Banned Books

Why do we have a Banned Books Week? Why is it important to highlight books that have been deemed at some time or another (or are still considered) inappropriate for bookstore or library shelves?

Because it's important to protect not only freedom of expression, but freedom of thought.

Books are often banned in knee-jerk reactions by parents or school board members who didn't actually read (or, at least, didn't understand) the material.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was banned for its derogatory references to African Americans, despite the fact that Twain deliberately used such language to illustrate how demeaning and horrifying slavery (and, more generally, whites views of blacks) was. To Kill A Mockingbird was often banned for pretty much the same reason.

The Harry Potter series is frequently scrutinized for its "magical" content, never mind that it's a story about good triumphing over evil, love winning over fear and hate. 

And then there's the especially ironic bans. Fahrenheit 451 is about a society that outlaws (and actually destroys) all books, yet it is frequently censored.  1984 was considered sympathetic to Communism.  Have you read it?  It's not.  In fact, Eric Blair (George Orwell) was vehemently anti-Communist, and more than just 1984 suggest that. Animal Farm, any one?

The list goes on: The Diary of Anne Frank, Catcher in the Rye, The Giver, Where's Waldo? (It's true! Where's. Waldo.)

Pete Hautman offered some great thoughts on the topic of banned books (and the sort-of covert--or preemptive--banning that's still taking place) on his BLOG today. Pete is the author of the National Book Award winner Godless--which, itself, has been the target of concerned parent and educational groups that obviously haven't read the book, as it's not nearly as provocative as its title implies. It's a story about a boy's complicated relationship with his parents, his friend, and religion. And it's a story about a boy's search for meaning.

But I guess my point isn't only that books that aren't offensive get banned just because people assume they are. My point is that regardless of whether or not books are offensive, they shouldn't be censored.  If a parent doesn't want his or her child to read a particular book--that's a discussion for that family.  But to deny access of that book to everyone else--just because it makes you uncomfortable--is unacceptable.  Even un-American.  Because suppression of literature is suppression of thought. Living in a free society means that people are free to say and write things that are sometimes objectionable, and it's not for the government (or anyone else) to decide what is and isn't appropriate for the masses. There are plenty of things out there that I would never read or watch or listen to because I think they're in poor taste, but I'm not going to push for censorship of those things--just as I expect others to do (or not do) the same for me. 

Living in a free society, to me, means that we have the freedom to think and live how we want (so long as it doesn't infringe upon the freedoms of others). It is NOT the freedom to force our own "brand" of freedom on everyone else.

Farewell Summer

A bit overdue, but here's a sendoff for the summer of 2012.

New(ish) Book Review

Edited by Jon Scieszka (Guys Read, The Time Warp Trio) and illustrated by Dan Santat (Time Out Kids, The Replacements), Guys Read:The Sports Pages is the third volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading (preceded by Guys Read: Funny Business and Guys Read: Thriller). Like the previous installments, GR:TSP is a collection of works by a number of popular writers for young readers, including Chris Crutcher, Tim Green, Gordan Korman, and Anne Ursu. The pieces are united by a common theme—in this case, sports—but written in a variety of styles.

Anne Ursu’s “Max Swings for the Fences” is an amusing short story about a tennis player who moves to a baseball town and tells a little lie that rapidly spins out of control. Gordan Korman’s “The Trophy” is a fun tale about an elementary basketball team that sets out on a quest to find its stolen championship trophy. Dan Gutman’s “How I Won the World Series” is a clever creative non-fiction piece about favorite teams and sports superstitions.  And both Dustin Brown’s “Against All Odds” and James Brown’s “The Choice” are autobiographical, but Dustin recounts his journey to the NHL in a sort of snap-shot essay (I’m defining that as an essay with various topic headings), while James tells his life in basketball as a narrative.

And for a volume with just ten entries, Scieszka has “covered his bases” well, representing baseball, basketball, football, track, mixed martial arts, and (at least a mention of) tennis. I guess it could have been more inclusive, but the stories told are more important than the sports that serve as their settings. And at any rate, baseball, basketball, football, track, and MMA are probably the most popular sports among boys 8-12, anyway.

