This morning, the beautiful and talented Jean Gralley posted an old poster of the Lena Horne and Bill Robinson movie Stormy Weather, which I loved when I first saw it as a little girl. So in honor of Jean, Lena and Hurricane Sandy, here's my Stormy Weather playlist that I'll have plenty of time to listen to as work's been cancelled today with a possible closure tomorrow as well.
"Stormy Weather" by Lena Horne
"Lightning Crashes" by Live
"It Blew a Living Gale" by David Baumgarten
"Rainy Day Women" by Bob Dylan
"A Little Fall of Rain" by Les Miserables Cast
"Downpour" by Brandi Carlile
"Come Rain Or Come Shine" by Billie Holiday
"Butterflies & Hurricanes" by Muse
"Drops of Rain" by Carbon Leaf
"Don't Rain On My Parade" by Glee Cast
"Ill Wind" by Billie Holiday
"She Gathers Rain" by Collective Soul
"Blow the Man Down" by Stan Hugill
"Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan
"Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind" by Spring Awakenings Cast
"Us Amazonians" by Kirsty MacColl (from Tropical Brainstorm)
"Darkshines" by Muse
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Ella Fitzgerald
Stay safe, stay dry and stay inside!
Showing posts with label current events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label current events. Show all posts
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Don't Forget to Vote
Please forgive the following political post. I'll try to keep it as non-partisan as possible.
I am one of those people who is going into these elections totally undecided. While I don't like watching the debate and pretty much hate all campaign commercials, what is said and how the campaigns are handled will make a huge difference in how I vote next month. And as a voter in a pivotal swing state, I understand how much my vote matters.
If you live in Virginia and have not registered to vote, you must do so by October 15 to be able to cast your ballot in November. To register or change your address, download the Virginia voter registration application here.
If you aren't sure if you're registered or think you might be registered in the incorrect district, check your record here. You can also use this link to find the polling place where you are assigned to go.
If you live in another state, check with your State Board of Elections to find out how and when your registration must be completed. Everyone over 18 has the right to vote in the United States, and we should never take that for granted.
I am one of those people who is going into these elections totally undecided. While I don't like watching the debate and pretty much hate all campaign commercials, what is said and how the campaigns are handled will make a huge difference in how I vote next month. And as a voter in a pivotal swing state, I understand how much my vote matters.
If you live in Virginia and have not registered to vote, you must do so by October 15 to be able to cast your ballot in November. To register or change your address, download the Virginia voter registration application here.
If you aren't sure if you're registered or think you might be registered in the incorrect district, check your record here. You can also use this link to find the polling place where you are assigned to go.
If you live in another state, check with your State Board of Elections to find out how and when your registration must be completed. Everyone over 18 has the right to vote in the United States, and we should never take that for granted.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Mistrial
Last week, a second mistrial was declared in Prince Okorie's murder case. I'm a bit torn by this. No innocent person should have to suffer for a crime they didn't commit, but there also needs to be some kind of closure for everyone involved.
I look at the evidence presented in this case, and all I can think about is how I want justice for Prince and his family. I want the streets to be a little safer and fewer kids put in the horrible situations both Prince and this young man on trail found themselves in.
If this case is dropped or this young man takes a plea or he's found innocent, perhaps he gets away with murder, or perhaps an innocent man goes free. I'm almost ashamed to say I want him to be guilty--I want this to end. But I'm not judge nor jury in this case, nor am I God. I don't know what happened on the 800 block of Fifth Street NW the afternoon of November 30, 2010, and I probably never will.
I look at the evidence presented in this case, and all I can think about is how I want justice for Prince and his family. I want the streets to be a little safer and fewer kids put in the horrible situations both Prince and this young man on trail found themselves in.
If this case is dropped or this young man takes a plea or he's found innocent, perhaps he gets away with murder, or perhaps an innocent man goes free. I'm almost ashamed to say I want him to be guilty--I want this to end. But I'm not judge nor jury in this case, nor am I God. I don't know what happened on the 800 block of Fifth Street NW the afternoon of November 30, 2010, and I probably never will.
Monday, October 1, 2012
What will you be reading?
It's the American Library Association's Banned Book Week. Every year there are fewer and fewer books on this list that I haven't read, but this year I think I'll pick up some of the picture books. Censorship abridges freedom of speech, which is against the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. By reading banned books, you can decide for yourself what you believe.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Monday, August 27, 2012
Where did we go wrong?
The first thing I read this morning was about a teenager being shot by another student on the first day of school in Baltimore County. I wonder if the victim was excited to head to school today, to see friends he hasn't seen all summer, to start new classes, to try out for a varsity sport and get ready for Homecoming. I even wonder if the shooter knew what he was going to do when he woke up this morning or if he had planned this act all summer. Did he feel bullied or threatened or just wondered what holding a gun would feel like?
Perry Hall High School is like many other high schools across America. It's located in a middle-class community and suffers from overcrowding. It has decent sports teams with an especially impressive baseball program. It boasts academic and art clubs, theater and dance. It was even where the 1987 version of Hairspray was filmed. And now it will forever be marked by a school shooting. The name of the victim has not been released as he is a minor, but I'm sure that he is loved by many people, probably a lot more people than he realizes. Classmates and teachers will worry until his status is released, and all of the parents who have students who attend Perry Hall will sigh in relief when they are able to see and hug their children again.
This was especially sad for me to read as just a few days ago, an honors student in Prince George’s County was killed in her home. I didn't know Amber Stanley, but I'm sure many of her classmates at Charles Herbert Flowers High School felt her absence when they returned to school the next day. After all, school has just started and they are already missing one of their own.
I can't help but remember the loss of one of my tutoring students to a senseless shooting almost two years ago. I often think about what Prince would be like today, how his family would be different, how his friends would be different. A shooting has far more victims than those who feel the impact of the bullet. Even a teen shooter represents a life lost as s/he will more often then not be tried and sentenced as an adult, end up committing suicide or spend the remainder of her/his life under psychiatric care rather then finishing school, getting a job, having a family of her/his own.
Too often we take children for granted. We think of them as future resources or in terms of their potential instead of looking at what they offer and accomplish in our communities today. We lump all teens together and call them lazy or ungrateful, that we adults were a better version of them in our day. In essence, we are teaching them that they do not deserve respect, encouragement or our investment. It's no wonder teens see themselves that way and treat other teens with the same contempt.
