This week, the American Library Association
(www.ala.org) along with libraries, booksellers, publishers, journalists,
teachers (including the National Council of Teachers of English),
communities, and bloggers will celebrate the freedom to read and the value
of open access to information. For the second year, Banned Books Week is
hosting a Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out with a channel onYouTube. Individuals, or groups may create short videos to submit for
BBW Virtual Read Out Channel as a way of acknowledging everyone’s
right to access books and information.
Books are frequently challenged due to content that may be perceived as offensive or objectionable.
Reasons for challenging books have included material that addressed issues of racism, sexual orientation,
violence, offensive language, drug use, sexual activity or pregnancy in teens, death (in books for younger
children), witchcraft/sorcery/magic, certain religious themes, and more.
Many books that are challenged have been books that are often well written and contain powerful
messages. Often times, it is just the message a student or students need to hear. A few year’s ago, Laurie
Halse Anderson’s book Speak about one girl’s experience of date rape was once again challenged by a
school board in Oklahoma. Authors, publishers, book bloggers quickly stepped up in support of this book.
What was most powerful to me during this time was the number of stories of teen girls who had found their
voice to “speak” out about what they had experienced after reading this book. A book can validate an
experience or help a student confront a difficult issue when they might not know where to turn. If a book is
challenged, read it for yourself and make up your own mind. Don't let others make up your mind for you.
Some tips to think about when sharing potentially controversial books with students…
1. Know you students and their families – Not every book is for every child.
2. Create a “rule of thumb” for books that you know will be controversial – I might ask a parent a specific question that will guide my recommendation.
3. Discuss content with students – I have had open discussion with students about why an author has
chosen a particular word or portrayed an incident in a certain manner in a book.
4. Be aware of any school district policies or complaint procedures for challenging the use of a book.
Check out the lists above and join in this week by reading or re-reading a banned or challenged book!
Thanks to Kathy from I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Jen at I Read Banned Books for hosting this blog hop giveaway. Don't forget to check the Mr. Linky below to connect to the other blogs that are participating in the Giveaway Hop.
My thoughts on Banned and Challenged Books:
Since 1982, the American Library Association has joined in with various booksellers, publishers, and library associations to celebrate the freedom to read. If you have never looked at some of the lists for banned or challenged books, you may be surprised to find out what is on it.
Go check them out...this post isn't going anywhere.
Were you surprised that some of your favorites were on that list? Two of my favorite children's authors - Judy Blume and Katherine Paterson are on the list numerous times. It almost seems that every book I loved has made it to the Banned or Challenged list at some point.
As part of the Giveaway Hop, I am giving away a Banned or Challenged Book to a lucky reader. Pick a book under $15 on Amazon, and if your name is selected (remember to fill out the form below), I will send it to you.
Check out this video created by the Association of American Publishers asking acclaimed authors about what Banned Books they are reading:
Rules for the Giveaway:
1. Though comments are very much appreciated, please do not enter any
personal information in the comments section (including your email,
website, etc.). If you do enter personal information, your comment will
not be posted.
2. You must complete the entry form to official enter the giveaway.
3. The Contest runs from 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 28th to 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on October 6th.
4. You must be 13 years or older to participate.
5. If you are selected as the winner, you will be notified by email. If
you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.
6. US participants only.
And the count down to the 1st Annual International Ivy & Bean Day continues.
This week Chronicle Books is giving away a copy of Ivy & Bean Book 7: What's the Big Ideato one lucky winner and a set of mini-note cards to 3 other winners. Click here to check out the Ivy & Bean official page.
This isn't going to help with Global Warming, but couldn't you just see Ivy & Bean writing secret messages to one another using Invisible Ink? Thanks to Morgan over in the Kid's Department at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena for the idea. As we chatted about book 7, science fairs, Ivy & Bean, we couldn't help but think that both Ivy & Bean would love this idea.
Here is a video on how to make Invisible Ink:
Here is a different recipe from Kidzworld.com on how to make invisible ink:
Invisible Ink the Baking Soda Way
Mix about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of baking soda and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water. Next, write using a Q-tip, toothpick or brush on a piece of paper. Let it dry completely. To read the secret message, paint grape juice concentrate across the paper with a paint brush or a sponge. Don't forget - grape juice stains.