Guys Read: The Sports Pages
Edited by Jon Scieszka
Walden Pond Press, 2012
Illustrations by Dan Santat

What I’ve liked most about this series (thus far) is that the writers selected manage to craft intelligent, character-centered stories that demonstrate a meaningful change in their protagonists (while still being fun and interesting and page-turnery).  The stories in this collection are no exception.  Sure, at times, some characters' actions are certainly more in service to plot than to character development, but there are also shining examples of interesting protagonists with complex problems that drive the stories forward.  In Tim Green’s “Find Your Fire,” Jake is confronted with a life-changing situation that actually pits him (and his new selfish, angry motivation) against his best friend. The title character in Anne Ursu’s “Max Swings for the Fences” is 100 percent responsible for the mess he gets himself in, and we squirm uncomfortably along with him as he struggles to clean it up. And in Chris Crutcher’s “Meat Grinder,” we see the impact a single peer in his corner has on young, suffering Mack.

It’s not without its (minor) faults, but the clear language, swift pace, and solid variety in Guys Read: The Sports Pages makes it a perfect pick for boy readers—especially reluctant ones.

Recommended for ages 9+.

Break

I apologize for the long absence. I've taken a break from this blog while working on a draft and revision of my novel.  If you're a Beatles fan (or even if you're not), you can check out THIS page for a daily dose. 

Water Skiing has a Birthday, Too

The first week in July will mark the 90th anniversary of the great sport of water skiing. Not to overstate it or anything, but I've always felt a bond with the sport. We both claim the same hometown. We were born around the same time of year (exactly 60 years apart). Our usefulness decreases the farther we are from water.

I felt I couldn't let this milestone pass without some sort of commemoration. So check out, if you will, this short story about that July morning. And then get out to the lake this weekend!

In Pictures

I’ve been busy.

Trying to power through a complete draft of my novel by Draft Day (7.1.12) leaves little time for much else. I have been doing some reading, though, especially of graphic novels and comics.  I’ve really gotten into DC’s New 52 (the reboot of all 52 DC titles that started late last summer.  Which in turn has got me interested in revisiting old DC titles, like my Death of Superman collection from the early 90’s and some classic Batman graphic novels (especially those penned by Frank Miller, like The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One).

And I’ve found this reading quite helpful with my writing.

Comics make me think about crafting scenes visually and keeping dialogue sharp, fun, interesting. The serialization aspect is important, too. Dickens used to write in a serialized form (publishing pieces of a story every few weeks) so there are several "cliffhangers" in each of his novels.  Most comics are the same way, because publishers want you to buy the next issue to see what happens (and the next one after that, and the next one after that…).  I happen to be writing a suspense story, and ending scenes or chapters with a hook—something that will pull the reader into the next chunk of the story—is extremely important.  Great comic writers are masters at this.

Well, back to work! Or am I...?

It's Children's Book Week (May 7-13)!

Another Children's Book Week has come (and almost gone).  For decades, the Children’s Book Council has celebrated literature for children with this annual event. Check out THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE for more information, and check with your local libraries and bookstores to see if there are any special events planned for the weekend (there just might be!).

On a national level, the week got off to a big start with the Children’s Choice Book Awards on Monday night. Jeff Kinney and Brian Selznick took home the top prizes for author and illustrator of the year. Here’s a PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY recap of the night’s events (and a complete list of winners). 

My favorite book of the 2011, Gary D. Schmidt’s fantastic Okay for Now, won the prize in the fifth and sixth grade category.  Below is a video of the award presentation and Gary’s awesome acceptance speech. 

If you’re interested, you check out my review of Okay for Now here.

On Tuesday, we lost Maurice Sendak, a legend in the world of children’s literature. Author and illustrator of countless children’s classics (most notably, Where the Wild Things Are), Sendak is known for wild, imaginative, sometimes dark, and always original imagery and stories. He refused to pander and refused to make things pretty or nice or easy. His books were challenged as well as acclaimed.  To me, he represents the best possible way to tell a story. He put to page, in just a few words and beautifully rendered images, stories that so deeply connect to the emotional and psychological landscape of childhood that they become larger than life and we remember them forever.  Take Where the Wild Things Are, for example.  Even if you haven't read it for years, you probably still remember many of the pictures and much of the story. Perhaps you've imagined other adventures for Max. I challenge you to revisit the book, especially if it's been a while. I think you'll be surprised to find there are only 9 or 10 sentences in the entire book.  A story that has meant so much to so many is told in about ten sentences (and many amazing pictures)!

In a tribute Neil Gaiman says of Sendak, "He was unique, grumpy, brilliant, gay, wise, magical and made the world better by creating art in it." That just about says it all. We can be sad that he'll never write or illustrate again, but we should be glad he was here almost for 84 years. And it certainly was a fitting week to go to rest.

The Wild Things are and forever will be.