Banned Book Reviews

On T.H. Mafi's blog Grab a Pen, she encouraged her followers to review favorite titles from the banned books list.  And that's just what we are doing today.  If you have a favorite on the list, share it on your site and let others know about it.  Post a comment or link to it on her site (click link) and here on ours so we can enjoy your good read right along with you. Also, read our post from Monday on Banned Book Week (click here) to read more about our views on this very important topic.

Christy's Choice

One of my favorite authors is the courageous Katherine Paterson.  Both Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins are on the list.  I reread The Great Gilly Hopkins this past week so I could share it with you today. 

Gilly is an eleven year old girl who, after being moved from foster home to foster home, has built up an attitude and hard exterior to get her through a tough childhood.  She claims to be proud of being known as "Gruesome Gilly" even if she's reminding someone of her true name, Galadriel, in her next breath.  She tries to gain control by acting out and shocking those in charge of her.  Once she meets Trotter, her newest foster mother,one she considers the strangest yet, she doesn't plan to do it any differently.  In addition, she devises a plan to get her "gorgeous" mother, who writes her occasionally, to come and get her. Without ruining the ending for you, Gilly goes through a transformation throughout the course of the book and, though slightly "unlikable" in the beginning, you'll find you're rooting for her along the way.

Part of Gilly's tough girl act includes swearing and taking the Lord's name in vain, one of the reasons the book was banned in school libraries in Albermalre County, Virginia.  In fact, it was was ranked #20 on the American Library Association's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books for 1990-2000.  Katherine Paterson addressed the school board in Albermalre County in a letter saying, "Though Gilly's mouth is a very mild one compared to that of many lost children, if she had said `fiddlesticks' when frustrated, readers could not have believed in her and love would give them no hope."

I find Katherine Paterson not only courageous, but to be a phenomenal source of inspiration to me as a writer.  She obviously knew her characters well, but perhaps more importantly, her audience. She may have had a reader, a child, in mind for whom she wrote just in case the great Gilly could give them some hope.  I hope that child's hands found Gilly's story on the library's bookshelves when he or she needed it.

Quote found in an article entitled WHAT JOHNNY CAN'T READ Censorship in American Libraries by Suzanne Fisher Staples. 

Resource information along with an inspirational review also found on a blog entitled Small World Reads.  Worth checking out. 


Erica's Choice

I had very grand aspirations to read two banned books this week - one from the library and one that I purchased. But, um, well - my children and husband revolted when I explained my weekly schedule. So, I plan on soon doing a review of Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. Today I'll talk about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

This is a banned book? What a shame. Because here's my review: Every. Sentence. Made. Me Laugh/Cry. Every. Sentence. (trust me, I don't say that often)

There was this one paragraph that has been contested. It has to do with the main character's infatuation wth math. Here it is (page 26 of the library hardcover edition):
"I'm proud of it.
I'm good at it.
I'm ambidextrous.
If there were a Professional Mathination League, I'd get drafted number one..."

I'm now looking forward to tomorrow, when my husband finds this hand-written note on the back of a bookmark: "Change masterbation to mathination"

So, this book wasn't owned by my library. I had to get it through interlibrary loan. I bought it and, when received, will donate it to my library. I urge you to do the same with any book you completely love (banned or not).

We think you are. (Oh! and BLOGFEST ALERT!)

But we want you to admit it.  To us. 

Are you in love with your protagonist?  Maybe your protagonist's love interest?  It's okay.  There's something in them that you're slightly infatuated with.  You created them.  It's only natural.

Who did you model them after?  Someone real?  A person you wish, deep down inside, was real?

(Of course, if you were their age, unmarried and without children and all.)

We can keep a secret.  So don't be ashamed.

Just leave a teeny comment to ease our curiousity...I mean satisfy our inkling...I mean justify our statement of knowing your heart and mind.

***

 AND

Take a Character on a Date
Fly on the Wall BLOGFEST
October 7

  erica and christy are proud to announce their very first:

 BLOGFEST!  BLOGFEST!  BLOGFEST!  Date:  October 7
If you could take your favorite character (one you created or one you just wish you had) out to dinner...where would you take them and what would you eat and drink?  What would they eat and drink?  What would you talk about?  What would you do afterward? (Keep it [relatively] clean here, kids.)  And okay, it doesn't have to be a romantic date...it can be a friendly meeting for coffee or tea.

