Happy First Week of Fall (and almost start of Banned Books Week)!

Hello my fellow bookworms,

Fall is upon us! Last Monday marked the start of a new season, and while some of the weather still has some remnants of summer, the cool mornings and evenings definitely feel like autumn. The leaves are starting to change colors, our pets are happier walking in the cool breeze, and the weather is perfect to find a good spot in nature and read! Also, today is National Coffee Day, so I hope you had some reading and coffee sipping time to yourself today!

Photo by ALA

This upcoming October 5th - 11th marks Banned Books Week! This year's theme is "Censorship Is So 1984. Read For Your Rights." It is a theme taken from George Orwell's cautionary tale 1984, a warning about the dangers of censorship, while also reminding us that the right to read belongs to all of us, so defend your right to do so! While many of the top challenged books for 2024 are similar to those of previous years, the week is a reminder to not allow censorship to influence your views. It is important to have items in the public that you may not agree with, whether it be politics, religion, or just a world point-of-view, in order to broaden your own horizon, your viewpoint, and to allow for open discussion. If we were in a world where we all thought and talked the same, how boring would that be? Open discourse is what drives us to strive for more, brings upon change and innovation, and teaches us new things each day. 

Below are the top 10 most challenged books of 2024, along with an updated information page, detailing the statistics and censorship trends. 

Photo by ALA

Photo by ALA

I was reading a very informative post by librarian Judi Moreillon online, which listed ways the community could become involved themselves with this week. If you are interested in participating in Banned Books Week, aside from reading books that are/were challenged and supporting your local pubic library, you could also:

• Sign up for the weekly post from the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom (www.oif.ala.org)
• Sign online petitions and write letters to representatives, schools, and public library boards
• Advocate online using the hashtags: 
• #BannedBooksWeek 
• #DefendResearch
• #FreeSpeech
• #FirstAmendment
• #IntellectualFreedom
• #UniteAgainstBookBans
• Attend a Banned Books Week Event (https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/public-school-strong-partnership-will-connect-banned-books-week-events-to-advocates-nationwide/)
• Volunteer with the American Library Association
• ALA Council Intellectual Freedom Committee: www.ala.org/alsc/aboutalsc/coms/pg1childadv/als-if
• ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom: https://www.oif.ala.org/
• ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/
• Authors Against Book Bans: https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com/
• Defend Research: https://defendresearch.org
• EveryLibrary: https://www.everylibrary.org/
• For the People: https://www.librariesforthepeople.org
• Freedom to Read Foundation: https://www.ftrf.org/
• Intellectual Freedom Round Table: www.ala.org/ifrt
• PEN America: https://pen.org/
• Unite Against Book Bans: https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/
• United for Libraries: www.ala.org/united
• We Need Diverse Books: https://www.diversebooks.org/

Some fun book news:

• Do you know someone who is blind, but enjoys to listen to movies and television? I just found out about this neat website run by volunteers called AudioVault. The website requires a login to download any materials and you are limited to 25 a day. Each item is uploaded by volunteers, some of whom are the ones providing the audio description! The website makes it easy for those who cannot see to hear their favorite shows or movies with the audio descriptions narrating along with the actors. AudioVault also tries to upload entire series, so it is easy to continue to binge listen. 

• Reading Rainbow is returning! The new host is none other than *insert drumroll here* MYCHAL THREETS! I personally think this is so cool, first to reboot a favorite show and also one of my school's alumni librarians will be hosting it! :D

• If you enjoy authors Ali Hazelwood, Christina Lauren, J.T. Geissinger, Ruby Dixon, Katee Robert, and/or Kimberly Lemming (all fantastic romance/science fiction/fantasy authors!), there is a new Amazon Original Stories section where each author wrote a creepy romantic fantasy novella! It is a series titled Scared Sexy, available free to Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited members! If you are not a member of either, you can still buy the entire collection for $5.94 online from Amazon. 

• As of this month, the Associated Press is no longer offering weekly book reviews. More details here. 

• If you remember reading The Baby-sitters Club, you'll be happy to hear there will be an official Baby-sitters Club Musical, with a score composed by the same composer of K-Pop Demon Hunters! I'm excited for it - if it is anything like the trending movie, we will be bopping to new music (that is hopefully faithful to the books)! Read more here from Deadline.

I am thinking of using Substack as a way to post in-between things and blog updates. What do you think? Do any of you have a Substack and like the experience?