I'm not a parent and I no longer work with teens on a daily bases, but when I wake up to a news story like this, I can't help but feel like I have failed. Like we all have failed.
Perry Hall High School is like many other high schools across America. It's located in a middle-class community and suffers from overcrowding. It has decent sports teams with an especially impressive baseball program. It boasts academic and art clubs, theater and dance. It was even where the 1987 version of Hairspray was filmed. And now it will forever be marked by a school shooting. The name of the victim has not been released as he is a minor, but I'm sure that he is loved by many people, probably a lot more people than he realizes. Classmates and teachers will worry until his status is released, and all of the parents who have students who attend Perry Hall will sigh in relief when they are able to see and hug their children again.
This was especially sad for me to read as just a few days ago, an honors student in Prince George’s County was killed in her home. I didn't know Amber Stanley, but I'm sure many of her classmates at Charles Herbert Flowers High School felt her absence when they returned to school the next day. After all, school has just started and they are already missing one of their own.
I can't help but remember the loss of one of my tutoring students to a senseless shooting almost two years ago. I often think about what Prince would be like today, how his family would be different, how his friends would be different. A shooting has far more victims than those who feel the impact of the bullet. Even a teen shooter represents a life lost as s/he will more often then not be tried and sentenced as an adult, end up committing suicide or spend the remainder of her/his life under psychiatric care rather then finishing school, getting a job, having a family of her/his own.
Too often we take children for granted. We think of them as future resources or in terms of their potential instead of looking at what they offer and accomplish in our communities today. We lump all teens together and call them lazy or ungrateful, that we adults were a better version of them in our day. In essence, we are teaching them that they do not deserve respect, encouragement or our investment. It's no wonder teens see themselves that way and treat other teens with the same contempt.
I'm not a parent and I no longer work with teens on a daily bases, but when I wake up to a news story like this, I can't help but feel like I have failed. Like we all have failed.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Making Some Noise
I'll be honest, I didn't really feel qualified to post about ethnic diversity in children's books, but then I read Linda Sue Park's blog post about this and she encouraged me to "make some noise." So while she probably said it much better than I'm about to and has a lot more experience with this issue, here's me, making some noise.
After reading NPR's list of "100 Best-Ever Teen Novels," I couldn't stop asking myself, "Where is the diversity?" Where's Matt de la Peña, Coe Booth, Lisa Yee, Walter Dean Myers, Rita Williams Garcia, Pam Muñez Ryan and Cindy Pon? Seriously, not even Maya Angelou, Alice Walker or Toni Morrison? I could keep naming YA authors of color for pages.
Granted Sherman Alexi manged to make the list at number thirty-one. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird is third on the list, but that is still a white perspective on race. But this issue goes so far beyond books dealing with race issues that I'm not sure where to start. Many of the above mentioned authors don't even write books that address race relations--they simple write books with characters of color who represent the diversity and melding of cultures that make America great. We are stronger for our differences, and history has proven we are capable of change, even if it is hard and slow in coming.
Maybe we can excuse this because it is an NPR list, and their audience tends to be middle-class white people like myself (which is probably why I knew about this list in the first place). But isn't that even more of a reason to include diversity in our reading experience? We read to learn, explore, escape, so why are we reading so many books about the exact same type of people? Sure, you want to relate to the main character, but it shouldn't be skin color or even heritage that makes a character relatable.
In writing this, I also became fairly disappointed in myself. Why couldn't I think of a single YA author of Middle Eastern heritage? (Although I did think of Suzanne Fisher Staples's Shabanu, which is an amazingly powerful book.) I even checked my list of ten favorites on GoodReads, and not one of them features a character of color. So why is diversity missing from my own list?
The more I think about the NPR list, the more questions it raises about my personal reading choices, what books we expose children to and why we gravitate towards books featuring main characters of our own race. I don't know how to fix this problem other than to make a conscious decision on my part to read more diversely, but at least that's a place to start.
After reading NPR's list of "100 Best-Ever Teen Novels," I couldn't stop asking myself, "Where is the diversity?" Where's Matt de la Peña, Coe Booth, Lisa Yee, Walter Dean Myers, Rita Williams Garcia, Pam Muñez Ryan and Cindy Pon? Seriously, not even Maya Angelou, Alice Walker or Toni Morrison? I could keep naming YA authors of color for pages.
Granted Sherman Alexi manged to make the list at number thirty-one. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird is third on the list, but that is still a white perspective on race. But this issue goes so far beyond books dealing with race issues that I'm not sure where to start. Many of the above mentioned authors don't even write books that address race relations--they simple write books with characters of color who represent the diversity and melding of cultures that make America great. We are stronger for our differences, and history has proven we are capable of change, even if it is hard and slow in coming.
Maybe we can excuse this because it is an NPR list, and their audience tends to be middle-class white people like myself (which is probably why I knew about this list in the first place). But isn't that even more of a reason to include diversity in our reading experience? We read to learn, explore, escape, so why are we reading so many books about the exact same type of people? Sure, you want to relate to the main character, but it shouldn't be skin color or even heritage that makes a character relatable.
In writing this, I also became fairly disappointed in myself. Why couldn't I think of a single YA author of Middle Eastern heritage? (Although I did think of Suzanne Fisher Staples's Shabanu, which is an amazingly powerful book.) I even checked my list of ten favorites on GoodReads, and not one of them features a character of color. So why is diversity missing from my own list?
The more I think about the NPR list, the more questions it raises about my personal reading choices, what books we expose children to and why we gravitate towards books featuring main characters of our own race. I don't know how to fix this problem other than to make a conscious decision on my part to read more diversely, but at least that's a place to start.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Storm Update
Growing up in tornado country, you spend a lot of time cleaning up after storms. You spend at least one weekend every summer shoveling muck out of a basement, cleaning up downed branches or picking up debris. And then serving a mission for my church in hurricane alley... Well, let's just say I saw my fair share of floods, over-turned trailers, uprooted trees and water-logged garbage.
But I've always been the lucky one. My home has always felt like the calm in the storm. Knowing my mom and dad would take care of us, that the power would be turned on soon, and that friends and family would be there if things didn't turn out so well.
