of 2006. It has appeared on the list several times between 2006 and 2010 for the following reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group. 

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Pre-school to Grades 3. Though the book is about two male penguins, I don't see any agenda of imposing homosexuality to kids, but rather showing that a family no matter how family is designed all have the same concepts at its core: love, warmth, and tolerance. What are we telling kids who are raised by GLBT adults? That they aren't loved and they aren't normal? It amazes me that a simple book like Tango can generate so volatile opinions while TV shows like Modern Family that also features two male partners raising a child can garner so many accolades and be accepted by so many people.

If you like this book try: The Family Book by Todd Parr, The Very Best Daddy of All by Marion Dane Bauer

Description: A retelling of a mother's account of what happened to her family during the Flash that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.

Review: Hiroshima No Pika is a striking picture book that details one of the horrific events of history: the dropping of atomic bomb in Hiroshima, Japan. The book is filled with watercolor paintings which reinforce the colors of flames and debris, vividly heightening this low-key text recounting the fictionalized experiences of a 7-year-old Hiroshima child and her mother after the 1945 "Hiroshima flash." The story told in precise and easy sentences send chills down your back with its easiness. Like most people, you only hear about the event but when you read Hiroshima No Pika, you are given a tiny glimpse of what true horror is really like.

Rating: 4 stars. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies


Reason why it was banned/challenged:  According to the MVCC Libraries, the book was challenged because it "does not depict war as glorious (graphic depiction of   victims of bombing of Hiroshima).

Words of Caution: There is nudity and strong images of violence. The book does not shy away from the dark side of war: causalities, destruction, and an abrupt change to life. The pictures, though hard to take in because of how much is inflicted by the people of the story, show just enough detail of horror without going overboard. Though not a book that would used as a read-aloud, it would serve a great purpose in discussing World War II with mature students such as older elementary students and above who can understand the book and its context. 

If you like this book try: Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, So Far From the Sea by Eve Bunting

  There is one thing I've learned from doing the banned/challenged reading challenge this year: You can't write a book that will please everyone. There is going to be something about your book, no matter how minuscule or indirect, that will offend someone. Picture books for younger readers are easily targeted for challenges due to their brief text and illustrations as you will see in the following reviews below.

Description: A story of a strange, shy, small boy who is isolated by his differences from other children in a Japanese village school.

Review: Crow Boy is a very simple story and it would work as a great way to introduce the topic of bullying through a multicultural lens. This story centers around a boy that does not fit with the social and cultural norms of his classmates throughout his school career. He continually is bullied and made fun of by his classmates. It is not until the sixth grade when a teacher takes interest in him and creates opportunities for him to show his talents and knowledge. For example, the boy can imitate lots of crows. He is admired for his crow calls and dubbed "Crow Boy". Once his classmates learn about his hard struggles and what the boy does just to go to school, they realize how quick they were to jump to conclusions and by the end of the story, he is incorporated to the group. The story is told with sparse illustrations and what seems to be colored pencil illustrations that allow for shading, multiple color use, and abstraction within each illustration. Each classmate's face along with the main character's face are somewhat blurred and allow for a greater audience for this story, since it is not specifically identified with Japan and Japanese culture. I'm not a fan of the book's illustrations at all and I think they are kind of off putting, however, the powerful story makes up for it.

Rating: 4 stars

Reasons why it was banned/challenged: Challenged by a school board member in the Queens, N.Y. school libraries (1994) because it "denigrates white American culture, 'promotes racial separation, and discourages assimilation."' The rest of the school board voted to retain the book. Source: ALA, Banned Books 1994-1995

Words of Caution: None. The book challenge for this book does not make sense to me at all. I'm almost positive that the challenger has not even bothered opening this book to realize that a) the book's setting is a village in Japan, b) the story is about bullying, and c) the lesson in this book is about embracing differences, not labeling people, and why bullying is bad. There is zero discussion about race and race relations. Furthermore, I think Crow Boy successfully tries to be multicultural in showing that bullying, unfortunately, takes place anywhere. The last time I checked, American culture is not just "white" but a melting pot of lots of other races, ethniticies, etc, and that all men are created equal.

If you like this book try: Umbrella by Taro Yashima, Be Good to Eddie Lee by Virginia Fleming

Description: Telling his faithful dog to make sure nobody touches his clothes but him, a cowboy jumps into a New Mexico river for a bath, not realizing just how much the scrubbing will change his scent.


