6 of My Favorite Banned Books

As Banned Books Week wraps up, I just wanted to give you a list of 6 of my favorite banned books, so here it is. If you're not sure what Banned Books Week is, check out my last blog post What's Wrong With a Book About Penguins?

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Photo from Amazon

The Great Gatsby has been challenged for alcohol use and sexual references. While those things definitely exist throughout the novel, it's hardly the primary subject. Many of you have probably read this in your lit classes in high school. I know I did, and I think that's one of the reasons I enjoyed it so thoroughly. Mr. Cowger had a way of discussing books that made them so much more interesting, and The Great Gatsby was no exception. For those of you haven't read it, you should! The characters are incredibly flawed, but that's what makes the book interesting. They also have great movie adaptations. I'm a big fan of the Baz Luhrmann version with Leonardo DiCaprio playing Gatsby, but I think that's primarily because the soundtrack is so incredible. You should definitely listen to it if you haven't! Probably in my top 5 favorite soundtracks ever.

2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Photo from Amazon

To Kill a Mockingbird has been challenged for profanity, racism and "promoting white supremacy," an interesting claim considering the book primarily deals with Atticus arguing the case for an African American man. This is one of my favorite books, and I think the same is true for most of my family considering one of our dogs is named Scout. I think the reason I loved it so much the first time I read it was because I identified so strongly with the main character, Scout. She wasn't quite the proper young lady her aunt expected her to be, and she constantly questioned the way things were. The book is an incredibly commentary on race in the south, and I fully recommend reading it at some point in your life.

3. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Image from Amazon

In Cold Blood has been challenged for sex, violence, and profanity. All occur in the novel, but I hardly think that means it shouldn't be read. This was another book that I had the pleasure of reading during Mr. Cowger's AP Lit class and it was another that I thoroughly enjoyed. Honestly, I need to read it again, because I've only read it the once. It's the retelling of a true story of the murder of a family in Kansas and how Truman Capote investigated the murders in talking to local residents and investigators as well as the murderers themselves. It's a thrilling true crime story that will definitely draw you in.

4. Paper Towns by John Green

Photo from Amazon

Paper Towns has been challenged for profanity, discussions of teen sex, and references to girls as "honey bunnies" (misogyny). I think the last part is kind of hilarious, because it's so clear the author is using this somewhat ironically. The book follows the story of Quentin as he searches for his lifelong crush Margo Roth Spiegelman after she goes missing. I think it's beautifully written while at the same time demonstrating the reality of being a young person and the trials of being in high school. It's a pretty light read if you want it to be, but there is so much to draw from it if you really dig in. I definitely recommend giving it a try!

5. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole

Photo from Amazon

And Tango Makes Three has been challenged for being age inappropriate for the reading level. This one is pretty frustrating to me. This is a true story about two male penguins in the New York Central Park Zoo that court each other so the zookeepers give them an egg to raise that would otherwise have gone uncared for. The book has been banned in elementary schools because parents don't believe their children should learn about homosexuality at such a young age, which I think is completely ludicrous. It's a true story, it's a normal thing, get over it.

6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Photo from Amazon

The Perks of Being a Wallflower has been challenged for sexually explicit content and language, drug use, and sexual abuse. It's an interesting read that follows the story of Charlie, an introverted teen, as he goes through his freshman year of high school. It's formatted as a series of letters that Charlie is writing to an anonymous person, which gives it a unique point of view. A lot happens to this young, unpopular teen throughout his first year of high school. He learns a lot, makes friends, and deals with some pretty serious mental health problems. It's a unique read, and one that I quite enjoyed.

If you're curious about more banned books,
this website has some great PDFs that list the top banned books by year and why they were banned. Are any of your favorite books on the list?

What's Wrong With a Book About Penguins?

Have you ever heard of Banned Books Week? 

It's a week long "celebration" to increase awareness about banned books and censorship and to encourage the freedom to read. This year it will be taking place September 25th-October 1st. Banned Books Week began in 1982 because of the sudden increase in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores, and libraries. According to the American Library Association (as recorded on the Banned Books Week website), more than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982.

Photo from the American Library Association

Why do books get banned?

