Tag Archives: books

Looking for Alaska

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Happy Banned Books Week!

One challenged title that’s near and dear to my heart is Looking for Alaska by John Green. Alaska follows Miles Halter as he starts his junior year at Culver Creek Preparatory School. For the first time Miles has friends, and life after meeting The Colonel, Alaska, and Takumi will never be the same. I Love this book. Love with a capital L.

In 2008, the book was challenged by community members near Buffalo, New York who were upset that the book was on an 11th grade reading list at Depew High School. John Green took to his popular vlog, that he runs with his brother Hank, to address the controversy.   


Fortunately, The Depew School Board voted unanimously to keep Looking for Alaska in the curriculum. Yay for intellectual freedom!

If you’d like to read Looking for Alaska, or any of John Green’s books (seriously, you should!), you can find them in the teen section of the library.

John Green with me and the library’s teen group, TLAB

~Courtney

Rachel’s Banned Book of Choice

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A Wrinkle in Time won the Newbery Medal in 1963. It is a book filled with magic, mystery, and adventure, but the very core of it is the simple quest of a girl wanting nothing more than to find her father- a scientist who disappears after working on a mysterious project involving a wormhole technology (tesseract).

Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin travel to the planet Uriel. On this planet everything is good. While there, they discover, among other things, that the Universe is being attacked by a monster called the Black Thing. The Black Thing captured Meg’s father and took him to the planet Camazotz, which is dominated by a disembodied brain called IT. As Meg and her companions travel the universe she struggles with herself and her fears to a culmination packed with excitement.

Doesn’t sound like such a bad book, does it? Despite the elements of loyalty, friendship, love, and honor it has been suspect of satanic implications due to the use of magic and witchcraft and endorsing ‘New Age’ religions thanks to crystal balls, telepathy, and mystical elements in the story. Despite this, A Wrinkle in Time is still standing as a classic, groundbreaking work within fantasy and science fiction genres and an empowering book for young readers.

~Rachel

Theresa’s Banned Book of Choice

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GONE WITH THE WIND…

The book that comes to mind during Banned Books Week is Gone with the Wind.  I have read it several times and find that I can’t believe someone could possibly write a book this good.   However, as with most classics there is criticism.  In several articles that I have read about this book it is because of the terminology and the way certain people are perceived in the book.  Books can’t jump off the shelf and make you read them.  You can pick them up, read them or leave them on the shelf unopened.  The only time a book has any strength is when the reader reads the book and then forms their own opinion.  Writing a book takes a certain amount of creativity and hard work to get to the point where it makes sense and captures what the author is trying to articulate.  I have never attempted to write a book, but I would assume it is a very hard, but passionate thing to do.  Here is what is written about the book from the website along with other banned books, www.bannedbooksweek.org/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica.

Banned Books That Shaped America 

 Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, 1936

The Pulitzer-prize winning novel (which three years after its publication became an Academy-Award Winning film) follows the life of the spoiled daughter of a southern plantation owner just before and then after the fall of the Confederacy and decline of the South in the aftermath of the Civil War. Critically praised for its thought-provoking and realistic depiction of ante- and postbellum life in the South, it has also been banned for more or less the same reasons. Its realism has come under fire, specifically its realistic portrayal – though at times perhaps tending toward optimistic — of slavery and use of the words “nigger” and “darkies.”

So really what we are talking about is the freedom to read what we want and to have our own opinions about what we read.

~Theresa

Tim’s Top 10 Banned Books

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Banned Books Week: 9/30 through 10/6

This week marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week across the country. Libraries, Bookstores, Journalists, and Book Lovers all join together to celebrate the freedom to read whatever you want! Did you know that there have been over 10,000 challenges to books since 1990? On average, that’s about 500 challenges a year to books in libraries and schools! Surprisingly, the Harry Potter series has been near the top of the list of the most challenged books in the country since it was released.

Books can be challenged for many reasons, including sexual content, offensive language, violence, or occult themes (what Harry Potter is normally accused of). Librarians feel that open access to books and knowledge is an integral part of any open society. You may not agree with the message or the content of a book, but that does not mean the book should be banned. We all have the freedom to read what we want, but we also have the freedom to NOT read what we don’t agree with or what doesn’t appeal to our taste.

Here are my Top 10 favorite Banned Books:

10. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
9. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
8. The Giver by Lois Lowry
7. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
6. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
5. 1984 by George Orwell
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
2. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
1. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

All of these books have been challenged over the past twenty years in this country. As you can see, any book can be challenged at any point, whether it is a classic or even a famous children’s title. Any reading list without Banned Books is not only missing out on some great literature, but is missing out on the opportunity to understand the different cultures, people, and the world around us. Celebrate the freedom to read this week and pick up your favorite Banned Book or try a new one from my list.