I am currently reading Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto. I am enjoying it, as a music lover and romance novel enthusiast. What are you reading this lovely fall season? Anything you look forward to? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time - Happy Reading! :)

Happy Halloween and National Book Month Bookworms!

Happy Halloween my fellow bookworms!

I hope that wherever you are, you are having fun and are safe, enjoying the holiday and all it has to offer. 

Photo by Kaboompics.com from Pexels

I am at that point in school where I am almost finished! I hope to go back to book reviews soon. :)

Happy National Book Month, too! October is the month that promotes the importance of reading, writing, and literature - although you probably celebrate this all year long, anyway!

In the meantime, I would like to share some book news with you:

• LibraryTok is a community of librarian creators who utilize the social media platform in order to show behind the scenes of what happens at the library. How cool is that?! 

• Banned Books week has passed in September, but October 19th was Freedom to Read Day of Action. It was one more day to tell our local government to stop censorship and to help back libraries all over the United States. 
• Even though that day has passed, as well, you can still celebrate the joy of reading in many other ways! Check out these really cool nail artists, as seen on the nail polish newsletter from Holo Taco, and their book nail art!



(c) Holo Taco & @silieol_nails, 2024



(c) Holo Taco & @nailswithmemaw, 2024



(c) Holo Taco & @0716shivi, 2024

• Other ways you can help your local libraries include:
• Get a library card 
• And use it!
• Talk to your friends and family
• Use your library! 
• There are so many events to attend and items to check out, go see what is new!
• Join your Friends of the Library Organization 
• A non-profit organization that helps your local library with book sales and funding programs!
• Donate to your local library
• Volunteer at your local library
• a.k.a. donate your time!
• Use social media to spread awareness of book banning and censorship, in addition to talking about how great your library is!

• Some cool, new adaptations are in the works, including:
• Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries will get a third movie
• A Netflix Pride and Prejudice series
• Frieda McFadden's The Housemaid will have a movie adaptation
• Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart will have a television adaptation
• Rebecca F. Kuang's Yellowface has been optioned for a series adaptation

• Pizza Hut gave out 1 million free pizzas to readers to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Book It! Program. I loved this program as a child! I am so happy that it continues to bring happiness to other children (and free pizza, too)!

• With the U.S. election day on the horizon, you may feel overwhelmed. A great escape is to look for geocaches! Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt that uses a GPS or app on your phone to find hidden containers called "geocaches." You can even hide one yourself! Check out this nifty blog post by Cache Advance to see how geocaching can help you find a little relief from everyday stress. 

That is all I have for now. This year has gone by very quickly and busily. What is something you look forward to next month? I look forward to new movies and the beautiful fall weather.

Until next time bookworms! Happy Reading!

Freed Between the Lines! (Banned Books Week, Sept 22nd - Sept 28th)

Hi my fellow bookworms,

This month marks the annual Banned Books Week, beginning on Sunday, September 22, 2024 through Saturday, September 28, 2024. The theme this year, as stated by the American Library Association ("ALA"), is Freed Between the Lines. What a great way to promote the freedom to read!

A few statistics, from the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom ("OIF") to breakdown this past year's challenges on banned books (and it has been a year!):

• Challenges of unique titles surged 65% in 2023, compared to 2022

• This past year had the highest level of challenges ever recorded by the ALA

(c) ALA, 2024

• OIF documented 4,240 unique book titles for censorship
  
  
• There were 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources in 2023
• Groups and individuals demanding the censorship of multiple titles, often dozens to hundreds at a time, started this uptick in challenged materials

• Public libraries were targeted more, in addition to school libraries, in 2023 than previous years

• Titles tagged for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% in 2023, accounting for approximately 46% of all book challenges in 2023

• 76% of items challenged were books and graphic novels, 5% displays, 4% access (bomb threats, library closures), 4% hate crimes (vandalism, theft of materials representing marginalized groups), 3% programs, 2% films, and 6% other

• School libraries saw an 11% increase in challenged materials, compared to 2022

• In total, 54% of censorship attacks attack public libraries, 30% attack school libraries, 5% schools, and 2% higher education/other

• 47% of the censorship attempts targeted LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals

• The highest groups initiating censorship attempts have been patrons, or those who visit the library, with 28% of censorship attempts, followed by 24% parents, and 21% pressure groups

• Attempts to censor more than 100 titles were recorded in the following 17 U.S. states:
• Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin

(c) ALA, 2024

How does ALA compile its data? Through book challenge reports filed by library professionals throughout the United States, in addition to news stories. This doesn't cover all the data required for a full picture, though, as some reports never make it to ALA, so the above is

just a snapshot of the censorship that occurred over the previous year. 

