Thank you to everyone who entered my Banned Books Week giveaway, commented on posts, and helped spread the word! I used random.org to choose the winner.
Congratulations, #18 Christi the Teen Librarian!
I’ve emailed the winner, and she’ll have 48 hours to claim her prize. Thank you, again, to everyone who participated 
This is my last post for Banned Books Week this year. Reminder: I’m also hosting a banned books giveaway, so I hope you’ll check it out and enter to win a banned book of your choice (ends Saturday).
Banned Book: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
Where/Why It’s Been Banned: “The Belleville, Wis. School Board (2011) decided to keep a book that’s required reading for high school freshmen in the curriculum despite a parent’s complaint that the book was “pornography” and its language was “pervasively vulgar.” Published in 1993, the novel has been read by ninth-grade students at Belleville High School for eight years. The book deals with topics of abortion, sexuality, and the power of religion.” (Source–Quote taken from ALA banned books resource page)
My Thoughts: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is another staple in YA literature. In my About Me page I mention the Young Adult Lit course I took during my undergrad at Central Michigan with Dr. Steffel. This is one of the novels Dr. Steffel required us to read; it’s also one of my favorites from that class. I haven’t read Crutcher’s book since the summer I took that course, but I still remember it well because it’s a powerful story.
Do some of the characters swear in the novel? Yes. I had a discussion with my freshmen the other day about the use of “vulgar language” in novels. I was impressed when a majority of them said that they can tell when an author is using that language purposefully and when it seems like it’s thrown in for no reason at all. They understood that different characters speak different ways, so some may swear when others won’t, just like real life teenagers. The claim that Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is pornography is outrageous. There simply isn’t anything pornagraphic in the novel. The characters are in a class where big issues are discussed and debated, so topics like abortion and sexuality do come up and fit with the story.
In my opinion, if you’re a teacher or librarian, it would serve you well to have a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes in your library. Everything about this novel is purposeful and well-meaning. When I think about this book I think of the power of friendship, overcoming abuse and stereotypes, and self-esteem, just to name a few. Chris Crutcher is a master storyteller and Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes is one of the best examples of his craft.
Student Response: Kayla, one of my Young Adult Lit students, is focusing her trimester project on Chris Crutcher so she recently read Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. “If Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes was banned it would be upsetting. It was a very good book; I could barely put it down. I think this book being banned takes away the opportunity for a good book to be read, but also for people to learn about what happens in this kind of relationships. I loved it.”
It’s Banned Books Week so I’m highlighting a different banned book each day this week. My posts will include the banned book, where/why it’s been banned (or challenged), my opinion, and a student’s opinion. I’m also hosting a banned books giveaway, so I hope you’ll check it out and enter to win a banned book of your choice.
Banned Book: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Where/Why It’s Been Banned: “Challenged, but retained, at the Clarkstown, N.Y. North High School (2011) despite a parent’s complaint about the teen coming-of-age novel, which deals graphically with teenage sex, homosexuality, and bestiality.”(Source–Quote taken from ALA banned books resource page)
My Thoughts: The Perks of Being a Wallflower has been around for a while now (since 1999), and even though it’s still considered current, I feel comfortable saying it’s a classic example of YA literature. I read it a couple years ago after a student told me that it’s the one book she’ll read over and over again. I really enjoyed it, especially because it’s an epistolary novel.
The story is about Charlie who is trying to understand his life and get over the loss of a good friend and his aunt. His life hasn’t been perfect; something awful has happened to Charlie which is foreshadowed throughout the novel. Charlie’s going through life and trying to deal with everything that’s going on. He’s a character readers relate to and understand, which is one of the reasons this book is so popular with my students. Not only do readers connect with Charlie, they empathize with him and are shocked at the truth which is revealed at the end of the novel.
I have two copies of this book in my classroom because I see it as a staple to YA literature. I’m glad that it was retained at N.Y. North High School because the reasons for its challenge are extreme. I know it’s been a while since I’ve read it, but I know I’d remember if there was bestiality in the novel because that’s something that would concern me. I’ve actually had three students interested in reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, so I had to send one of them to our high school library to borrow a copy. He’s the student I asked to respond to information about the challenge.
Student Response: Michael, one of my freshmen, just finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower. “I disagree with what they are saying about the book because it’s about a kid becoming a teenager in high school who doesn’t have any friends because everyone thinks he’s weird and his only friend died. It tells us what could happen in high school and what we could face. I think it’s a very good book. It keeps a person wondering what’s going to happen next, and then you realize things you didn’t expect.”
