Happy St. Patrick's Day

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, here are a few links you may want to check out:

NPR Blog: Celebration of W. B. Yeats

Litagogo: Edna O'Brien

AbeBooks: 10 Most Expensive Books by Irish Writers

Reading Copy Book Blog (AbeBooks): Top 5 Leprechaun Books

Reading Copy Book Blog (AbeBooks): Top 10 Most Collectible Irish Books

St. Patrick's Day (Wikipedia)

Banned Books Week

Better late than never, I guess. The annual celebration sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) began on Saturday and runs through the rest of this week. I abhor censorship in all of its forms and so I look forward to this celebration each year. We have a display of frequently challenged/banned books in our library along with lists that patrons can pick up. I particularly enjoy talking with the patrons who come in and are shocked to see certain books on the list. I hear the same things every year. "Why is this on there?" "That's my favorite book!" "I remember reading that when I was little." So, I strike up a conversation and talk about how usually well-intentioned people find something offensive in the books and take it upon themselves to try to remove the book so that no one can access it.

Don't get me wrong, there are some things that I would not care to read for various reasons (other than poor writing). I don't shock easily, but I know of a few books that I would probably pass on. However, I know that there are some people who may enjoy reading the very book that I may find offensive. It doesn't give me the right to attempt to keep those people from reading that book. When it comes to children, their parents are the only ones who should decide what is or is not appropriate for them until they are old enough to make those decisions for themselves. As a democratic society, we should never fear information. Banning books is just ignorant.

There's only one thing I wish ALA would change about this yearly celebration -- the name. You'd be amazed at just how many people think that we're promoting banning books because of the name. Yes, the name does get your attention, but some people don't get it. So, I spend a great deal of time explaining to people that we're promoting freedom to read -- not censorship.

Here are a few links for you to check out if you're interested.

ALA Banned Books Week

Banned Books Online

Amnesty International Banned Books

Banned Books and Censorship

Book Burning (Wikipedia)

Book Burning (Nazis)

Book Burning in the 21st Century

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

This was the July selection for The Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge. I've always been curious about this book because it can be found without fail on the books most often banned or challenged list each and every year. Because I hate censorship in all of its forms, I try to read as many of these books as possible. So, I was glad to see it on this list. Censorship is a touchy subject for many people. You either feel really strongly one way or the other about the issue. Sometimes the complaints about books are just down right silly. However, there is usually some well-intentioned person or group behind most challenges. They are just misguided in their attempts. The problem with censorship is it takes away the individual's right to choose for him or herself what to read and/or view. In the case of young children, this can be a tricky thing. In my opinion, there are some things that very young children shouldn't be exposed to. However, it is not my job or anyone else's job to decide what that is for ALL children. Instead, parents or caregivers should judge what is or is not appropriate for their children. We all tend to be egocentric and assume that everyone else shares our same values, morals, and religious beliefs. But, that is simply not the case. What one parent finds highly offensive, another parent may not find offensive at all. Censorship is just a slippery slope plain and simple. The funny thing is that these attempts at banning material usually serve to heighten interest in the book or video. I really believe that this is the case with The Chocolate War. It remains in print and popular simply because of the controversy surrounding it -- not because it is great writing.

To be very honest, I expected more from this book. It is not very well-written. I know Cormier was going for a gritty tale similar to The Outsiders. But, for me it just didn't work as well. The language and story line seemed forced. As to what people may object to in the book, there is some violence and many references to masturbation. It almost seems like the author was going for shock value by purposely including these scenes instead of concentrating on writing a good story and developing well-rounded characters.

The basic story is that of Jerry Renault and his experiences at a Catholic high school. Let's face it, high school can be a pretty bad place for many kids. Jerry is bullied, beaten up and shunned because he refuses to go along with the crowd. You're always going to find this, but there was just too much of it here to be believable. Even the teachers were sadistic in this school. There were few other adults in the book and no women to speak of.