Why it works: Grape juice has an acid that reacts with the baking soda. A different color appears wherever the secret message is written.
Other Bloggers celebrating Ivy & Bean Blog-a-Bration:
This week's giveaway will run from September 27th to September 29th. Don't
forget to enter the giveaway by filling in the form at the bottom of the
page.
The Winners of this week's giveaways will be entered into the Grand
Prize Giveaway. Thanks Chronicle Books for this great prize pack:
A complete set of Ivy and Bean hardcover books signed by Annie Barrows
1 set of Ivy and Bean Paper Dolls
1 Ivy and Bean Button Factory
1 Ivy and Bean READ Poster signed by Annie Barrows
Set of Ivy and Bean Silly Bandz
· Set of Ivy and Bean stickers
AND – a super-secret really cool prize we’re working on (stay tuned!)
Author: Peter Barnes Illustrator: Cheryl Barnes Publisher: Little Patriots Press (republished September 10, 2012) Source: Copy for Review Audience: Ages 5 to 7 Fiction * Election/Government * Stories in Rhyme
Description from GoodReads: Woodrow G. Washingtail is back and ready to get to work as Commander-in-Cheese of the United Mice of America! A follow-up to Woodrow for President, Woodrow, the White House Mouse
teaches children about the presidency, as well as the art, architecture
and history of the White House. Written and illustrated by the
bestselling and award-winning duo, Peter and Cheryl Barnes, Woodrow, the White House Mouse
delights and amuses children as they learn about everything from
inauguration day and the president’s duties to the Easter egg roll and
the East Wing. Perfect for kids 5-8 years old, children will be educated
and entertained as President Washingtail and his family work and play
in the greatest mouse house of all
My thoughts on the book: Husband and wife team, Peter and Cheryl Barnes have created a story that seeks to provide younger children with an understanding of the presidential election and life in the White House in their book Woodrow The White House Mouse. Originally published in 1998 by VSP Books, Woodrow the White House Mouse has been republished through Little Patriots Press in time for the 2012 Presidential Election.
In this story, Woodrow G. Washingtail has been elected president of the mice of this nation. He and his family co-exist in the White House. The story follows Woodrow from the inauguration to daily activities to special events. Additionally, there is some information about signing a bill into law and also the various departments of the government. Children are also given an inside peek into the rooms of the White House through the mouse family and their activities. At the end of the book, there are several pages of resources for parents and teachers about the Presidency, the White House, and fun facts. Young children will enjoy the look at the life of a President from the eyes of a mouse. Look for Woodrow The White House Mouse at your local library.
For more information about Peter and Cheryl Barnes: website
Author/Illustrator: Jason Chin Publisher: Roaring Book Press/Macmillan (September 18, 2012) Source: Personal Copy Audience: Grades 2nd to 5th Habitats * Evolution * Ecology * Nonfiction
Description from Publisher's Website: Charles Darwin first
visited the Galápagos Islands almost 200 years ago, only to discover a
land filled with plants and animals that could not be found anywhere
else on earth. How did they come to inhabit the island? How long will
they remain?
Thoroughly researched and filled with intricate
and beautiful paintings, this extraordinary book by Award-winning author
and artist Jason Chin is an epic saga of the life of an island—born of
fire, rising to greatness, its decline, and finally the emergence of
life on new islands.
My thoughts on this book:
In my "It's Monday!" post, I mentioned to stop by and check out this post to see what book was a "WOW" for me. Here it is: Island: A Story of the Galápagos by Jason Chin. This is Chin's third book that he has written and illustrated. His first book Redwoods shared the story of the California Redwood Forest. Next came Coral Reefs, and now Island. With each book, Chin puts his own twist into the story. With Island, Chin starts with the Birth - Six Million Years Ago.
With the "eruption of a volcano, an island is born". - I love the colors and texture in this illustration.
Through a number of eruptions, and then the arrival of a seed, and the arrival of living creatures the evolution of this island moves forward.
I love how Chin moves from full page illustrations to smaller size ones and to even mid-size or half-page pictures. Each picture works to tell the story of this island over millions of years.
