Banned Books Week, September 24 - October 1, 2011

"Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States" (ala.org).

Celebrating Banned Books Week with students is always something that I look forward to. Simply sharing a list of banned books with students always sparks interest among young readers.

Here are a few of my favorite "banned and challenged" classics.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Did you know that these books have been "banned and/or challenge?"
Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling
The Gossip Girl series Cecily von Ziegesar
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
Goosebumps series by R.L Stine
The Witches by Roald Dahl
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

For more information about Intellectual Freedom and Banned Books Week visit http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/ 

Literary Classics: Haikus

The Roaring Twenties

The Green light symbolizes

Past, present, future

Janie and Tea Cake
They survive a hurricane
Love complicates Death

Scout, Jem, Boo Radley

Overcome hate, racism
Tom is innocent

 

 

Oh, Bleep! You've got to read the Paranormalcy series.

Paranormalcy Series by Kiersten White. HarperCollins
Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series is such a refreshing addition to the supernatural and paranormal romance genre. I must begin by saying that both series installments are absolutely delightful and funny!

These books are so much bleeping fun!  Evie, along with Tasey, her pink sparkly taser, work for the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA)--an agency that bags, tags, and neutralizes paranormals.  All for the greater good, of course. Evie's special talent keeps her busy at IPCA, but it also makes her question who she is.  Evie finds herself soul-searching, falling in love, and constantly battling the paranormal community full of werewolves, faeries, shape-shifts, vampires, and hags.  Find out more at http://kierstenwhite.com/

Summer Reads, 2011

As the lazy days of summer came to end, I realized that my summer reading excursions were not really up to par.  I did what I like to call a lot of "picking up and putting down," as well as quite a bit of re-reading.  Nevertheless, here is one of the stand-outs.

 Delirium by Lauren Oliver. HarperCollins

 We all know that love is patient, and love is kind.  And according to Pat Benatar, love is a battlefield.  But in the world in which Lena lives, love is a disease, clinically called "deliria."  Lena is looking forward to the day that she will receive "the cure"  -- the medical procedure that will allow her to live a "normal" life free of the horrible symptoms of love.  However, the summer that she turns 18, the unthinkable happens, and Lena's world changes forever.  She soon finds herself in a world-wind of self discovery. 


If you can handle the lack of resolution, then I definitely recommend this emotionally captivating read.  Oliver takes Love to an entirely new level.  http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com/