I know this book has been popular for years, and I really have to believe that it's because of all the hype, not because it's a good book. Maybe I would have felt differently if I had read this as a teen, but I don't think so. I just wasn't captured by the characters or the storyline. There are plenty of good YA novels out there, but I don't think this one belongs in the same category with A Separate Peace or Lord of the Flies. The quality shouldn't suffer because the book is written for teens. C. S. Lewis wrote a great piece entitled "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," which discusses this very subject. It was his opinion, and I agree wholeheartedly, that authors should not set out to write a story for any particular audience or age group. Instead, the author should have something to say and then use the most appropriate form available to express it. So, if that happens to be a children's story, the author writes a children's story. If not, he writes something else. But, in either case, the quality should be the same. If you've never read this essay, you should read it, especially if you're an aspiring writer.

I'm glad I finally read this one, but I don't see myself ever reading it again. It's not because I was offended by the violence or all the references to masturbation. It simply isn't a very good book.

Lolita

I read this book for The Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge while on vacation last week. This was my first book by Nabokov or any Russian author for that matter. I was really excited to read it because I know how often this book has been banned and/or challenged over the years. I loathe censorship in any form and celebrate the freedom to read. So, I couldn't wait to see what all the fuss was about. The book is well-written but deals with an extremely disturbing subject matter.

The story involves a man who is a self-proclaimed pedophile (though he doesn't use the word). The story is told from his point of view, and the reader gets to see how he attempts to fight his demons. He knows what he's feeling and doing is wrong, but he doesn't seem to be able to stop himself. He ends up marrying a widow just so he can be near her young daughter -- I think she's 11 or 12 when he first comes on the scene. This is the Lolita of the title (her actual name is Dolores Haze). The young girl is rebellious and curious, and Humbert quickly takes advantage of the situation. After a freak accident that kills her mother, he assumes responsibility for her. Afraid that someone else will step in to take guardianship, he flees with Lolita and spends the next couple years traveling back and forth across the country. He has sex with her on a regular basis. He keeps her quiet through bribes of clothes and threats of being sent to a reformatory school. It's hard to imagine why she doesn't run away before she does, but she's a child who has just lost her mother and doesn't know where to turn for help.

The book left me with questions. I want to know more about Dolly (Lolita). We only get to hear from her through Humbert. I want to know what she's really thinking and feeling. I also want to know more about Humbert as a child growing up. What makes a person this way? Is there some kind of chemical imbalance in his brain? Was he sexually abused as a child? Nabokov writes in a very matter-of-fact way. Humbert is who he is, and he doesn't try to make excuses for him. This is a well-written book, but it's probably not for everyone.

Banned Books Display

Since I've been talking about our display, I thought I would post a couple of pictures. It's simple, but we've gotten quite a few people stopping by to take a look. One of my colleagues also gave out snacks as part of a "Taste of Banned Books" the last couple of days. She included oreos for And Tango Makes Three, muffins for In the Night Kitchen, and Hershey's kisses for The Chocolate War. The students liked it. Thanks, Cindy!



Photos by Jonathan

Get Your Head Out of the Sand

"People want to stick their heads in the sand." I overheard this comment from one of the members of the Class of 1957 as they toured the library this past weekend as part of the homecoming festivities. This one comment was worth the effort of putting up the display. I'm a firm believer in every person's right to free access to information. However, I have to admit that I was a little worried about our display of banned books. I just wasn't sure how some of our older alumni would react. It turns out that they were very interested in the issue. One book in particular caught their eye -- And Tango Makes Three. As I described in an earlier post, this is a children's book based on a true story about two male penguins who take turns sitting on an orphaned egg. I told them that book happened to be the book most often challenged or banned this year. After a few more minutes, they continued on their tour. It was as they headed upstairs that I overheard the comment about people sticking their head in the sand. Later on their way out of the building, several of them picked up bookmarks and copies of the banned books list. One of the women told me she was going to take one to her daughter who is a high school English teacher.