It’s Banned Books Week so I’m highlighting a different banned book each day this week. My posts will include the banned book, where/why it’s been banned (or challenged), my opinion, and a student’s opinion. I’m also hosting a banned books giveaway, so I hope you’ll check it out and enter to win a banned book of your choice.
Banned Book: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Where/Why It’s Been Banned: “Challenged in the Republic, Mo. schools (2010) because it is “soft-pornography” and “glorifies drinking, cursing, and premarital sex.” (Source–Quote taken from ALA banned books resource page)
My Thoughts: I was outraged about this last year when the challenge first came up. It upsets me all over again now reading why it’s been challenged and knowing that Sarah Ockler’s debut novel is still off shelves in that school district. Any person who has read Twenty Boy Summer knows it’s the farthest thing from “soft-pornography.”
I am constantly encouraging my students to read Twenty Boy Summer because it’s an excellent book that handles tough situations very well. Anna and Frankie are suffering greatly over Matt’s sudden death. Anna is suffering privately because she never told Frankie that she and Matt (Frankie’s brother) were dating when he died. Can you imagine not being able to tell your best friend that and have her to console you? Anna and Frankie are helping each other deal with Matt’s death, but it’s not complete for Anna when Frankie doesn’t even know how deeply hurt Anna is. Frankie isn’t handling her brother’s death well at all and is acting out.
What can readers take away from Sarah Ockler’s touching novel? They can take away lessons in maintaining friendships through honesty, understanding and compassion. They can take away a better understanding of how people grieve and how to deal with grief. The best thing? Yes, I’m speaking of “lessons,” but this isn’t a preachy novel. I never felt like Sarah Ockler was trying to hammer a message into my brain, but when I finished reading this novel I know I had a better understanding of the fragility of friendships and love. The focus of this novel is not sex and partying. It’s all about forgiveness, understanding, letting go, and learning to love again.
Student Response: This response comes from one of my YA Lit students, Mackenzie. She’s “new” to reading and recently read Twenty Boy Summer as part of her trimester project. “I don’t see how Twenty Boy Summer is on the banned books list. When I read the book I didn’t think the main point of it was about sex and alcohol. I thought it was more about Anna telling Frankie about her and Matt.”
It’s Banned Books Week so I’m highlighting a different banned book each day this week. My posts will include the banned book, where/why it’s been banned (or challenged), my opinion, and a student’s opinion. I’m also hosting a banned books giveaway, so I hope you’ll check it out and enter to win a banned book of your choice.
Banned Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Where/Why It’s Been Banned: “Challenged and presented to the Goffstown, N.H. school board (2010) by a parent claiming that it gave her eleven-year-old nightmares and could numb other students to the effects of violence.” (Source–Quote taken from ALA banned books resource page)
My Thoughts: I can understand the parent being upset about her child having nightmares, but The Hunger Games wasn’t written for her child’s age group. I know 11-12 year-olds that read this trilogy, but they’re obviously mature enough for it, although I question how much they comprehend. It’s a parent’s responsibility to be aware of what her child is reading and whether her child is ready for the book he/she has chosen.
I won’t deny that The Hunger Games is a violent book. But do we really want to make that argument when there’s so much violence in TV, movies, and video games? And besides arguing which is more violent, we need to think about the reason behind the violence in Collins’ novel. Many of my students who read this trilogy comment on how they can see something like the Reaping or the Hunger Games really happening. We have conversations about violence in the media today and how shocking this story is. This trilogy hooks my most reluctant readers and drives thoughtful discussion. If there’s violence in the media that will make our students numb, it’s not the violence in The Hunger Games.
Student Response: One of my former students, Caroline, wrote this response for me because she’s awesome and knew that I procrastinated and didn’t have a current student write one in time. “I don’t understand why a teenager would have nightmares over this novel at all. This is one I could not put down. I felt super-glued to the pages. If your eleven-year-old is having nightmares over this, you may have over-sheltered them. Watch what your sensitive kid reads, but don’t tell others what to read. I suggested this book to my ten-year-old sister, and if I had a copy I know she would read it without the effects of nightmares. There are definitely worse books out there.”
It’s Banned Books Week so I’m highlighting a different banned book each day this week. My posts will include the banned book, where/why it’s been banned (or challenged), my opinion, and a student’s opinion. I’m also hosting a banned books giveaway, so I hope you’ll check it out and enter to win a banned book of your choice.