So, what is a challenge? ALA states that 

"A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict access to materials or services based upon the objections of a person or group. A challenge to a title may result in access to it being retained, restricted, or withdrawn entirely" (n.d.). 

Previous book challenges have resulted in a book intended for a younger audience being removed from that section and placed in an older section of the library, requiring a parent's permission, being given a rating warning, or even requiring an older age to check the book out. These challenges are an attempt to remove materials from the public view, removing the public's ability to access them, their views, their ideas, their voices. (I'm imagining Ariel and Ursula as I write this.)

A formal challenge to a book means the start of a long process in which everyone involved with the library becomes involved, typically with the policy of the library and the library board who ultimately decides if the book meets the library's mission and criteria set in it's policy. ALA also states that

"A book is banned when it is entirely removed from a collection in response to a formal or informal challenge. Any reduction in access to library materials based on an individual or group's believe that they are harmful or offensive is an act of censorship" (n.d.). 

Here are the Top Ten Books that were challenged in 2023, along with their reasons why (You may see some repeat offenders from 2022):

(c) ALA, 2024

How can you help? 

• Check out the website Unite Against Book Bans, they have lots of ways to participate against censorship, as well as free tools to help you succeed in doing so.
• VOTE! This is an election year, we must make sure our votes count, so no more challenges or censorship continues - let's bring the above statistics back down!
• Read challenged books. Understand why they were challenged. Make your own decisions. Check out book resumes hosted on Unite Against Book Bans, if you do not have time to read all of them at the moment. 
• Attend your local library board and school board meetings. Make YOUR voice heard!
• Visit your library! If you don't have a library card yet, get one - they're free! You can check so many more things out than just books, including music, audiobooks, movies, and sometimes, even technology (e.g., sewing machines or VHS to DVD converters)!
  
• Create your own Little Free Library and offer challenged books for those in your community to read.
• Read the ALA's Intellectual Freedom Blog to stay up-to-date on all things banned books related.
• Alert ALA of any book ban attempts in your community through the OIF office.
• Sign on the Freedom to Read Statement, and state your support in the belief of the freedom to read!

I support everyone's right to read. Until next time, I hope you "Freed Between the Lines!" 

Happy reading (banned books)! :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

ALA. (n.d.). Book ban data. https://www.ala.org/bbooks/book-ban-data

United Against Book Bans. (n.d.). Get involved. https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/get-involved/ 

Banned Books Week! (October 1st - 7th)

Hello my fellow bookworms,

Happy Banned Books Week to you! This upcoming week marks an important time for libraries and schools to remind everyone how important it is to be able to have the freedom to read - hence for this year's theme, "Let Freedom Read!" 

(c) 2023 Banned Books Week

According to the Banned Books Week official webpage, the formal description of this week is as follows:

"Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Typically (but not always) held during the last week of September, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas."

The top 10 books that were challenged last year were:

1. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe 
1. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

2. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson 
1. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 
1. Reasons: depiction of sexual abuse, claimed to be sexually explicit, EDI content

4. Flamer by Mike Curato 
1. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

5. (TIE) Looking for Alaska by John Green 
1. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content

5. (TIE) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 
1. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, depiction of sexual abuse, drugs, profanity

7. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison 
1. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

8. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 
1. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity

9. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez 
1. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit

10. (TIE) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 
1. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit

10. (TIE) Crank by Ellen Hopkins 
1. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs

10. (TIE) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews 
1. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity

10. (TIE) This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson 
1. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit

How many of the above have you read? I've read two so far, and watched two movie versions of others. I read the backgrounds on all of them, but I think I am going to make it a point for each year to read at least one banned/challenged book going forward. I was lucky enough this past year to be able to read a poem from one of my favorite childhood books at the American Library Association conference - so you may see me on YouTube this week!

What else can you do to show your support?

• Check out the Celebrate Banned Books Week Handbook for ideas on how to celebrate!
  