I don't really know what I expect when I put up the banned books display each year. I guess I just want people to understand that censorship is dangerous. It may not seem like a big deal if one book is removed from a library shelf or a school reading list. But, that's the way all civil liberties are eroded -- one small step at a time. So, it's time we get our heads out of the sand!

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

ALA attempts to keep track of the number of challenges to materials each year and posts the list on their website. The book that tops the list for 2006 is And Tango Makes Three, which is a children's book about two male penguins that take turns sitting on an egg at the zoo. The book is based on a true story that occurred at the Central Park Zoo in 1998. The complaint made regarding the book claims that it promotes homosexuality. In reality, the book simply tells a true story about cute chinstrap penguins that most children will find entertaining. You can see the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2006 here.

According to ALA, the number of books challenged in 2006 was 546, which is 30% higher than the total for 2005. The mid-1990s saw challenges topping over 750. It's important to keep in mind that these are just the challenges that are reported. There are many more challenges that go unreported each year for various reasons. Another interesting point regarding challenges is the fact that many people making complaints have never read the book or have not read the entire book. They are simply going on hearsay or passages taken out of context.

It's no surprise that the front-runner for most challenged book for 2007 is another children's book, The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, which won the Newberry Medal for the best children's book of the year. The complaints regarding Ms. Patron's book are based on one anatomically-correct word used early in the story.

With a few unfortunate exceptions, most people want to protect children. As a parent myself, I have always wanted to protect my children from harm. However, well-intentioned protection can quickly turn into sheltering, which is not healthy. Children have to be taught to deal with reality in a world that is quickly becoming more diverse on a daily basis. No matter what we do, they are going to be faced with situations that we may personally find offensive or that are in contradiction to our values and beliefs. I've found that the best way to handle those situations is to be honest and open with children and let them know that there are many different people in the world and that they are going to have to learn to live among and work with them.

As always, this is just one librarian's opinion. Thankfully, we still live in a country in which we are all entitled to that basic human right.

Banned Books Week

It's that time of year once again. The American Library Association (ALA) sponsors Banned Books Week annually the last week of September. This year the celebration is September 29 to October 6. Since its inception in 1982, Banned Books Week has reminded us that "while not every book is right for every reader, each of us has the right to decide for ourselves what to read, listen to or view."

I have been involved with setting up displays and planning events for Banned Books Week for the last several years. During this time, I have not had a single complaint regarding the appropriateness of the books on display. The comment that I hear most often is something along the lines of "Why are you banning those books?" After thinking about it, it does sound like we are advocating banning books. Librarians and booksellers take it for granted that everyone knows that we're in favor of free access to information. However, that's not the case, at all. People don't always know where we stand because we fail to tell them. Of course, I can't speak for all librarians. This is how I see the matter.

For clarification, challenges are an attempt to remove material from public use, thereby restricting access for everyone. The last word is the key. Who gets to decide for me what I read? Think about it. Who gets to decide for you what you read? We take this right for granted, but we can't really afford to do that. Civil liberties are eroded a little at a time so that it isn't really noticeable. Then one day, it's too late to do anything about it. So, you don't think things like that happen anymore? What would the people in Afghanistan say? How about Cuba? O.K., I can hear what you're thinking. Not in the United States, right? Wrong! It happens all the time. It is usually on a small scale, but it happens.

While a challenge is an attempt to remove a book from access, a ban is when that attempt is successful, and a book is removed from the shelves. Censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves. For children, decisions about what books to read should be made by the people who know them best -- parents. However, parents should only have the right to choose for their own children. They shouldn't be allowed to make decisions that affect everyone's children.

American libraries are the cornerstones of democracy. Libraries are for everyone, everywhere. Because libraries provide free access to a world of information, they bring opportunity to all people. We can't allow any individual or group to choose for a whole community what is or isn't appropriate. There are too many different cultures, values, and ways of life to pretend that this is possible. Now, more than ever, celebrate the freedom to read @ your library! Elect to read an old favorite or a new banned or challenged book. Come by the library on Thursday, September 27th to view a display featuring books that have been frequently challenged or banned, pick up free bookmarks and enter a drawing.