Fact Friday Banned Books Week Edition: This Day in June by Gayle E. Pittman

Image: Magination Press

This Day in June by Gayle E. Pittman PhD. Illustrated by Kristyna Litten. unpgd. Magination Press/ APA, 2014. 978-1-4338-1658-1.

Fact Friday Banned Books Week edition features This Day in June by Gayle E. Pittman PhD. This informational picture book for all ages is a story in rhyme that takes place at a Pride parade and is joyously illustrated by Kristyna Litten. Back matter includes facts about LGBTQ history as well as discussion points for guiding acceptance and respect for differences. Half of the top ten books that were banned or challenged in 2018 were because of LGBTQ content. Let's celebrate our freedom to read and work to understand and respect other points of view.

#tbt Banned Books Week Edition: Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Image: Scholastic

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. 144 p. Scholastic Inc., September, 1997. (Own)

#tbt features The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. In September of 1997, Captain Underpants burst on the scene with main characters, George and Harold causing hilarious mayhem around their elementary school much to the dismay of the principal, Mr. Krupp. The original series was done in black and white interior illustrations. In 2013, the series was reissued in color.

Captain Underpants grew into a twelve-book series, with several spin-off series, most notably, Dog Man. It is an international best seller which has been translated into over 30 languages and adapted for film.  It hit the list of most banned and challenged books in 2013 and 2014. In 2018, it was number three on the list. The reason for challenging? The series encourages children to misbehave as well for depicting a same-sex couple in one of the books.

Tra-la-la! Celebrate your freedom to read!

Teen Tuesday Banned Books Week Edition: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Image: HarperCollins

Teen Tuesday Banned Books Week Edition features The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Thomas' searing debut hit the New York Times bestseller list immediately and stayed there for a year. It also won numerous awards including the Morris Award, Coretta Scott King Author Award and a Printz Honor. it was published in 2017 and was a top ten challenged book in 2017. In 2018, it was the fourth most challenged book of the year for its mature themes, language and criticism of law enforcement. Both of my school library copies are falling apart from use. It's an eighth grade favorite! Check out my review here.

Middle Grade Monday Banned Books Week Edition: George by Alex Gino

Image: Bannedbooksweek.orghttps://bannedbooksweek.org/

Image: Scholastic

George by Alex Gino. 224 p. Scholastic Inc., August, 2015. 9780545812542. (Own)

The last week of September is designated as Banned Books Week in the U.S. by the American Library Association to call attention to the fact that each year, books are challenged, burned and banned. Middle Grade Monday features George by Alex Gino. George was Gino's debut novel and was published in 2015. (Click here for my review of the arc.) It is the story of a fourth grader who wants to be cast as Charlotte in the school play. It is one of the first novels to feature a transgender character in middle grade fiction and, for that reason was one of the top ten banned or challenged book of 2016 and 2017. It was #1 for 2018.

Reading should be a matter of choice. Individuals may choose not to read a book for any reason. If you are a child, your parent may limit the type of book you are allowed to read. Individuals may not and should not demand the removal of books or limit access to materials for others. Celebrate your freedom to read.

Fact Friday: It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris

It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris. 96 p. Candlewick Press, July, 1994. 9780763634330.

Fact Friday features It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris. This informational book about the changes the human body undergoes from birth through adulthood has been challenged so many times since its publication in 1994 that it landed #12 on the most challenged books of the decade from 2000 - 2009. 

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. Illustrated by Henry Cole. unpgd. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, April, 2005. 9780689878459.

#tbt features a picture book that has been at or near the top of every "Most Frequently Challenged" list since its publication in 2005. It is the true story of Roy and Silo, two male chin strap penguins who resided at the Central Park Zoo. They were a bonded pair and their keeper would notice that they would attempt to hatch stones. When he found an abandoned egg, he gave it to them to hatch. The two tended the egg and its hatchling, who was named Tango. This lovely story about what makes a family was written by  Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell and illustrated by Henry Cole. 

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday usually focuses on upcoming books that I am eager to read and share. I cannot possibly predict which upcoming book might be challenged or banned. Considering that 5 of the 10 top ten challenged books have lgbtq characters, future books with lgbtq characters might find themselves on the list. Thankfully, that does not deter authors from telling a story. Remember, we need mirrors and windows in our literature. It is our choice, as readers, which stories we want to spend time with. If a story does not speak to you, close the book. If a story offends you, close the book. Someone once said, a great library has something to offend everyone. We all should enjoy our right to read. Many more than ten books were challenged and/ or banned in 2016. Other reasons for challenging or banning a book are: profanity, violence, risky choices such as drinking or drug use, too sad, differing religious or political viewpoints and unsuited to age-group. Let's celebrate our freedom to read.

Middle Grade Monday: Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Drama by Raina Telgemeier. 240 p. Scholastic Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., September, 2012. 9780545326995.

Since 1982, the last week of September has been designated by the American Library Association as Banned Books Week. It is a campaign to raise awareness about the hundreds of books that are challenged and/ or banned in school and public libraries each year. Each title highlighted in the daily booktalks this week will feature a title which has appeared on lists of frequently banned/ challenged books. 

Middle Grade Monday features Drama by Raina Telgemeier. This graphic novel about a middle school girl named Callie who joins Drama Club, has crushes and makes new friends was #2 on last year's ten most challenged books. The reason cited was the presence of two gay characters. Telgemeier was quoted as saying, "finding your identity whether gay or straight is a huge part of middle school." Books are both mirrors and windows. Readers should be able to find people like themselves in books. They should also read about others, other races, other cultures and other identities in an effort to appreciate the diverse world we live in.