This weekend has been a strange mix of the two. While I was without power for only 25 hours and I had plenty of nonperishable food and emergency supplier on hand, many people in my community haven't been so lucky. None of the stores have reopened, a lot of the traffic lights are not yet working, many cars are still buried by branches and the garbage is piling up everywhere. Emergency services still haven't been fully restored, and there is a lot of uncertainty around here. Probably the worst part is that I didn't have my family right around the corner to help.
Then again, I had several friends come and check on me when our cellphones weren't working. Another friend invited me to spend the hottest part of day at her pool and then welcomed me into her home to charge my phone, check my email and get some homework done. Though she had family visiting, another friend made up a bed for me so I didn't have to spend the night alone in my overheated apartment, and yet another friend two states away was ready to have me as a last-minute houseguest if my power hadn't been restored.
I still don't know when everything is going to be back to normal. Heck, I don't even know if my office will have power in the morning. But what I do know is that even when the unexpected happens, there are always people willing to help.
But I've always been the lucky one. My home has always felt like the calm in the storm. Knowing my mom and dad would take care of us, that the power would be turned on soon, and that friends and family would be there if things didn't turn out so well.
This weekend has been a strange mix of the two. While I was without power for only 25 hours and I had plenty of nonperishable food and emergency supplier on hand, many people in my community haven't been so lucky. None of the stores have reopened, a lot of the traffic lights are not yet working, many cars are still buried by branches and the garbage is piling up everywhere. Emergency services still haven't been fully restored, and there is a lot of uncertainty around here. Probably the worst part is that I didn't have my family right around the corner to help.
Then again, I had several friends come and check on me when our cellphones weren't working. Another friend invited me to spend the hottest part of day at her pool and then welcomed me into her home to charge my phone, check my email and get some homework done. Though she had family visiting, another friend made up a bed for me so I didn't have to spend the night alone in my overheated apartment, and yet another friend two states away was ready to have me as a last-minute houseguest if my power hadn't been restored.
I still don't know when everything is going to be back to normal. Heck, I don't even know if my office will have power in the morning. But what I do know is that even when the unexpected happens, there are always people willing to help.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Friday Five: Signs of Spring in DC
It's been such a beautiful week that I decided to head to the Mall on my lunch break to look for some signs of spring in DC. And within minutes I found all the sure indicators that winter is finally over.
- Construction: Most of the time it's roads and walkways that are being repaired after the harsh winter weather. Well, harsh for DC anyway. But today I stopped to check out the progress on the new National Museum of African American History and Culture.
- Bikers: The other day I was reading a Washington Post article about how the city infrastructure can't keep up with the increase of bike commuters. So if you want to see the city on two wheels, please be careful!
- Musicians: I will admit, some street musicians are horrific, but this bucket beater happened to be quite good. Over the years I've been lucky enough to catch a few professional musicians practicing in tunnels and Metro stations because of the fantastic acoustics.
- Cherry Blossoms: Today marks the peak of the 100th year of these historic blooms, and any DC-area resident will tell you they are the highlight of the season.
(This picture was taken by a passing tourist.) - Tourists: More than 16 million people visit out nation's capital each year. I happened to find this one sitting around on the Mall today. (It's my mom, in case you were wondering.)
Sunday, February 19, 2012
DCPD Called on Misleading DC Homicide Numbers
When one of my tutoring kids was shot and killed in November of 2010, I was devastated. And while Prince's killer was arrested and his case was closed fairly quickly, the homicide rates in DC continue to haunt me almost a year and a half later.
Shortly after Prince's death, I wrote about these statistics in detail in my post "More than a statistic". I took great pains in researching these numbers, going through DCPD's online records to collect the data and triple checking my math to make sure I hadn't made a mistake. And while the numbers were disconcerting, they were still a drastic improvement from years past. Those numbers broke my heart, and knowing that Prince was one of those numbers, well, that was just about unbearable.
So when I read an article in The Washington Post showing that the DCPD was messing with these numbers to make their closure rate look more impressive, I was furious. And to read those misleading numbers confirmed by Homicide Watch D.C., and online publication I have contributed to and followed since homicide touched my own life...I can't even express to you how that made me feel.
These misleading numbers belittle victims and their families. It makes the deaths seems trivial. It degrades and misrepresents the pain of the family and friends of the 43% of homicide victims that remain unsolved. And as for those active murder cases, they seem to not matter so much as long as cold cases from 20 years ago are being closed.
Don't get me wrong—the DCPD does great work. Murder rates continue to fall, and fall drastically. Even the "real" case closure rates are fairly impressive. They've also come a long way in improving relations with victims' families and the community in general. With things going so well, why do they feel the need to fudge the numbers? It only hurts us in the long run.
Shortly after Prince's death, I wrote about these statistics in detail in my post "More than a statistic". I took great pains in researching these numbers, going through DCPD's online records to collect the data and triple checking my math to make sure I hadn't made a mistake. And while the numbers were disconcerting, they were still a drastic improvement from years past. Those numbers broke my heart, and knowing that Prince was one of those numbers, well, that was just about unbearable.
So when I read an article in The Washington Post showing that the DCPD was messing with these numbers to make their closure rate look more impressive, I was furious. And to read those misleading numbers confirmed by Homicide Watch D.C., and online publication I have contributed to and followed since homicide touched my own life...I can't even express to you how that made me feel.
These misleading numbers belittle victims and their families. It makes the deaths seems trivial. It degrades and misrepresents the pain of the family and friends of the 43% of homicide victims that remain unsolved. And as for those active murder cases, they seem to not matter so much as long as cold cases from 20 years ago are being closed.
Don't get me wrong—the DCPD does great work. Murder rates continue to fall, and fall drastically. Even the "real" case closure rates are fairly impressive. They've also come a long way in improving relations with victims' families and the community in general. With things going so well, why do they feel the need to fudge the numbers? It only hurts us in the long run.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Virginia Earthquake Update
Yes, there was an earthquake in Virginia today. Yes, I'm fine. No, there wasn't any damage. I was walking back from lunch and did a duck-and-cover because I thought there had been a gas explosion in the building next to me. Police came out of the station across the street and asked me if I had felt anything outside. Otherwise, life returned to normal in less than an hour.