We're dying to know. 

Show off your creative spirit and whip up a 500 word (or less) story sharing your imaginary dinner (see below). 

We'd love to be a fly on the wall.

TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BLOGFEST, leave a comment with a link to your blog where you've posted a story (500 words or less) describing your "date" with a character of your choice.  (Wait until October 7.  Post by midnight CST.) Don't forget to come back and follow the links to find more (secret infatuations) really great writing!

Twofer Tuesday: Two Takes on WriteOnCon x 2

Okay, so you guys were all at WriteOnCon last night for the live chat, right?

What?!

You didn't stay glued to your laptop/desktop the ENTIRE time?! Your husband/wife/kids/dog/bathroom break made you look away?! Don't worry, we're here to help. Today, we're each bringing you two things we learned from the live agent/publisher chat at http://writeoncon.com/ last night. (oh, yeah, and they leave it up forever, so if you missed the whole thing, follow the link and watch it at your leisure)

Two things Erica learned:
1. As you get to know Erica, you will realize I (sorry about the change in POV) mentioned a sequel right away. I soon found out that was a huge no-no. Imagine my surprise tonight. Roseanne says to mention it. Just don't pitch it. (this I can do)

2. Contemporary YA, anyone? Everyone on the panel said contemporary has the ability to take over the YA scene in the next 2-5 years. BTW: It takes about 2 years to get a book published. SO SEND CONTEMPORARY YA NOW. Nope, that's not a call for submissions. But I (Erica) sent mine. Have you sent yours?

Two things Christy learned:

1.  Well, since we get along so perfectly as blogging partners, it's no surprise our thoughts were in sync last night.  Just to add, it was interesting to "read" the differences in opinions between the panelists when the topic of sequels arose.  What I took from it was this:  it's a very subjective business.  And we just have to find the right agent and pitch our book to the right one with the right query.  I know I've heard that over and over...but somehow "seeing" it in action tonight was a little, well, comforting.  And, since I should find at least one thing different from you, I'll add this here also.  I was excited to find that contemporary YA was up and coming (according to the panelists) since my WIP is just that.  I'll take motivation in any way/shape/form...keep it comin'.

2.  Other items discussed were also interesting because I assumed there were just cut and dry answers for the questions.  For example, age groupings for YA, MG, crossovers, and  New Adult were delineated, yet opinions varied among the responders.  There was also a discussion about literary, commercial, and contemporary fiction, and of course, the panelists "wish to see" lists.  Their answers?  The usual:  show them a hook.  Show them a great story.  Show them great characters.  Oh, and possibly a dystopian or a contemporary w/o the romantic focus.  And a plot where there are great stakes for the protagonist.  (And one last thing.  Make sure your teen sounds like a teen.  Not like an adult trying to sound teen.  Be careful of hip language that might not be hip tomorrow.  I KNOW you know that.  I'm just telling you what they said in case you missed that part.)

Got it?  Go write.  Write, write, write! 

Except I'm going to bed.  I mean work.  (Stayed up too late last night.)  *yawns*

So, what did you learn? Or, is there a question you wanted to ask, but couldn't? Leave it in the comments and we'll see what we can do to help!

Banned Books Week

erica and christy feel it's important (as avid readers and writers with the dream of one day publishing a novel) to support Banned Books Week, a national celebration honoring the freedom to read.

Banned Books Week began in 1982 and is held the last week of September.  People are often unaware that hundreds of books are banned each year from libraries, schools and/or book stores.  Some of your favorites may well be on the list.

Some of ours are:  Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Patterson, the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer, Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier, Forever and Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume, the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park, and many, many more.  For a more comprehensive list (and information) check any one of these sites that support this important event. 

American Booksellers Association for Freedom of Expression  http://www.abffe.com/banned2010.htm
American Library Association http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=4986
Books, Boys, Buzz http://yawriters.blogspot.com/2010/09/buzz-girls-support-banned-books-week.html
Pimp My Novel http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/09/banned-books-round-ups.html
Grab a Pen http://stiryourtea.blogspot.com/2010/09/life-altering-announcements.html
The Rejectionist http://www.therejectionist.com/2010/09/some-business.html

Some of these blogs are hosting events to help bring censorship of books to light.  Please check some out and participate on your blog.