Banned Book: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Where/Why It’s Been Banned: “Removed from a spring break elective course at the Bedford, N.H. School District (2010) after a parent complained about the novel’s sexual content. The complainant further suggested that the school only allow “youth versions” of particular books or organize a parental review system over the summer that would look at books that students need parental permission to read. A checklist has been proposed that Bedford school officials would use to rate books and other instructional materials.” (Source–Quote taken from ALA banned books resource page)
My Thoughts: I chose to highlight this book first for a couple reasons. First, I didn’t know until a couple days ago when I was getting these posts ready that Water for Elephants had been banned. Second, this book wasn’t published as a YA novel. I read it this past spring after one of my high school students handed me her copy and told me I had to read it. I was surprised by the mature, sexual scenes but that’s because I’ve been reading YA almost exclusively and had to remind myself that this novel wasn’t published YA. It did make me wonder what my student thought of those scenes, which we discussed when I gave her book back at the end of spring break.
Despite the maturity of the novel, there are quite a few positive messages in the novel which I think outweigh those scenes. Jacob, the main character, suddenly becomes an orphan just as he’s about to graduate from college and become a veterinarian. As a last resort he hops a circus train and is thrown into a bizarre and often dangerous life. Water for Elephants is historical fiction and Sara Gruen did a wonderful job researching the time period and the circus culture when writing her novel. Her story focuses on Jacob and how he learns to survive this new life, but also how he shows compassion for both people and animals, learns to stand up for himself, and finds his first love.
I have a copy of this book in my classroom library, because I know my mature readers will enjoy it. I made sure to buy a copy with the original cover (the movie cover has Robert Pattison and Reese Witherspoon) because I think my boys in class will be more likely to pick it up than they would if I had the movie cover edition. If you’re looking for a rationale for Water for Elephants, it’s listed as a Scholastic Reading Counts book **side note: I’m not an advocate of boxed reading programs like this, but I know many schools use them.** and it’s a 2007 Alex Award winner. The Alex Award is given to books that are written for adults but appeal to teen readers.
Student Response: This quote is from Tristan, my student who let me borrow her copy over spring break. “The book is an adult book to begin with, so why would the author have to worry about sexual content? As far as having it in a high school, I think that teens can handle it. And if a parent has a problem, THEN THEY DON’T NEED TO LET THEIR CHILD READ IT! But they don’t need to drag other students into it. I do agree this book does contain a lot of sexual content, so I wouldn’t want my middle school sister reading this. But teens can handle it, and parents shouldn’t be naive enough to think this isn’t something their children are oblivious about.”
Banned Books Week has officially started, so I’m bringing back my week of posts about banned books. I always put up a display in my classroom during this week so I can discuss censorship with my students. It’s an excellent time to talk about how they feel about books, what they find questionable, and how we should deal with censorship in our school. I also have a banned books project choice in my Young Adult Lit class that involves my students reading and researching banned books before putting together a presentation about those books and whether they agree with the action taken. Many of my students will read some of the books that I have on display and can’t understand why they were banned.
During Banned Books Week I’ll be posting about a handful of books that are listed on the ALA website as banned or censored from 2010-2011. Because my students often have so much to say about these books and the issue of censorship, I’ll be including their thoughts in each of my posts. I hope you’ll come back to my blog this week to learn more
To kick off the week, I’m holding a banned books giveaway. The winner will be picked randomly, emailed and allowed to pick a banned book that I’ll purchase and mail to them.
Giveaway Guidelines:
* Must be 13 or older to enter
* U.S. residents only
* Giveaway begins Sunday, Sept. 25th and runs through Saturday, Oct. 1st
* No extra entries are required, but spreading the news is always appreciated
* Only one entry per person
Before I announce the winner of the Censorship Causes Blindness: Banned Books Giveaway, I want to thank everyone for their comments. The Harry Potter series and To Kill a Mockingbird were definitely the most popular choices, and rightfully so. I enjoyed the other books named as well, like Speak and The Lord of the Flies. Even though Banned Books Week is over, I hope everyone continues to speak up for banned books throughout the year. If you haven’t already, check out the Twitter thread #SpeakLoudly and the incredible website in honor of this thread.
I used random.org to choose the winner. Congratulations to Amanda West @ talesandtreats.blogspot.com! 
I will be contacting you through email to find out what two banned books you’d like. I’ll update this post with pictures of the banned books Amanda chooses along with the picture of the signed copy of Unwind once it arrives.