My apartment only sustained minor damage. There were a few cracked walls (this is the worst of them) and my books got a good jostling (my Harry Potter shelf most of all), but nothing too major. Thank heaven no one was hurt and there was no major damage anywhere in the city. With such a dense population, the potential for disaster...well, I'm glad I don't have to think about that.
Want a good book for kids about earthquakes? Try DK Eyewitness Books' Volcano & Earthquake.
My apartment only sustained minor damage. There were a few cracked walls (this is the worst of them) and my books got a good jostling (my Harry Potter shelf most of all), but nothing too major. Thank heaven no one was hurt and there was no major damage anywhere in the city. With such a dense population, the potential for disaster...well, I'm glad I don't have to think about that.
Want a good book for kids about earthquakes? Try DK Eyewitness Books' Volcano & Earthquake.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Dealing with Dark Fiction
The dark YA fiction debate hit NPR this morning with YA author Maureen Johnson and WSJ contributor Meghan Cox Gurdon, and you can listen to the interview here. I'm so close to this issue that it's difficult to address it with any kind of objectivity, but here's my attempt at a reasonable conclusion.
The majority of my friends are now parents of young children. They rejoice in hearing the sound of their baby laughing, they long for the weekend when they can run and play with their children, they seek out tender moments to kiss chubby cheeks and feel tiny arms wrapped around their necks. They want to read their children books that make bedtime rituals sweetly comforting and curling up together on the couch an exercise in delight. The books they read to their children sets the atmosphere of their home.
Yet sharing tender moments gets more complicated as children get older. The teen years are volatile at best, but young minds are still easily influenced by their surroundings. During my teen years, I didn't feel like anyone understood what I was going through. Though I had a loving family and good home life, loneliness and self-doubt isolated me from the support that I didn't understand how to access. So I turned to books. Through words on pages, I felt compassion and understanding. No matter what happened to me or how depressed I felt, books helped me understand I was never alone.
But no matter how hard we try to justify what we write and read, we can't ignore the facts. Books are just one type of media that influences the way we think and how we view the world. Media can and does desensitizes us to the beauty of loving sexual relationships and makes violence commonplace. It makes us overly critical about physical appearance and gives us unrealistic expectations for relationships. We welcome it into our homes through television and allow it to permeate our lives with advertising.
We can't escape the influence of media, but we can teach our children to make choices for themselves. Exposing teens to a wide verity of media (both positive and negative) and then talking about the things they see/hear/experience improves their lives as well as our own. It makes us more accepting, and it means we are better able to face challenges. If we utilize the teaching opportunities that are placed before us, we don't need to worry so much about what our children are reading because we can trust they'll make good choices.
No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to protect your children from everything. So why not give them the tools to protect themselves?
The majority of my friends are now parents of young children. They rejoice in hearing the sound of their baby laughing, they long for the weekend when they can run and play with their children, they seek out tender moments to kiss chubby cheeks and feel tiny arms wrapped around their necks. They want to read their children books that make bedtime rituals sweetly comforting and curling up together on the couch an exercise in delight. The books they read to their children sets the atmosphere of their home.
Yet sharing tender moments gets more complicated as children get older. The teen years are volatile at best, but young minds are still easily influenced by their surroundings. During my teen years, I didn't feel like anyone understood what I was going through. Though I had a loving family and good home life, loneliness and self-doubt isolated me from the support that I didn't understand how to access. So I turned to books. Through words on pages, I felt compassion and understanding. No matter what happened to me or how depressed I felt, books helped me understand I was never alone.
But no matter how hard we try to justify what we write and read, we can't ignore the facts. Books are just one type of media that influences the way we think and how we view the world. Media can and does desensitizes us to the beauty of loving sexual relationships and makes violence commonplace. It makes us overly critical about physical appearance and gives us unrealistic expectations for relationships. We welcome it into our homes through television and allow it to permeate our lives with advertising.
We can't escape the influence of media, but we can teach our children to make choices for themselves. Exposing teens to a wide verity of media (both positive and negative) and then talking about the things they see/hear/experience improves their lives as well as our own. It makes us more accepting, and it means we are better able to face challenges. If we utilize the teaching opportunities that are placed before us, we don't need to worry so much about what our children are reading because we can trust they'll make good choices.
No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to protect your children from everything. So why not give them the tools to protect themselves?
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday Five: smile-worthy YA book news
- Events: All the talk about ALA2011 has gotten me pumped for book events. I won't be in NO this weekend (the association I work for has our big convention in San Antonio), but it got me thinking about the National Book Festival, which isn't until the end of September, but they're already announcing authors who will be participating. Sherman Alexie, Cassandra Clare, Susan Cooper, Tomie dePaola, Sarah Dessen, Gordon Korman, Toni Morrison, Katherine Paterson, Brian Selznick, Chris Van Dusen and Rita Williams-Garcia will all be there. (David McCullough will also be there, but as he's an author of history books for adults, I didn't include him in my totally-excited-for list.) Do you know how long I'll be willing to wait in line to get my copy of The Adventures of Hugo Cabret and my Dark Is Rising books all signed? Yeah, you'd better bring a sleeping bag, is all I have to say.
- Audiobooks: It's been a good year for Katherine Kellgren, who was recently named Booklist's Voice of Choice, has yet to miss an Odyssey Honor from the ALA's YALSA audiobook awards, and is a 16-time AudioFile Earphones Award winner. Now The Washington Post listed her narration of The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin as one of their three Summer’s best audio books.
- Releases: Together again for the very first time. The 2009 Debs officially announced the release of their anthology The First Time. It will only be released as an ebook, but with fantastic authors like Sydney Salter, Carrie Ryan, Jenny Moss, Kurtis Scaletta and Jon Skovron, I'll have my ereader ready for download come October.
- Blogs: I'm a big fan of my library's YA blog TATAL, and this week they really outdid themselves. They got a panel of four guys to discuss what attracts/detracts them in a book cover. It should come as no surprise that they prefer action shots to pictures of girls with no heads holding shoes, kissing couples are also taboo, orange is a much cooler color than pink and bold fonts matter.