What are your thoughts on this important issue...removing books from the public's grasp due to the opinion of one, or many, that a book is not appropriate for an audience (due to violence, contemporary issues, controversial language, and again, many, many more reasons?

***
Here are two blog events we are participating in this week:

The Rejectionist  announced an uncontest to kick off banned book week Monday, September 27.  Dig out and dust off your childhood journals and search for your most humiliating moment to post on your Monday blog.  (click on site above to participate.  hurry!)

So I (Christy) only found my 3rd and 4th grade journals.  One was done in school and every day I wrote about my schoolwork, recess, friends and how I spied God that day.  Nothing at all embarrassing. (My teacher wrote a nice, red, cursive "ok" at the bottom of each entry.)

Luckily, my next one carried into the summer...so I had some free writing to peruse.  I found this really great poem.  I titled it "School and Summer".

I like Summer
'cause school is a bummer,
with many things to do--
in summer you can play
without worrying about things to
get done,
in school you must work
without having any fun.

(I'm a teacher.  I'm appalled I once felt this way!  I also no longer write poetry.)

But lucky for you there's more on a different page.

"Spring and Nature"
Blue skies, drifting
clouds,
soaring birds
all united; Green trees,
blooming flowers, scurrying
animals all together
as one;  The start of spring,
the beauty of nature.

And...the humiliation continues.

"Pen Pals"
Friends of a language
beauty unknown; friend
together since we've first come
home.  Friends of life never
to part.  Friendship the
beauty the wonder, all
from the heart.  (and my period was an actual heart, awww)

(Yeah, that one makes little sense to me either.)

Thursday, September 30 we'll be doing a banned book review (or two) to participate in the event sponsored by T.H. Mafi on her blog Grab a Pen.  (see links above or blogs we follow)

Also see our second post for today just below this one. (Hey, we've got two writers.  We can have two blog posts per day if we want to.  We couldn't skip our weekly Mealtime Madness Monday, could we? What would you eat for dinner if we did?) Scroll down!

Mealtime Madness Monday

Wow! This week has been amazing - our first coauthored posts, our first blogfest, and we averaged two new followers per day. Thanks so much to all of you!

In honor of the live chat on WriteOnCon tonight, I've (Erica) come up with a sure-fire idea to convince your family you're slaving away in the kitchen (but really you're watching the chat). They'll be so impressed, they'll forget they waited until 10:00 to eat... (or, alternatively, use this as a party recipe!)

My husband and his friends all hunt. Plus I live on a beef farm. So, as you can imagine, my family eats some sort of meat for every meal. As a teacher, I can be home most days by 4:00 (I live 2 miles from the school), but not everyone is that lucky. Time is precious. The family expects you to cook. You want to attend a live chat about agents and that could be your ticket to success and it starts in OHMYGOD an hour and what's a busy mom/dad to do and why are all these people asking me what's for dinner!?!

So, here's an idea. You might not be able to cook this tonight (unless you have someone who hunts), but plan on it for next month's chat or party night. Plus, who doesn't like bacon?

Duck-Breast Rumaki
Thinly sliced 1-2" pieces from breast of 1 wild duck
1/2 cup dry cooking sherry
1 Tb. soy sauce
1 Tb. oil
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
8 slices bacon, cut in half
Canned water chestnuts
Toothpicks
Laptop or desktop located in kitchen (this is, actually, the only necessity)

1. Mix sherry, oil, and ginger in bowl. Add duck pieces. Marinate at least an hour (or up to 24 hours).
2. Fire up laptop/desktop and log into http://writeoncon.com/ by no later than 8:55 PM EST on chat night
3. Type question in appropriate chat box. Let marinate until they open for posts.
4. Place one duck piece and one water chestnut on a piece of bacon. Wrap bacon around duck and water chestnut. Secure with toothpick. Place on broiling pan.
5. Open for questions already? Press submit with elbow, toothpick, or dry washcloth. Stare at screen to see if yours comes up.
6. Still staring at screen, use your peripherals to set oven to broil (or 550 degrees).
7. Keep making appetizers, place on pan.
8. Contemplate typing with nose. Instead, wrap pointer finger in washcloth and type another awesome question.
9. Put pan in oven no earlier than 9:50 EST.
10. Cook five minutes, turn appetizers, cook 5 more minutes.
11. YAY! Dinner's right on time! Say "Sorry it took me so long, but this was a complicated dish." (wipe forehead dramatically)