We want to know what your favorite Banned Books are! Leave a comment below.

~Tim

Banned Books Week 2012

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Banned Books Week is Sunday, September 30 – Saturday, October 6, 2012. 

Books are banned for all sorts of reasons. Should people be able to ban books, or should everyone have the freedom to choose what they want to read?

Your library supports your freedom to read. Check out this video, by many of your favorite library staff members:


What’s your favorite banned book? Why was it banned, and what is it your favorite?

Apocalyptic Books

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There’s nothing like the End. Pestilence. Famine. War. Rumors of the war. I love a good apocalypse story (this is probably a character defect) and fortunately, the Library indulges my curiosity. Here are some good reads along those lines.

Chalcot Crescent by Fay Weldon

Set in present day London, Weldon’s novel is an interesting look into family dynamics set against a backdrop of economic collapse and a rising fascist government.

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

This non-fiction work asks the question: what would happen to the planet – to our cities, homes, pets, the built and natural environments – if humans suddenly disappeared. Weisman explores geology, climate, evolution and other disciplines for a fascinating glimpse into the world without us.

World Made by Hand and The Witch of Hebron by James Howard Kunstler

Both of these novels by acclaimed social critic and peak-oil proponent James Howard Kunstler are set in a small upstate New York town. The residents of Union Grove learn to thrive when they are suddenly forced to live without gasoline, cars and the other modern comforts of suburbia. His novels are a bit didactic at times, which leads me to also suggest that you read Kunster’s non-fiction, especially The Geography of Nowhere (where the didacticism is more appropriate).

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

In The Road, Cormac McCarthy, with his standard magnificent prose, offers a chilling vision of humanity’s worst impulses and basest behaviors as a father and son struggle to survive the aftermath of a massive nuclear disaster. Makes for a terrifying and compelling read.

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller

One of my favorite books, Walter Miller’s one-hit-wonder chronicles events within the monastic community called the Albertian Order of Leibowitz located in the desert of (what was once) New Mexico. Comprised of three parts, this classic work of science fiction explores issues of violence, identity, power, epistemology, and religious belief.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

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I finally got around to reading the classic science fiction novel Ender’s Game. In the book, young Ender Wiggin is taken off-planet to a military training school for highly gifted children. At the school he participates in mock battles in the zero gravity Battle Room. He also plays strange and difficult strategy games on his ‘desk,’ something like a tablet computer.

When Ender’s Game first came out in 1985 it won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award. Ender’s Game became the first in a long series of books with sequels, prequels, short stories, Ender comic books published by Marvel, even an Authorized Ender Companion book.  

Ender’s Game is now being made into a movie with a cast including Ben Kingsley and Harrison Ford. Production has wrapped, and the movie is scheduled to be released on Nov. 1, 2013. You can learn more about the movie from the on-set blog. Or in movie news from Cinema Blend. They’re full of spoilers, though, so if you’re going to read the book, do that first! (Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.) Ender’s Game is kept in the teen fiction and also the regular fiction section. Of course, feel free to ask us to show you where it is.

Do you suppose the Harry Potter phenomenon helped set a film making climate to make Ender’s Game a movie – a movie many kids will see – now, decades after the book came out? As a big fan of Harry Potter, I see similarities between Ender’s Game and the Harry Potter series. Tough situations, kids being bullied by kids who are relatives, being whisked away to a training school, manipulative adults, bonding with fellow students to overcome great odds, life-and-death battles…

The first Harry Potter book came out in 1997. Do you think Jo Rowling may have read Ender’s Game and added it to the swirl of influences that created Harry’s magical world? She was 20 when it came out. You can ponder those questions if you like, and leave your opinion in the comments below.

~Jan

Maureen’s Favorite Books From 2012… So Far

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Since we’re already over halfway through 2012 (and HOW did that happen?), I thought I’d talk a little bit about the books I’ve enjoyed so far this year.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: I find it difficult to talk rationally about this book, because I love it so much. It’s not necessarily for everyone, but it’s amazing. It begins with the narrative of a young British woman captured by the Gestapo during World War II. I can’t tell you anything else, or I’ll spoil it, but it’s all about friendship and trust and bravery. If you manage to get through it without needing tissues, I’ll be highly surprised. (For a lot more about this book, see here: http://bysinginglight.wordpress.com/tag/code-name-verity/)

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan: If you’ve ever thought that vampire stories are cool in theory, but not so much in real life, this might be the book for you! This hilarious and slightly snarky book explores what might happen if a vampire actually attended high school. But it also unexpectedly moving, as our narrator has to face her own prejudices when her best friend falls in love with the vampire.