FYI- During the week of October 25th, I’ll be participating in the Spooktacular Book Blog Giveaway Hop, so check back to enter to win some goodies
In honor of Banned Books Week I am highlighting a different banned book each day of the event (maybe even more!) here on my blog. I’m also hosting a Banned Books Week giveaway. Included in this giveaway is a signed copy of Unwind so make sure to enter! FINAL DAY TO ENTER!
Banned Book:
The House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Where/Why It’s Been Banned: “Banned at Henderson Junior High School in the Stephenville, Tex. Independent School District (2009). The entire teen vampire series was banned for sexual content and nudity. Since the series has not been completed, “Stephenville ISD actually banned books that have not yet been published and perhaps even books that have yet to be written. There is no way the district could know the content of these books, and yet they have been banned.” Source: Nov. 2009, pp. 197–98, 225.” (Taken from ala.org)
Why It Should Be Read: My best friend, a fellow teacher, recommended reading this series while we eagerly awaited the release of Breaking Dawn. I was instantly hooked and read the first books in a matter of days. This was over the summer, so when the school year started I told my students all about this series. It didn’t take long for these book to become popular.
What I like best about this series is that not only do my female students enjoy this series, but many of my male students as well. They’re fun and easy to read, so many of my more reluctant readers have advanced to series like The Mortal Instruments after reading The House of Night books.
Sure the series revolves around teenage vampires, but all of the characters are dealing with normal high school issues. They learn how to handle bullying, rumors, becoming a leader, relationship issues, and making and maintaining friendships. P.C. Cast is a high school English teacher, so she understands the dynamics at play in the world of teenagers. She’s writing the series with her daughter, Kristin Cast, who is in college now so she hasn’t forgotten the first-hand experiences of high school. They’re a winning combination writing books that hook readers and help them in the process.
Student Response: This response comes from one of my students, Ellie, that graduated last year (Isn’t it cool that my kids are still participating even after high school?!)- “The House of Night series should be read because, aside from the whole vampire thing, there are a lot of normal teen problems, like discrimination, juggling guys and fitting in. It shows that just because a problem is your own doesn’t mean you have to handle it by yourself. I honestly don’t understand why the whole series is banned seeing as not all of the books in the series even exist at this point in time. If the content hasn’t been written yet how do you know it will contain sexual material? You don’t.”
In honor of Banned Books Week I am highlighting a different banned book each day of the event (maybe even more!) here on my blog. I’m also hosting a Banned Books Week giveaway. Included in this giveaway is a signed copy of Unwind so make sure to enter!
Banned Book:
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Where/Why It’s Been Banned: Unfortunately Hopkins’ book, Crank, along with her other books have been banned too many times in too many places. To add insult to injury, Hopkins has even been dis-invited to the Teen Lit Fest in Humble, Texas. To simplify this I’m including this link to an article about some of the book bans she’s experienced.
Why It Should Be Read: There are so many reasons to read Crank! First of all, the verse it’s written in is gorgeous. Some of her poems can be read both from left to right and top to bottom, some of the poems are concrete. I can’t imagine the amount of time, effort and talent it takes to write something like that. Truly wonderful.
I read Crank during my first year of teaching; I read it in one evening! Honestly, I didn’t know crystal meth was referred to as crank until I read this book. Once I figured that out, it hit a little closer to home because the school I did my student teaching at had a problem with crystal meth use. Knowing this, it was a no-brainer that I had to tell my students about it the very next day. They were immediately intrigued and- yet again!- another “non-reader” wanted to read it. Once he did, this book didn’t stay on my shelf for the rest of the year. It’s been that way every year since
I’ve said this before, and I’m saying it again, Crank is a new Go Ask Alice (and far better!). I’ve never understood the appeal of drugs, and that understanding is even further away after reading Crank. How can anyone rationally think “I’d like to try meth” after reading Hopkins’ book? Kristina hits rock bottom once she tries “the monster.” Teens should read this so they can see what happens to her and what could happen to them.
Student Response: One of my freshmen recently borrowed my copy. When she did, she told me that she wanted to read it because a couple of her family members (including her mom) are addicted to meth. Thankfully she’s not living with her mom, but I know it’s still hard for her. She told me that this is the kind of book she needs to read since it hits so close to home. I wouldn’t have known this about her if I hadn’t read Crank and put it in my classroom library.
If you'd like Y.A. Love to review a book, host a giveaway or hold an interview, please read my Review Policy page and contact me (Sarah) at: lovingyalit [at] gmail [dot] com
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