Review: After finding 32 fleas in his hair and tumbleweeds in his chaps, a freckle-faced cowboy decides that it's time for his annual bath. He mounts his horse, calls for his old dog, and heads for El Rio. There he takes off his clothes and commands his dog to guard his duds and to not anyone take them except him. After frolicking merrily with a bar of soap through G rated illustrations that cover the lower parts of his body, he emerges thoroughly scrubbed and thinks he should also wash his clothes too, but there is a slight problem. The dog does not detect his owner's familiar "wild boar-like smell" and stubbornly refuses to relinquish the garments. A hysterical brawl ensues as owner and pet fight for the clothes that ultimately leaves the man as dirty as when he started, ultimately restoring his usual aroma. Unfortunately, the clothes do not survive the tussle, and the cowboy heads for home in his birthday suit. Told in descriptive language that rolls off the tongue, this story makes the most of a humorous situation. Filled with the dusty reds and sundown bronzes of the New Mexico setting, the paintings have a gritty, sinewy look that matches the earthy tone of the tale. The illustrations does have a Norman Rockwell appeal to them. The illustrations are clever, but my favorite picture is of the hangdog expression on the pooch's face when he realizes his mistake is priceless. Dirty Cowboy is a fun tall tale story that younger readers will enjoy and might even get them to take baths more often.

Rating: 4 stars

Reasons why it was banned/challenged: In April 2012, the Annville-Cleona School Board in Lebanon, PA, voted 8-0 to remove the book from its elementary schools after a student's parents objected to some of the book's illustrations. There is no objection to the story itself but rather the illustrations may lead children to think "that looking at nudity is OK, and therefore pornography is OK.'" Source: LDN News

Words of Caution: As I mentioned, the illustrations are G rated and not all that different from the old cartoons where a person would wear a barrel if their clothes were destroyed. Now I'm pretty sure that all kids know that in order to take a bath or a shower, you have to disrobe. I see to be missing the huge "logical" jump  from this idea to pornography. Can you help me out? Recommended it for Grades K-Grade 2nd reading level.

If you like this book try: Down the Drain by Robert Munsch, Tub Toys by Terry Miller Shannon




Description: Through a series of questions to which the reader must answer yes or no, the personality and occupation of a lady called Daisy O'Grady are revealed.


Review:  Guess What? is an off beat Halloween picture book in the form of a question and answer style. The structure is simple, introduced on the first page with a flat statement: ``Far away from here lives a crazy lady called Daisy O'Grady.'' This is followed by a series of questions that are answered with a resounding ``Yes!'' when the page is turned. Each exchange builds a description of a woman who, it is increasingly obvious, is a witch. The last lines, however, are reassure us that Ms. O'Grady is isn't frightening. The text is paired with illustrations that add to the eerie atmosphere with a photographic surrealism. Framed sharply to face the text, which is in large print, the pictures become increasingly bizarre in their use of detail, commenting on the text as much as extending it. The picture and text are darkly humorous and I think would go over the little one's heads. I know I found some of the pictures to be a bit grotesque for my taste and could have easily scared me as a child. As a result, it's an okay book with a cool format, but definitely not my first choice as a Halloween book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Reasons why it was banned/challenged: References to witchcraft. Source: MVCC Libraries 

Words of Caution: The book doesn't teach you how to become a witch. It just features a witch, a figure that is quite common in a lot picture books about Halloween. Due to some nightmarish images, I would feel better recommending this title for Grades 2-4

If you like this book try: Are You Awake? by Sophie Blackall, Boy Wonders by Calef Brown

 I find reading banned or challenged books to be like a treasure hunt of some sort. You are given a person's (or persons') reasons for objecting the book and then you can read it with their lens. Sometimes you can kind of see where the objection is coming from while other times you can't seem to make a logical connection. Three Wishes by Deborah Ellis hasn't stirred much controversey in the U.S. but it is one of top challenged books in Canada.

Description: Deborah Ellis's enormously popular Breadwinner trilogy recounted the experiences of children living in Afghanistan; now Ellis turns her attention to the young people of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After visiting the region to conduct interviews, she presents their stories here in their own words. Twelve-year-old Nora, eleven-year-old Mohammad, and many others speak directly about their lives - which prove to be both ordinary and extraordinary: They argue with their siblings. They hate spinach. They have wishes for the future. Yet they have also seen their homes destroyed and families killed, and live amidst constant upheaval and violence.This simple, telling book allows young readers everywhere to see that the children caught in this conflict are just like them - but living far more difficult and dangerous lives. Without taking sides, it presents an unblinking portrait of children victimized by the endless struggle around them.