The combination of text and illustrations made this book just come alive for me. I just wanted to share it with others as I read it. Actually, I did share it with my bookseller friends while I was reading it in the store. I told them that this was one book that was coming home with me.
Part of what amazed me with this story was how the shrinking or growth of the island influenced the presence of wildlife or the changes in types of living creatures. Until eventually, there is no island.
Currently, there are 15 islands which will again grow and evolve over time.
If you pick up Island (and I hope you do), I encourage you to find his other titles as well. Look for all of Chin's books at your local library or pick up a copy for your favorite classroom or school library. Don't forget to shop Indie if you are able.
It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from
Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.
September has been filled with wonderful author events on the weekends which has been a mixed blessing. On the one hand, I love meeting authors and talking books with other book lovers. On the other hand, no time for reading.
This weekend Bridge to Books worked with Barnes & Noble in Glendale to host the YA Rising Stars Event. I got to hang with Jesse Andrews, Kathy McCullough, Lissa Price, Sherry Shahan, Ann Stampler, Lisa M. Stasse, Carol Tanzman, and Allen Zadoff.
Can I count this as part of my "What are you reading?" :-)
Here are some of the things that jumped out over the past week:
From the stack of picture books this week, I only have two that I want to share.
The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart; Illustrated by David Small
And one more that you will have to wait until Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday to find out what book was a WOW for me!
One of my absolute favorite YA books in 2010 was Hold Me Closer Necromancer by Lish McBride. I wasn't surprised that it was a William C. Morris Debut Award nominee. McBride's sense of humor and great ensemble cast of characters developed a special spot in my heart. Since reading the first book, I have had to wait patiently for the second one. I begged Macmillan for an ARC while I was out at ALA Annual in June 2012 and I was so excited when I actually held it in my hands. Of course, a little nervous too. All I will say is that book 2 does not disappoint.
On Tuesday, Necromancing the Stone hit bookstores and Macmillan is celebrating with a fabulous blog tour.
Today, I am excited to have Sam LaCroix stop by to answer a few questions.
(Note: The interview takes place between Book 1 and Book 2. There are no spoilers for Necromancing the Stone.)
So Sam, now that you have discovered that you are a Necromancer and you defeated Douglas – what are you looking forward to in your new life? Any particular changes for the better?
I’m looking forward to a time when strangers don’t try to kill me for unknown reasons and of course, naps. There are some bruises on my body that won’t heal for weeks. I feel like some really solid naptime has been earned. As for changes for the better—well, I get to leave my crappy apartment. Of course, I have to live in the Scary Death House, but hey, I think they have cable. So, there’s that. And I have a date with Brid this week. We’re going to the Drive-in. That makes up for all the bruises as far as I’m concerned.
As a Necromancer, how do you see your role on the council changing from how Douglas ran things?
Mostly, I’m going to try to not screw up. I think if I can manage that, I’m cool. Nobody likes necromancers. So I can’t see the council welcoming me with punch and pie and those little party blowers. Maybe if I keep a low enough profile, they’ll realize that I’m not as bad as the last guy…
After a few weeks pass and I haven’t killed anyone or tried to take anything over, I think they might notice that I’m different. At least, that’s the hope.
How are your mother and sister accepting your new role as Necromancer?
My mom is still freaked out. I mean, it’s not exactly news to her, but I kinda think she was hoping I’d grow out of it somehow. Yeah, like that’s a possibility. She’s like most moms, I guess. She just wants what’s best for me and for me to be happy, and she’s afraid my powers will get in the way of that. Let’s face it, she’s probably right, but it’s not like I can do anything about it.
I don’t think Haley cares. That’s not really Haley’s style. Things don’t faze her. I think she’s more interested in my inheritance from Douglas. She’s going to need her own car soon, and I now have several that I won’t be using. Of course, I’m going to give her one, but I’m not going to tell her that yet.
Do you think Brooke and Ashley will be hanging around you in the future or have they moved onto other things?