There are a myriad of reasons. According to Butler University's Libraries and Center for Academic Technology, these are the most common reasons:

• Racial Issues
• Encouragement of "Damaging" Lifestyles
• Blasphemous Dialog
• Sexual Situations or Dialog
• Violence or Negativity
• Presence of Witchcraft
• Religious Affiliations (unpopular religions)
• Political Bias
• Age Inappropriate

So then it may not surprise you that according to the American Library Association, these are the 10 most frequently challenged books from 2015:

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green- offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group
2. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James- Sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and other ("poorly written," "concerns that a group of teenagers will want to try it")
3. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings- Inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group
4. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin- Anti-family, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other ("wants to remove from collection to ward off complaints")
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon- Offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other ("profanity and atheism")
6. The Holy Bible-Religious viewpoint
7. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel- Violence and other ("graphic images")
8. Habibi by Craig Thompson- Nudity, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group
9. Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter- Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, and violence
10. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan- Homosexuality and other ("condones public displays of affection")

Some of these sound pretty bogus to me. I've actually only read two though, Looking for Alaska and parts of the Holy Bible. The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-Time was on my list to read this summer but I ended up not having time to get to it, so it's coming up next!

You might also be surprised to find some of the most influential works in literature have been challenged in the US. You can find a list of them You can find the full list of books that have been challenged from the Library of Congress's exhibit "Books that Shaped America" here. Some to note are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Catch-22, Fahrenheit 451, The Great Gatsby, In Cold Blood, The Scarlet Letter, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

How can you participate in Banned Books Week?

The Banned Books Week website has a list of activities going on throughout the week on their website! You can find it here. Unfortunately, Iowa isn't on the list, but never fear! There are certainly things going on in your area even if they aren't on the official website! Check your local library or bookstore. University libraries are holding events as well. If you can't find anything there, just find a banned book and celebrate your right to read!

So what's wrong with a book about penguins?

Ok I tempted you with it in the title, so here's your answer. In my opinion, nothing. Check out And Tango Makes Three at your library or buy it this week. It's a lovely book that retells a true story of two male penguins at the New York Central Park Zoo raising a baby chick.

6 Children's Books That Changed My Life

When I was little, I always loved story time. I loved to read to myself and to others, and loved to be read to as well. It's one of the first things you learn to do that you can remember, and the things you read can leave a serious impact, especially when you're young and impressionable. So I've collected a list of 6 children's books that left their impression on me. I still think fondly of them today and I hope they spark some positive memories for you too.

6 Children's Books That Changed My Life

1. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon written by Patty Lovell and illustrated by David Catrow

Photo from Amazon

This is the tale of a young girl, Molly Lou Melon, who "Stood just taller than her dog and was the shortest girl in the first grade...had buck teeth that stuck out so far, she could stack pennies on them...had a voice that sounded like a bull frog being squeezed by a boa constrictor. But she didn't mind" because "Her grandma had told her, 'Walk as proudly as you can, and the world will look up to you," "Smile big and the world will smile right alongside you," and "Sing out clear and strong and the world will cry tears of joy." So she did.

So the book opens with all of this amazing advice for young people, and as someone who had serious buck teeth growing up, I fully related. Even today going back and reading the book, I can remember certain lines that have stuck with me ever since I was little. One of them is, "Believe in yourself and the world will believe in you too." That's such a powerful thing to be told and reminded of when you're a kid, and I'm really grateful to have had that instilled in me at such a young age.

Anyway, she ends up moving to a new school and there's this one kid named Ronald who picks on her from day one. He starts out calling her "shrimpo" and "bucky-toothed beaver" and tells her she sounds "like a sick duck" but each time he does, she proves these aren't things to be ashamed of and he ends up feeling very foolish. On the fifth day of school, Ronald is actually nice to her and gives her a stacking penny for her teeth. So Molly goes home from school to write her grandma to say that everything she told her was exactly right.

10/10 stacking pennies

2. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

Photo from Amazon

Ok this one was a little bit out there. It was about a girl named Camilla Cream who loved lima beans but decided not to eat them because all of her friends thought they were gross. So one day she wakes up to a bad case of stripes all over her body. The doctors can't figure out why they're there or how to make them go away but decide she's healthy enough to go to school. So she goes to school and all of the kids make fun of her and call out different patterns and colors and her body starts to transform to match what they say. Afraid she might be contagious after all, they send her home, where she goes through some even more extreme transformations, such as turning into a pill after taking a pill. After a multitude of ridiculous transformations and treatments, an old lady tells her she needs to eat lima beans, so she does and she's cured. 

The moral of the story is that even if other kids don't think it's cool or they tease you, live your life. If you like lima beans, eat lima beans. Who gives a toot if other kids think it's weird? This is something that definitely stuck with me from a young age. It's ok to be different and to like different things. To this day, I still think about it and remind myself it's ok to want to stay in and read books even if people think you're a nerd or boring. What do I care? I love to read! Live your life

10/10 lima beans

3. Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Photo from Amazon

To be honest, I didn't actually have the chance to read this when I was a kid. I actually read it my senior year of high school in French class, but it was no less impactful because of that. Rather than summarize the whole story here, I strongly recommend you go watch the new Netflix original of it because it's adorable and lovely. In short, it's the retelling by a pilot of his encounter with a little prince while he was stranded in the desert and the lessons he learned about what's truly important in life.