Review: Three Wishes is a hard and uncomfortable read not due to the book's writing style, but of the unflinching, honest, and often times bleak accounts of how war takes a toll on the lives of young people between the ages of 8 and 18. Instead of looking toward their futures with optimistic eyes, these kids really don't know whether they are going to be alive tomorrow. Instead of doing what we would call normal kids activities such as playing in the streets, they're lobbing rocks at soldier's and dodging tear gas and bullets.
  Presenting both sides of the conflict, Israeli and Palestinians kids talk openly about the conflict. Each narrative is prefaced with a short historical or personal background description providing a point of reference for the sentiments expressed. Anger, despair, and fear ripple through the story where you can see the constant cycle of violence takes their tow. Ellis effectively remains absent, serving as chronicler for these ordinary kids in traumatic circumstances. The three wishes range from being a doctor to wishing the war to end to simply wanting to grow old (something which I never considered as a wish). Along with the text, there are black-and-white photos of the narrators and of scenes in Ramallah and elsewhere where the children are from are included. Three Wishes is a heavy read, but it's a really good presentation of a confusing, complicated historic struggle told within a palpable and perceptive format.

Rating: 4 stars

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies, Current Events

Reasons why it was banned/challenged: In 2006 in Ontario, Canada, the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) urged public school boards to deny access to this children’s non-fiction book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to students in the elementary grades. The CJC said that Ellis had provided a flawed historical introduction to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that some of the children in the book portrayed Israeli soldiers as brutal, expressed ethnic hatred and glorified suicide bombing. The effect on young student readers, the CJC said, was "toxic."
 
Update: Although the Ontario Library Association (OLA) had recommended Three Wishes to schools as part of its acclaimed Silver Birch reading program, and although schoolchildren were not required to read the book, at least five school boards in Ontario set restrictions on the text:

a) The District School Board of Niagara encouraged librarians to steer students in Grades 4–6 away from Three Wishes and to tell parents that their children had asked for the book.

b) The Greater Essex County District School Board restricted access to the book to students in Grade 7 or higher.

c) The Toronto District School Board restricted access to the book to students in Grade 7 or higher and withdrew the book from school library shelves.

d) The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board refused to stock the book and refused to provide copies to students who asked for it.

e) In 2005, before the CJC made its views about Three Wishes public, the York Regional District School Board also withdrew the book from the Silver Birch program.

Protests by the OLA, The Writers’ Union of Canada, PEN Canada and the Association of Canadian Publishers failed to persuade the school boards to repeal their restrictions. Source: Freedom to Read

Words of Caution: The objection to Three Wishes is clearly politically motivated. It's interesting that only one group presented in the book raised objection to the book. Yes, Israeli soldiers where depicted at times to be brutal, but how would you describe someone who demolished your house and kicked you out on the streets? The Palestinians people were also depicted as suicide bombers and terrorists, but there is no objection to this particular part of the book. Yes, attacks were discussed more passionately in some of the childrens' lives because they experienced the attack first hand-either they knew the person directly responsible or had loved ones who died. Without giving the situation context or understanding the other's thought process, it's easy to misconstrue their feelings. I'm not saying what the childrens are advocating is right, but that's what they think and perhaps this is the place where we can start to change hatred into peace and understanding.
  As a librarian and educator, I find it offensive to imply that anyone would blindly give this book to a child without providing them enough information about the topic. The book presents an opportunity for discussion, which what I personally think is the objective of writing this controversial book. There are not that many good books written on this topic for children and young adults. Furthermore, I'm not entirely sure what the CJC means by Elli's book not being accurate. You can't write a nonfiction book without real sources and authority. The book does have bibliographical references. I would definitely recommed this book for Grades 5 and up who've learned about this region in their classrooms.

If you like this book try: Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carmi, 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye

  Alex Flinn's critically acclaim book, Breathing Underwater is one of my go to books for teens looking for a serious, well written, contemporary novel. Many books written about abusive teen relationships are written from the perspective of the victim, who is almost always a female. Breathing Underwater is the first book written not only by a male point of view but also of the abuser. Check back tomorrow with my interview with Ms. Flinn about her book and the recent controversy of it being challenged in Richland School in Washington.   


Description (from Goodreads): Nick is one of the chosen few at his high school: intelligent, popular, and wealthy. People think his life is pretty easy. Except for one thing. Nick has never told anyone about his father's violent temper.
  When Nick meets Caitlin, he thinks she is the answer to all his problems. Caitlin is everything Nick has ever wanted- beautiful, talented, and in love with him. But then everything changes, and Nick must face the fact that he has gotten more from his father than green eyes and money.