- Personal: I'm officially caught up on all the Jacky Faber books by L.A. Meyer. As I started the series Thanksgiving weekend, that means I've averaged one book a month, and now I'll have to wait until the fall for The Mark of the Golden Dragon. (To tie in to #2, I'll be sure to listen to Katherine Kellgren's audiobook version). Instead of being bummed about the long wait, which really isn't that long of a wait, I've been listening to my sea chanteys and heading over to the Jacky Faber website to get some recommendations from Louis (whom I probably shouldn't refer to so familiarly as I've never met the man, but he does have great taste in music).
Monday, June 6, 2011
YA Saves, Books Save, People Save
First it was the New York Times, and now the Wall Street Journal has decided to take a passive-aggressive approach to book banning. Because that's what their stance is perpetuating--the need to "protect" our children from this kind of writing.
Yes, there are many "issue" books in YA lit these days that deal with sex, drugs, mental health, death, sexual abuse, crime, violence, dysfunctional families. There is also a lot of "dark" YA fiction featuring the supernatural, dystopian societies, alternate realities, mystical folklore. And while they might not always be realistic, these books do reflect real-life.
While every teen may not feel the urge to cut themselves and they may go their entire lives without witnessing a violent crime, it happens. And it happens to a lot more teens than you might think. I have worked with and known teens who had been victims of kidnappings and other violent crimes, gone through rehab before they could drive, seen a family member murdered in front of them, succumbed to terminal illness, suffered sexual and physical abuse at the hands of a parent, attempted or succeeded at suicide, and so many other atrocities that my heart aches just thinking about these children. Even I experienced some of these things in my adolescence.
Miraculously, most of these children go on to lead full, happy lives. They turn into adults who are productive members of society. They attend college, find jobs, experience love. Then they share the path they took to overcome their trauma with the teenagers they come in contact with. They write books about what happened to them, they love their own children, they talk about it in quiet conversations behind closed doors.
Books about these subjects aren't an instruction manual on how to be unhappy. They don't encourage children to turn to a life of crime. And they certainly don't turn them into teens with a false view of the world. Instead, they make teens more accepting and understanding of other people, they prepare them to deal with challenges, they help them overcome the past. They make children believe they are not alone--because they aren't alone.
You don't have to fight to the death to learn something from Katniss Everdeen. You don't have to be dated raped to feel compassion for Melinda Sordino. And you don't have to run away from home to want something more than Holden Caulfield. But if you read Hunger Games and Speak and Catcher in the Rye, you just might be a better person in the end.
However, there are other options available to children who don't want a steady diet of these weighty topics. Meg Cabot, Jerry Spinelli, Ally Carter, Eion Colfer, Shannon Hale, Gordon Korman and many more authors write lighthearted books for teens. So yes, Lisa Belkin, people do still read Anne of Green Gables. Which means, Meghan Cox Gurdon, there is no reason for a parent to go empty-handed because they can't find a book "appropriate" for their child.
Maybe it's time we stop worrying so much about what teens read and start showing a little more concern for why a lot of them aren't reading. I can guarantee it has nothing to do with a lack of lighter books on the market.
Show your support for YA lit by following #YASaves on twitter.
Yes, there are many "issue" books in YA lit these days that deal with sex, drugs, mental health, death, sexual abuse, crime, violence, dysfunctional families. There is also a lot of "dark" YA fiction featuring the supernatural, dystopian societies, alternate realities, mystical folklore. And while they might not always be realistic, these books do reflect real-life.
While every teen may not feel the urge to cut themselves and they may go their entire lives without witnessing a violent crime, it happens. And it happens to a lot more teens than you might think. I have worked with and known teens who had been victims of kidnappings and other violent crimes, gone through rehab before they could drive, seen a family member murdered in front of them, succumbed to terminal illness, suffered sexual and physical abuse at the hands of a parent, attempted or succeeded at suicide, and so many other atrocities that my heart aches just thinking about these children. Even I experienced some of these things in my adolescence.
Miraculously, most of these children go on to lead full, happy lives. They turn into adults who are productive members of society. They attend college, find jobs, experience love. Then they share the path they took to overcome their trauma with the teenagers they come in contact with. They write books about what happened to them, they love their own children, they talk about it in quiet conversations behind closed doors.
Books about these subjects aren't an instruction manual on how to be unhappy. They don't encourage children to turn to a life of crime. And they certainly don't turn them into teens with a false view of the world. Instead, they make teens more accepting and understanding of other people, they prepare them to deal with challenges, they help them overcome the past. They make children believe they are not alone--because they aren't alone.
You don't have to fight to the death to learn something from Katniss Everdeen. You don't have to be dated raped to feel compassion for Melinda Sordino. And you don't have to run away from home to want something more than Holden Caulfield. But if you read Hunger Games and Speak and Catcher in the Rye, you just might be a better person in the end.
However, there are other options available to children who don't want a steady diet of these weighty topics. Meg Cabot, Jerry Spinelli, Ally Carter, Eion Colfer, Shannon Hale, Gordon Korman and many more authors write lighthearted books for teens. So yes, Lisa Belkin, people do still read Anne of Green Gables. Which means, Meghan Cox Gurdon, there is no reason for a parent to go empty-handed because they can't find a book "appropriate" for their child.
Maybe it's time we stop worrying so much about what teens read and start showing a little more concern for why a lot of them aren't reading. I can guarantee it has nothing to do with a lack of lighter books on the market.
Show your support for YA lit by following #YASaves on twitter.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Children's Books for Adults, Adult Books for Children
For almost a month now, an adult picture book has been a bestseller on Amazon, and there's still another month before its official release. While totally irreverent and not at all appropriate for children, it's the irony of Go the F**k to Sleep that has so many people talking. But really, this controversial book really isn't as controversial, unique or earth-shattering as you might think.
Many books we think of as children's classics were not intentionally written for children at all. (Okay, maybe the authors were writing them for children, but the publishers never differentiated.)
Aesop's Fables Aesop (6th centenary BC)
The Tales of Mother Goose by Charles Perrault (1695)
Grimm's Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (1812)
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss (1812)
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll (1865)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868)
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (1877)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)
Of course there were a few exceptions, like John Newbery's (yes, that Newbery) A Little Pretty Pocket-Book (1744) and Johanna Spyri's Heidi (1880). Otherwise, children's stories were published in magazines but not printed in volumes until long after they had proven their popularity.
Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (1835)
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (1883)
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (1894)
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnet (1905)
It wasn't until the turn of the 20th century that books started to be published specifically for children. And then it took years for the phenomenon to catch on.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900)
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902)
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie (1911)
Even today there is a stigma attached to children's books--they don't sell as well, they don't have the same literary value, they just aren't as good as books for adults. The NYT's Sunday Book Review and the New Yorker Magazine both have recently perpetuated this misplaced criticism. So many books are marketed for adults though their characters and themes tend to work better for young readers.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (1943)
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card(1985)
Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2001)
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (2002)
Yet a lot of books that are published for children do well with an adult audience. (Twilight Moms, anyone? Or what about that billion-dollar empire created by J.K. Rowling?) And you can't forget all the picture books adults love to think they're buying for kids, but really they are written to appeal to adults' sentimentality.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (1964)
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch (1986)
Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss (1990)
You Are Special by Max Lucado (1997)
It's a Book by Lane Smith (2010)
Children's books have a much bigger influence on the publishing industry than a lot of readers realize. They change the way we look at literature, literacy, publishing and sales. I still remember the time when YA books were not distinguished from children's books or adult books, and it wasn't until Harry Potter that the New York Times made a separate bestseller list for children's books. If a non-traditional book makes people pay a little more attention to the struggles of the picture book industry and reminds us that reading to our children is good for them and maybe even better for us, than I hope the publishing industry continues to produce books that challenge the market.
Many books we think of as children's classics were not intentionally written for children at all. (Okay, maybe the authors were writing them for children, but the publishers never differentiated.)
Aesop's Fables Aesop (6th centenary BC)
The Tales of Mother Goose by Charles Perrault (1695)
Grimm's Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (1812)
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss (1812)
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll (1865)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868)
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (1877)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)
Of course there were a few exceptions, like John Newbery's (yes, that Newbery) A Little Pretty Pocket-Book (1744) and Johanna Spyri's Heidi (1880). Otherwise, children's stories were published in magazines but not printed in volumes until long after they had proven their popularity.
Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (1835)
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (1883)
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (1894)
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnet (1905)
It wasn't until the turn of the 20th century that books started to be published specifically for children. And then it took years for the phenomenon to catch on.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900)
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902)
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie (1911)
Even today there is a stigma attached to children's books--they don't sell as well, they don't have the same literary value, they just aren't as good as books for adults. The NYT's Sunday Book Review and the New Yorker Magazine both have recently perpetuated this misplaced criticism. So many books are marketed for adults though their characters and themes tend to work better for young readers.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (1943)
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card(1985)
Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2001)
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (2002)
Yet a lot of books that are published for children do well with an adult audience. (Twilight Moms, anyone? Or what about that billion-dollar empire created by J.K. Rowling?) And you can't forget all the picture books adults love to think they're buying for kids, but really they are written to appeal to adults' sentimentality.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (1964)
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch (1986)
Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss (1990)
You Are Special by Max Lucado (1997)
It's a Book by Lane Smith (2010)
Children's books have a much bigger influence on the publishing industry than a lot of readers realize. They change the way we look at literature, literacy, publishing and sales. I still remember the time when YA books were not distinguished from children's books or adult books, and it wasn't until Harry Potter that the New York Times made a separate bestseller list for children's books. If a non-traditional book makes people pay a little more attention to the struggles of the picture book industry and reminds us that reading to our children is good for them and maybe even better for us, than I hope the publishing industry continues to produce books that challenge the market.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday Five: A Bundle of Book News
Most of the people who read this blog fall into one of two categories. The first are those who know me and want to find out what's going on in my life. The second are those who love books and come here looking for book recommendations. For the people in the first group, you might not think this post is about my life, but I assure you I have spent more time contemplating these issues than anything else in my life this week (with the possible exception of my not-so-internal grad school debate). For the second group, much of this will be old news though maybe you'll be happy to see someone else cares just as much as you do. And for those of you who fall into both categories, well, that's why you're my best friends in the world.
1. ALA Youth Media Awards: I could not have been more excited for the authors honored by the ALA. This year, more than any year I can remember, the awards reflect a great cross-section on literary works for children that highlight the skill of writers and the diversity of readers. I was, however, disappointed not to see Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos on the nonfiction list. But the Quick Picks almost made up for it by listing several of my favorite QPs.
2. Today Show Snub: My exhilaration was quickly followed by great frustration when those well-deserving winners were cut from the Today Show's usual coverage. We wonder why children aren't reading and media is taking over the lives of our children. Umm...maybe it's because we aren't setting a very good example for them. Maybe it's because we aren't instilling within them a love of books anymore. We should be ashamed of our selves that Snooki, a character who will be forgotten sooner than her tan fades, takes precedence over characters who will be a part of the literary world for more than a hundred years to come. Oh, yeah, and the 90-second Newbery videos being made as a form of protest are kind of hysterical.
3. Copyright Violations: This has not always been an issue I much cared about. But as I've gotten older, learned more about intellectual property and experienced first-hand the frustration of breaking into the publishing industry, this topic infuriates me. People, go to the library! Spend $20 on a book rather than a movie! Find a book exchange! Learn to live without a book! But for heaven sakes, don't steal from a poor author by ripping their books online, no matter how unfair you think the pricing is. Find another way to communicate your frustrations, but don't illegally download books just because you feel you are entitled to the content. Because you're not! The only person who's entitled to that content--legally, ethically and morally--is the author who created it.
4. Sad News from Lisa Madigan: It's not every day you hear a contemporary author so openly address her own mortality. Fortunately, Lisa Madigan exhibits a grace and internal strength that is far from common. A friend going through a mastectomy recently wrote her friends: "I knew I wanted to share this journey with you and not only it would allow others to cry with me but it would allow others to pray for me, to fast for me and to comfort me. Thank you so much for your prayers, for your tears and for your faith!" I thank Lisa for doing the same, and I hope her fans and the writing community will give her the same support my friend is feeling.
5. Comic Books, Poetry and Mark Twain: I think it's funny that stories on all these subjects are currently floating around the blog-o-sphere. I can't tell you how many people tell me they don't get comic books, they can't stand reading poetry, and they hope never to have to pick up another "classic" book again. But the truth is, our lives are richer for all of these types of creative works. They expand our horizons, give us commonality and at least provide us with a medium we love to hate.