The Book of Blood & Shadow by Robin Wasserman: a YA thriller, complete with secret societies and international travel. The teenage angst is the icing on the cake. Actually, though, this is a great quick read and has enough heart (and smarts) to keep it from feeling too fluffy. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a heart-pounding read.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman: It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. The writing is pitch perfect from the beginning and I loved the setting, with its cosmopolitan feel and different groups interacting. It also manages to feel both fresh and comfortingly old-fashioned. It’s a book I would have absolutely adored as a teenager and liked a lot now. Plus, DRAGONS!

So far 2012 has been a great year for books—hopefully that trend will continue!

~Maureen

Back to School

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BACK. TO. SCHOOL.

These three words mean many different things to many different people. For kids, it’s a mixed bag: some are excited, others hesitant, others filled with overwhelming rage. On the other hand, most parents are ready to drop their kids off in the morning on the first day, and then take themselves out for a celebratory breakfast, to congratulate each other for surviving another summer with their children. Teachers are polishing off the last of the summertime wine, and trudging back to the classroom to put up happy looking bulletin boards, whether they like it or not.

Back to school time means many different things to library staff as well. For people working at the front desk, there is a chance that they could be crushed by the amount of end-of-the-summer returned items. I don’t think a tower of toppling books ever crossed your mind as a work hazard, did it? The children’s staff looks forward to August and September, when they can take a bit of a breather from the Summer Reading madness, make sure the books are in order, and dust off the textbooks for the kids who left their math books in their lockers and have homework due yesterday.

In Area-T, the fabulous space for teens that we have created, the insanity is just beginning! Summertime in the teen room is fairly laid back. We have many well-attended programs, and many people stop by for books, but nothing compares to the swell of 13-18 year-olds that fill Area-T after school on a daily basis.

Last school year, there were upwards of 45-50 kids hanging out, using the computers, playing video games, reading, making crafts, playing board games, and goofing off on a regular basis…meaning Monday through Friday, from 2:35 until they have to leave for dinner.

During the renovation in September 2011, Area-T moved from the corner of the library to an enclosed area, so the kids can talk in normal voices, play games, have fun, but not disturb the other patrons.  As seeing 50 kids in a closed-off room in the library can be exciting for some, the sight is intimidating to others…especially kids who are new library patrons, new to Plainfield, or even younger teens that are new to middle school. Most of the time I’m intimidated by seeing a million kids in there! However, after teens stop by and hang out once or twice, they have the opportunity to make friends that they wouldn’t normally make and have a blast. There is always a staff member at the Area-T desk after school, so teens can ask any questions that they have without even leaving the room!

Speaking on behalf of the teen staff, we want everyone to know that we want any teen in Plainfield, especially kids who are new 6th graders, to stop by and check out our space on Thursday, August 16th, from 3pm-8pm, for our Area-T Open House. We want to have the chance to show everyone our space, and give folks the lowdown on how much Area-T has to offer for the teens of Plainfield. There will be a quick craft to make, as well as free paperback books while they last! See you there!

~~Michelle

Steampunk

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Recently, I’ve discovered an exciting sub-genre. (Who, other than a librarian, would write that sentence?!) Combining elements of science fiction, historical fiction and a healthy amount of antiquated technology, Steampunk is a genre full of adventure, exotic locales and airships.

You might like Steampunk if you enjoy the original science fiction (by authors like Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Mary Shelley), have a thing for the Victorian and Edwardian eras, or enjoy technology driven adventures.

Here are some titles to get you started. 

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: A classic of the science fiction genre and surprisingly still forceful at 142 years old (it was published in 1870!), re-reading this book is a great way to kick-off a steampunk marathon.

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest: This fast-paced story is set within an alternate history of the American Civil War. A young boy ventures into a walled-off desolate city seeking to redeem his father’s name.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld This alternate history of the First World War centers on a fictional son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and girl from Scotland who dreams of entering the Royal Air Force.

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters and The Dark Volume by Gordon Dahlquist: Originally published as a serial, this exciting series follows the converging stories of an assassin, a socialite and doctor as they team up against a powerful cabal bent on world domination.

The Peshawar Lancers by S.M. Stirling: After a meteorite strikes northern Europe during the reign of Queen Victoria, most of the northern hemisphere becomes uninhabitable. European nobility and power relocate to their more southern colonies with India becoming the new center of the British Empire.

The Arcanum by Thomas Wheeler: When a serial killer with habit of ripping the spines out of his victims terrorizes New York City, H.P. Lovecraft, Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini team up to save the city.

Matthew