Review: Breathing Underwater is an absorbing read, allowing the reader to get a chance to learn about the abuse from the abuser's perspective. Flinn does a remarkable job in bringing the important and hot issue of abusive teen relationships with authenticity and rawness without ever resorting to cliches or the dreaded after-school specials that we were made to see in school.
  When the book opens, we are witnessing Nick's trial. We quickly learn that Nick was arrested because he physically assaulted his girlfriend, Caitlin, who now seeks a restraining order against him. The judge requires him to join an anger management class and to keep a journal recording his thoughts. Through a diary format, we learn how things between Caitlin and Nick transpired and go on a journey of self discovery and a chance at redemption.
  Nick is everything a guy could want. He is rich, handsome, athletic, and smart. While he superficially has everything he could desire, what he longs for and is in desperate need of is love. Much to everyone's ignorance, Nick is subjected to his father's physical and verbal abuse. Believing he can handle himself, Nick doesn't seek help and tries to avoid his father's triggers though he doesn't always succeed. Nick has always felt left out and carries a hole in chest. He craves attention and a driving desire to feel secure and loved by hanging out with his friends and their families. When he comes across the beautiful, sweet Caitlin, he believes that his hole could be filled by just being with her.
  The power of Breathing Underwater isn't in the plot, but the slow horrifying realization that Nick has become like his father without ever thinking about it. His father's physical and verbal abuse has shaped Nick's ideas of how to behave in a relationship: he bullies, tortures, and finally hits Caitlin. At first he truly believes that he has done nothing wrong by putting Caitlin 'in her place'; however, things slowly change as he recognizes his anger and abuse when he writes all of his thoughts down. There are loud pauses throughout his journal entries, which comes across as Nick trying at first to rationalize his actions but then admitting he was wrong to behave like he did. His anger permeates his writing and body language.
  Though we are aware of Nick's background and feel bad for him, his behavior toward Caitlin are never justified or forgiven. Like life, things aren't wrapped up nicely in a bow where everyone suddenly changes and is forgiven for the mistakes they made. The situations and dialogue ring frighteningly true, detailing the familiar cycle of abuse. I was really happy to see Nick's friends pick up on the red flags regarding his treatment of Caitlin and coming to her help. The sessions at the anger management classes that Nick attends are eye opening and with a twist I never saw coming.
 Breathing  Underwater isn't about placing blame, but rather admitting that you have a problem and you are willing to seek help. I would highly recommend reading this book because abusive teen relationship is a real problem and the more we learn about the issue, the better we can find a solution.

Rating: 4 stars

Why is was Challenged: On January 25th, 2012, Richland, Washington school district challenged Breathing Underwater and two other books due to "profanity," "dark themes," and "sexual content."  Source: Alex Flinn's blog. 
 In March 13, 2012, Breathing Underwater was reviewed approved for 12th grade. Source: Richland School Board Minutes.

Words of Caution: I generally have a hard time understanding the issues surrounding challenges of realistic fiction. Yes, there is a dark theme of dating violence in the book, but unfortunately it's a reality. I really don't know how you can address the issue of dating violence without showing any of it, which this book does very tastefully. We get enough to understand what is happening and it is used for a purpose. There is some language, an allusion to sex (to be honest, it's like a fade out scene, you get more on today's TV shows, and violence in the book which would make it PG-13 if it were a movie. Recommended for Grades 8 and up.

If you like this book try: Things Change by Patrick Jones, Bitter End by Jennifer Brown, But I Love Him by Amanda Grace, Albatross by Josie Bloss

9/12 books

• Anyone can join
• You don't need a blog to participate.  For non-bloggers, please leave a comment with a link (if you review somewhere else) to the review or leave a list of the books you read on the monthly link up post.
• Audio, ebooks, and bound books are ok.
• No re-reads
• Create a sign up post and post at this link.
• Challenge goes from January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012
• Challenge Crossovers are ok.

Goal for this Challenge: I will be reading 12 books and follow my same format as my Banned Books Week where I discuss why the book was banned/challenged. 

Goodreads Lists to refer to:

1. Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
2. Three Wishes by Deborah Ellis
3. Crow Boy by Taro Yashima
4. Dirty Cowboy by Amy Timberlake
5. Guess What? by Mem Fox
6. Boys Over Flowers Vol. 5 by Yoko Kamio
7. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
8. Hiroshima No Pika by Toshi Maruki
9. Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
10.