1. ALA Youth Media Awards: I could not have been more excited for the authors honored by the ALA. This year, more than any year I can remember, the awards reflect a great cross-section on literary works for children that highlight the skill of writers and the diversity of readers. I was, however, disappointed not to see Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos on the nonfiction list. But the Quick Picks almost made up for it by listing several of my favorite QPs.
2. Today Show Snub: My exhilaration was quickly followed by great frustration when those well-deserving winners were cut from the Today Show's usual coverage. We wonder why children aren't reading and media is taking over the lives of our children. Umm...maybe it's because we aren't setting a very good example for them. Maybe it's because we aren't instilling within them a love of books anymore. We should be ashamed of our selves that Snooki, a character who will be forgotten sooner than her tan fades, takes precedence over characters who will be a part of the literary world for more than a hundred years to come. Oh, yeah, and the 90-second Newbery videos being made as a form of protest are kind of hysterical.
3. Copyright Violations: This has not always been an issue I much cared about. But as I've gotten older, learned more about intellectual property and experienced first-hand the frustration of breaking into the publishing industry, this topic infuriates me. People, go to the library! Spend $20 on a book rather than a movie! Find a book exchange! Learn to live without a book! But for heaven sakes, don't steal from a poor author by ripping their books online, no matter how unfair you think the pricing is. Find another way to communicate your frustrations, but don't illegally download books just because you feel you are entitled to the content. Because you're not! The only person who's entitled to that content--legally, ethically and morally--is the author who created it.
4. Sad News from Lisa Madigan: It's not every day you hear a contemporary author so openly address her own mortality. Fortunately, Lisa Madigan exhibits a grace and internal strength that is far from common. A friend going through a mastectomy recently wrote her friends: "I knew I wanted to share this journey with you and not only it would allow others to cry with me but it would allow others to pray for me, to fast for me and to comfort me. Thank you so much for your prayers, for your tears and for your faith!" I thank Lisa for doing the same, and I hope her fans and the writing community will give her the same support my friend is feeling.
5. Comic Books, Poetry and Mark Twain: I think it's funny that stories on all these subjects are currently floating around the blog-o-sphere. I can't tell you how many people tell me they don't get comic books, they can't stand reading poetry, and they hope never to have to pick up another "classic" book again. But the truth is, our lives are richer for all of these types of creative works. They expand our horizons, give us commonality and at least provide us with a medium we love to hate.
Friday, December 3, 2010
An Update
The DCPD is offering a $25,000 reward for information concerning Prince Okorie's shooting. While it's too late to prevent Prince's death and nothing will ever change that, it's not too late to help figure out why this happened and maybe, just maybe, we can prevent something like this from happening again.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
More than a statistic
"A 16-year-old was fatally shot in the head Tuesday afternoon on a street corner in the Petworth area of Northwest Washington, D.C. police said.What this article fails to mention is that Prince was known and loved by many people. Not only did I work with him in a tutoring program, but I attended the same church congregation, I know his family, and I see how this tragedy is leaving those who cared about Prince in shock.
"Police responded for the sounds of gunshots at 8th Street and Delafield Place about 4:30 p.m., and found Prince Okorie, of Northwest Washington, suffering from gunshot wounds, said Officer Hugh Carew, a spokesman. Okorie was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead."
According to the D.C. police department statistics, there have been 120 homicides so far this year, which continues a downward trend that has been occurring for the past two years. And compared to the 232 murders that happened in 2001, we are making great strides to improve the safety of the city. Unfortunately, 40% of these crimes are still unsolved, and about 30% of them will become "cold cases" that are no longer actively investigated.
I can't help thinking about the numbers when I think about Prince. How I don't like those numbers. How I don't find any comfort in knowing homicide rates are down. How those numbers don't represent Prince.
Prince was your average teenager. He fought with his sister and talked back to his mother and tried pushing the boundaries. But he was also quiet and sweet and smart. He could have been anything, done anything with his life. All that potential lost.
Too many children are eaten alive by the violence of the inner city. And sometimes, no matter how much people love them or how hard people try to help them, the statistics don't play in their favor. So the next time you read about the statistics, see Prince there. Those numbers are important because there are people behind them. And every one of them matters.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
I won't talk about elections. I won't. I refus--
Not only do I work in Washington, DC, but I work in health care reform, so there was no avoiding Election Day. Especially when I was politically raised in Illinois. Were I worked for a former governor. And started volunteering for campaigns before I was old enough to vote. I come from a long line of political junkies from both sides of the isle, and no matter how badly I wanted to go to bed Tuesday night, there was no way I could go to sleep knowing the gubernatorial race was down to a fraction of a percent.
Old habits die hard, I guess.
Now I'm more involved in national politics, but I still want to go to the local polls as an informed voter. Unfortunately, this year I felt all the information I had was about what a terrible job the other guy would do and not what kind of policymaker the candidate I was looking at would be. Even days later, I still don't know if I made the right decision. I guess that's one of the risks you have to take as a voter. While it might not be pleasant and you might not be happy with the type of legislator the candidate becomes, you still need to take part in the process so your voice can be heard.
I'm getting off my high horse now...
Yeah, so I've gotten a horrible start to NaNoWriMo. It's a good thing it's only a few days in so I can rededicate myself. (Although I guess I have to dedicate myself before I can rededicate myself.)
Old habits die hard, I guess.
Now I'm more involved in national politics, but I still want to go to the local polls as an informed voter. Unfortunately, this year I felt all the information I had was about what a terrible job the other guy would do and not what kind of policymaker the candidate I was looking at would be. Even days later, I still don't know if I made the right decision. I guess that's one of the risks you have to take as a voter. While it might not be pleasant and you might not be happy with the type of legislator the candidate becomes, you still need to take part in the process so your voice can be heard.
I'm getting off my high horse now...
Yeah, so I've gotten a horrible start to NaNoWriMo. It's a good thing it's only a few days in so I can rededicate myself. (Although I guess I have to dedicate myself before I can rededicate myself.)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
My Personal Experience with Speak and Other Challenged Books
Reading everyone's stories about how reading a banned or challenged book changed their lives has inspired me to share my own story.
This is not information I share often or lightly. In fact, not even my little brother has heard this story before, and I can count on one hand the number of friends who know what happened to me that summer. So know that in sharing this with you, I am giving voice to how desperately important it is to give children the freedom to read what they need, when they need it.
Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson wasn't published until I was a senior in high school, but I wish I had that book for myself the summer after eighth grade. I had gone on a trip with some friends, and while my experience pales in comparison to what Melinda faced in the book, I was violated by someone I trusted. I felt hurt and alone and afraid--feelings I had never felt before in my life. My parents weren't there, and I found myself not knowing what to do. Luckily, there was another friend on this trip who convinced me to tell an adult what happened. My friend hugged me and told me it would be all right and then held my hand as I told someone who could help. I got counseling, I received love and support, and I was able to face what happened to me.
Not all teenagers have that same support system. And even if they do have that support system, they don't realize it's there or how to access it or what might happen if they try. What they do have are champions like Laurie Halse Anderson and Chris Crutcher and Walter Dean Myers and Ellen Hopkins. They have books they can hold in their hands. Words that are spoken and written for them when they can't do it for themselves. When kids don't feel they have someone they can lean on for support, they can find support in books. They can know they are not alone. They have a hand to hold and a voice of reason when their world feels like it's falling apart. And if they can discover this support system before anything bad ever happens to them? All the better!
By banning books, we are not protecting children. We are removing their support system. We are cutting them off at the knees before they even have a chance to stand. So the next time your child comes home with a book you don't think is appropriate for them, maybe you should ask yourself what information you're missing.
I finally read Speak about five years ago. When I found the courage to pick it up, I cried myself to sleep. I cried for Melinda, and I cried for myself, and I cried for all the girls who go through the same thing we did. But I also felt hope. I felt hope that somewhere out there, a girl was reading that book and realizing she wasn't alone. I felt hope that a boy was reading it and deciding to treat his girlfriend with a little more respect. I felt hope that a parent was reading it and understanding why some things make a child fall silent. I felt hope that a teacher was reading it and finding a way to reach a student who had fallen silent.
I am currently reading ttyl
by Lauren Myracle, one of the most frequently challenged books of 2009. In all honesty, I'm not expecting this novel to change me the way Speak did, but I read it in honor of those who cannot read it because it has been taken out of their libraries or classrooms or bookshelves. I read it because some children aren't silenced because of a horrible experience but because a misguided adult has chosen to silence them before they can #SpeakLoudly.
This is not information I share often or lightly. In fact, not even my little brother has heard this story before, and I can count on one hand the number of friends who know what happened to me that summer. So know that in sharing this with you, I am giving voice to how desperately important it is to give children the freedom to read what they need, when they need it.
Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson wasn't published until I was a senior in high school, but I wish I had that book for myself the summer after eighth grade. I had gone on a trip with some friends, and while my experience pales in comparison to what Melinda faced in the book, I was violated by someone I trusted. I felt hurt and alone and afraid--feelings I had never felt before in my life. My parents weren't there, and I found myself not knowing what to do. Luckily, there was another friend on this trip who convinced me to tell an adult what happened. My friend hugged me and told me it would be all right and then held my hand as I told someone who could help. I got counseling, I received love and support, and I was able to face what happened to me.Not all teenagers have that same support system. And even if they do have that support system, they don't realize it's there or how to access it or what might happen if they try. What they do have are champions like Laurie Halse Anderson and Chris Crutcher and Walter Dean Myers and Ellen Hopkins. They have books they can hold in their hands. Words that are spoken and written for them when they can't do it for themselves. When kids don't feel they have someone they can lean on for support, they can find support in books. They can know they are not alone. They have a hand to hold and a voice of reason when their world feels like it's falling apart. And if they can discover this support system before anything bad ever happens to them? All the better!
By banning books, we are not protecting children. We are removing their support system. We are cutting them off at the knees before they even have a chance to stand. So the next time your child comes home with a book you don't think is appropriate for them, maybe you should ask yourself what information you're missing.
Why is my child reading that book? What does my child need from me? How can I work with that author to teach my child?Authors don't write books to subvert a parent's authority. A publisher doesn't spend money to promote books just because they what to shock people with how far they can push the first amendment. Books are written because there is a story to tell and an audience who wants and needs to hear it.
I finally read Speak
about five years ago. When I found the courage to pick it up, I cried myself to sleep. I cried for Melinda, and I cried for myself, and I cried for all the girls who go through the same thing we did. But I also felt hope. I felt hope that somewhere out there, a girl was reading that book and realizing she wasn't alone. I felt hope that a boy was reading it and deciding to treat his girlfriend with a little more respect. I felt hope that a parent was reading it and understanding why some things make a child fall silent. I felt hope that a teacher was reading it and finding a way to reach a student who had fallen silent.I am currently reading ttyl
by Lauren Myracle, one of the most frequently challenged books of 2009. In all honesty, I'm not expecting this novel to change me the way Speak did, but I read it in honor of those who cannot read it because it has been taken out of their libraries or classrooms or bookshelves. I read it because some children aren't silenced because of a horrible experience but because a misguided adult has chosen to silence them before they can #SpeakLoudly.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
I Read Banned Books
Nothing gets me fired up like talking about censorship. Stifling freedom of speech in this manner is despicable. It thwarts creativity and prohibits critical thinking. Instead of allowing people--especially young adults--to make their own decisions about what they want to be and who they are becoming, restricting access to books and media decreases cultural understanding and whitewashes history.
This year I'll be reading To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee and ttyl by Lauren Myracle. What will you be reading next week?
"Our teens need us to be honest with them about the harsh realities of life. Knowledge protects them. Truth gives them power."I am 100% apposed to forced censorship, but that doesn't mean people of any age should be reading anything. It is a parent's job (and to a lesser extent, a teacher's job) to help children select age appropriate books that challenge their reading level and get them thinking beyond themselves. And if a reader is uncomfortable with the content of a book they're reading (e.g. sex, language, violence), it's okay to put it down. But to comprehensively dismiss a book for an entire community of readers because you don't agree with its message is inexcusable.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."There are several ways you can speak out against book banning:
- Join the #speakloudly trend on twitter.
- Select a frequently challenged book to read.
- Add a widget or change your profile picture to your favorite banned book.
- Talk to your kid/parent/teacher/friend about your feelings on banning books.
- Challenge yourself to speak out about something you believe in.
This year I'll be reading To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee and ttyl by Lauren Myracle. What will you be reading next week?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)