My personal favorite quote from this book, and one that has stuck with me since we read it with Madame Pace (who by the way, is an absolute saint and one of my favorite teachers that I've ever had) is, "Voici mon secret. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essential est invisible pour les yeux." This translates roughly to "Here is my secret. It is very simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible for the eyes." What a great message to send to children and even young people going off to college as the case may be.

10/10 étoiles (stars)

4. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Photo from Amazon

Odds are you've probably read this one. It's a classic that's been around for more than 50 years. There are many different ways to interpret this story but I always viewed it as the tree playing a motherly role to the boy. The boy goes to the Giving Tree throughout different stages in his life and she happily provides everything the boy needs until she is merely a stump. But even then, when the boy returns as an old man, all he needs is quiet place to sit and rest, which she still provides.

I think it reminds children that their parents will always be there to love them and to be a resource when they need it. I could be totally mistaken, but I always viewed it as a reminder that my parents will always be there to help me out. Maybe I'm just lucky because my parents have been around to help me whenever I've needed it (Thanks mom and dad!)

9/10 apples

5. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Photo from Amazon

Ok you probably know this one too, but it definitely impacted me when I was young. The story of The Lorax is essentially a commentary on commercialism and the importance of caring for the environment. I honestly think it's part of the reason I'm more conscious of my impact on the environment and do my best to reduce my footprint. Ultimately, the thing that has stuck with me from this book is the Once-ler's realization that, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." This is so important to keep in mind in so many ways, but especially in the current political environment (please, please, please vote)

9/10 Truffula trees

6. Love You Forever written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Sheila McGraw

Photo from Amazon

This one tugs at the heartstrings. It's about a boy and his mother and each night the mother sings him a lullaby, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living, My baby you'll be." No matter what he's done during the day to bother her or cause trouble and now matter how old he gets, she still comes to sing the lullaby to him. Eventually the tables turn, and the mother gets old and frail, so the boy visits her and sings the lullaby to her. He even changes the words slightly to suit the reversed roles. It's implied that the mother then passes away and he goes on to sing the song to his own daughter. It's adorable and full of love. No matter how old I get, I always have that quote memorized. I don't fully know why, but it definitely stuck. In any case, shoutout to my parents again. You guys are the best!

8/10 lullabies

What children's books have left an impact on your life?

I know I'll be sharing these with my kids someday, and I can only hope they can get as much good out of them as I have.

What is this?

Hi! Welcome to Book 'em! My name is Ali and I'm a musician interested in books because I hope to someday open a bookstore that doubles as a performance venue.

I'm currently a senior at the University of Northern Iowa studying performing arts management and marketing. I chose to study this because I've always loved music and singing; I've been singing since I was a kid and truly haven't stopped since then. It's always been something that I've enjoyed, but never really something I wanted to do for a living until I found performing arts management. Rather than be in the spotlight, I get to shine the spotlight on others, but I still get the luxury of enjoying the music and being a part of the industry.

Once I got to college, I knew that my endgame was to run a performance venue, but along the way, the idea of a bookstore came to fruition. I've always loved to read, from my very first book I ever read (My Messy Room by Mary Packard) to my obsession with The Magic Treehouse series (which peaked in second grade with Tonight on the Titanic, obviously) to, of course, Harry Potter (I hear Hufflepuff is going to put up a real fight for the House Cup this year).

via GIPHY

I love to consume books, and have been known to binge when something's really that good (most recently it was We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson), and even more so, I love to share books and music with others.

Seriously, read this! I couldn't put it down
Photo from Goodreads

It wasn't until this summer when my hometown finally got our first bookstore that I even considered it as a possibility, but I quickly came to realize that it would be something I would just fully enjoy. During the day, it could be a meeting place for children and adults alike to read, converse, and maybe even drink coffee, but in the evenings, I could have live shows featuring performers I love and maybe even having an emphasis on local artists. In doing this, I could combine two of my loves: good books and quality music.

So that's what brings me here today. This will be a place where I share what I'm enjoying, what I think you might like, and maybe even get a glimpse into what it's like to put on a show or get some insight from local artists.

In short, I want to share what to Book from authors to artists, and I hope you'll come along with me.

If you want to easily keep up, you can also follow me on Twitter and Goodreads