• Attend your city’s local school board meetings and voice your concerns about book bans.
• Advocate for your local library! Sign up for a library card (if you don't already have one) and become an active visitor.
• Send emails to your local senators expressing your support for educators, librarians and booksellers.
• Read banned/challenged books and support the right to read!

Hope you have a wonderful week ahead full of interesting and fun books. Until next time - happy reading!

Happy Autumn Bookworms!

Hello my fellow bookworms!

Happy autumn, leaves changing, coffee and tea drinking, and sweater weather! It is the best time to read a book and enjoy the cooler air with a good cup of coffee (or tea, whichever is your preference).

I am in the middle of a really good book and will soon post a review! Want to know what it is about? Hint: Australia. Ecosystems. Animals. :)

In the meantime, it is a good time to talk about Banned Books Week. Typically held on the last week of September, this year's Banned Books Week is this week (September 27th through October 3rd)! The American Library Association (ALA) created Banned Books Week in 1982, as a response to the challenges books received in libraries, schools, and bookstores. Today, Banned Books Week brings together everyone in the book community to support the freedom to find and express ideas, no matter how unpopular the ideas may be. This year's theme is "Censorship is a dead end. Find your freedom to read!" If you are interested in more, or are curious what events are being held virtually, you can take a look at the Banned Books Week website here. Or, if you want to join in the fun and read a banned and/or challenged book, the ALA has posted a list for the most challenged books for the past decade, 2010-2019.

(c) American Library Association

As a bonus perk to end the week, the ALA is hosting a free watch party for Scary Stories Documentary, based on the series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. Join the Facebook event here and join in the fun this Friday, October 2, 2020! The event is limited to the first 100 viewers, so if you can't access the link, you can always watch the documentary through Amazon Prime, Tubi (free with ads), or by DVD through your local library.

If you are looking for a new movie-based-on-a-book to binge watch, may I suggest Netflix's adaptation of Enola Holmes? Based off of Nancy Springer's mystery series, Enola Holmes is based off of the first book in the series, The Case of the Missing Marquess. With such a great cast and story line, I am hoping Netflix continues the series!

As always, I like to promote access to your public library, and with that, you need a library card! September is also the month for signing up for a library card, as hosted by the ALA. This year, DC's Wonder Woman is making this her mission as Library Card Sign-up Month Honorary Chair. As Wonder Woman says (and the ALA), "Lasso a library card and find your super power!" If you are a librarian or help out with your local library, you can take part in promotional items on the ALA's website here.

In additional news, yesterday marked the first day of the YA Scavenger Hunt, an online scavenger hunt encouraging you to visit different young adult authors, read about new books, enter in contests for free books, and have fun. If you are an author and want to join in the fun, you can email the organizer and be a part of the next hunt!

I hope everyone is safe and healthy. Until next post!

B_nn_d B__ks?

It is that period of time between September 24 and September 30. Have you guessed it? 

It is Banned Books Week! 

Image from American Library Association Press Kit

The display at one of my local libraries to celebrate the awareness this week!

It is the time of the year that we can reflect and celebrate our access to information, why it is important, and to challenge those who challenge the right to read certain titles! Censorship is harmful to everyone, and books (and other media) continue to be banned and challenged even to today. Thanks to those who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read and enjoy such works, we have Banned Books week, an event that celebrates our freedom to read!

So why have certain books been challenged in the past? Some of the reasons have been due to gender roles, violence, religious viewpoints, racism, drugs, political viewpoints, LGBT, and inaccuracy. Who challenges the books? The two largest groups have been the people who buy and read them and also the parents of those who the books may influence (31% and 42%, respectively). 

The breakdown: 

Statistics and information per the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Here is a short list of books that are a) controversial, b) banned, or c) have been banned (you may have read a few of these in the past!):

• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God: Further Confessions by Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
  
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• Carrie by Stephen King
• The Fighting Ground by Avi
• James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
• A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
• The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

Are any of them surprising? Even if something is offensive/bad/insensitive, it is good to read and see another viewpoint. You may not agree with it, but you can see why and how others think the way they do. Others may not agree with your viewpoint, either! It is an avenue for all of us to come together and learn from each other. 

The American Library Association has a lovely description of intellectual freedom that I would like to share with you (to the left), and also ask you:

"Why is the freedom to read important to YOU?" 

Be sure to celebrate your freedom and right to read with a good book this week! (I'll be reading Edgar Allan Poe!)