I think that it doesn’t really matter what I want. Brooke and Ashley are going to do what they want to do, period. I have very little say in things. That being said, Brooke likes bossing me around, so I can’t see her going anywhere, and I owe Ashley a lot of waffles, so I believe they’ll both be around for a little while.
Have you had much of a chance to talk with Ramon since he was changed into a were-bear?
I wonder how he is coping.
I’ve tried—and by “tried”, I mean I stare at my phone and will myself to hit the “call” button. I always end up putting the phone away. I mean, what do you say to someone who risked his life for you? Someone who almost died for you? I can’t imagine texting, “How are you ☺? Things been hairy? Lol!” can you? So it’s been radio silence on my end. But the pack assures me that he’s healing okay. A long way from healthy, but they’ve taken him off critical.
Ok, I have to ask – are you and Brid still together and how is her father and brothers accepting things between you two?
Have you ever dated a girl with four brothers? Four. And all of them can snap me like a twig. And then eat the twig. It’s nerve-wracking as hell. And her dad? You’d think the alpha of a werewolf pack would be all macho and bluster, but he just…stares at you. It’s like he can read your mind. They all terrify the hell out of me.
Of course, that’s not stopping me either. Brid is…well, she’s worth it. That’s all I can say. Totally and absolutely worth every fear-drenched moment.
Thanks Sam (and Lish) for stopping by the blog today and answering some questions.
Thanks to Macmillan we also have a special giveaway - a paperback copy of Hold Me Closer, Necromancer and a hardcover of Necromancing the Stone. The giveaway will run from September 20, 2012 to September 27, 2012. To enter, you must be 13 years or older and live in the U.S. or Canada.
And the count down to the 1st Annual International Ivy & Bean Day continues.
This week Chronicle Books is giving away a copy of Ivy & Bean Book 6: Doomed to Danceto one lucky winner and a set of mini-note cards to 3 other winners. Click here to check out the Ivy & Bean official page.
Check out the official book trailer from Chronicle:
In Doomed to Dance, Ivy and Bean find out that ballet may not be exactly what they expected. Check out these other titles that would pair nicely with Doomed to Dance. I wonder if Ivy & Bean had read these books if they would have had a better experience. They might have but we wouldn't have had as many laughs.
This week's giveaway will run from September 19th to September 22nd. Don't
forget to enter the giveaway by filling in the form at the bottom of the
page.
The Winners of this week's giveaways will be entered into the Grand
Prize Giveaway. Thanks Chronicle Books for this great prize pack:
A complete set of Ivy and Bean hardcover books signed by Annie Barrows
1 set of Ivy and Bean Paper Dolls
1 Ivy and Bean Button Factory
1 Ivy and Bean READ Poster signed by Annie Barrows
Set of Ivy and Bean Silly Bandz
· Set of Ivy and Bean stickers
AND – a super-secret really cool prize we’re working on (stay tuned!)
Seriously, how do you say "no" to this opportunity? Better yet, why would you want to say "no"? I quickly responded "yes". I figured all the details would work themselves out. And they did.
We found a location - Thank you McKinley School in Pasadena for hosting the event in your beautiful library.
Shannon Messenger shares a moment with Lisa McMann
And our author panelists managed to show great enthusiams in responding to questions despite it being 106 degrees and the library had no air conditioning. Definitely an amazing team of authors.
There was signing of books, and posters, and more books. I am certain at one point Margaret Peterson Haddix thought we were never going to let her leave. With 30 books to her credit, there were piles of books to sign.
Isn't this a lovely Middle Grade Author Panel?
One of the highlights of the event for me was when Margaret read a letter from Jackie, my 11 year old niece who was out of town. In her letter, Jackie credits Margaret's Shadow Children series as kick-starting her love of reading.
Thank you Simon & Schuster and thank you Margaret Peterson Haddix, Lisa McMann, Shannon Messenger, and Helen Stringer for epic wonderful-ness and for delighting an audience of children, parents, teaches, and librarians on one of the hottest days of the year.
Some final thank you's to Kris and Maureen at Once Upon a Time in Montrose for all the book sales; Katie Ferguson for the wonderful photos of the event; and finally, thanks to all the Bridge to Books volunteers who set up, cleaned up, sold bottles of water and made people feel welcomed.
