Mechele Armstrong's Blog, page 7
October 4, 2012
Banned Books Week: Why it matters
Imagine a world where there is nothing to read. If you're like me, that's a NIGHTMARE. I can't imagine. It would be a world not worth living in quite frankly.
Well, if books are challenged and removed from shelves at will, we could wind up in a world where there's nothing left.
Let's face it, we have all topics we don't want to see in books. We all have books we don't really like and possibly do not think anyone should read. The problem comes in when we don't leave it at "My kid/I won't read that" and try to move toward, "No one's kid/No one should read that."
I know there are books I've let my children read that others may not let their children read at a certain age or ever. I have no problems with them saying their child can't read something, and I've held my children off from a book until they were a little older. I have no problem with someone not wanting to read a book due to content.
Just don't try to make that book not available to anyone else to read.
Mechele
Well, if books are challenged and removed from shelves at will, we could wind up in a world where there's nothing left.
Let's face it, we have all topics we don't want to see in books. We all have books we don't really like and possibly do not think anyone should read. The problem comes in when we don't leave it at "My kid/I won't read that" and try to move toward, "No one's kid/No one should read that."
I know there are books I've let my children read that others may not let their children read at a certain age or ever. I have no problems with them saying their child can't read something, and I've held my children off from a book until they were a little older. I have no problem with someone not wanting to read a book due to content.
Just don't try to make that book not available to anyone else to read.
Mechele
October 3, 2012
Banned Books Week: What books are challenged and Why?
The books on the challenged/banned list run the gamut.
It's anything from And Tango Makes Three to In the Night Kitchen, both children's picture books to children's chapter books like Captain Underpants to Bridge to Terabithia to Julie of the Wolves to young adult novels like Sandpiper, ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r, The Hunger Games to classics like The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, Lord of the Flies, 1984, Huckleberry Finn, Fahrenheit 451 to popular fiction like Harry Potter and Twilight. Several books by Stephen King and Judy Blume have been banned/challenged in years past.
Generally when people are asked to name their favorite book, To Kill a Mockingbird is somewhere on that list. And yep it's been challenged/banned as well.
ALA took a list of the Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century and counted off how many book on that list had been challenged/banned. These are just ones they know about but 45/100 books have been challenged and yet are considered the top novels of the 20th century.
Why do people challenge books?
The most common reasons books were challenged from 2001 to 2010
- “sexually explicit”
- “offensive language”
- “unsuited to age group”
- “violence”
- “homosexuality”
- "anti-family”
- "religious viewpoints"
I know Harry Potter has been challenged due to promotion of witchcraft.
Mechele Armstrong
It's anything from And Tango Makes Three to In the Night Kitchen, both children's picture books to children's chapter books like Captain Underpants to Bridge to Terabithia to Julie of the Wolves to young adult novels like Sandpiper, ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r, The Hunger Games to classics like The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, Lord of the Flies, 1984, Huckleberry Finn, Fahrenheit 451 to popular fiction like Harry Potter and Twilight. Several books by Stephen King and Judy Blume have been banned/challenged in years past.
Generally when people are asked to name their favorite book, To Kill a Mockingbird is somewhere on that list. And yep it's been challenged/banned as well.
ALA took a list of the Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century and counted off how many book on that list had been challenged/banned. These are just ones they know about but 45/100 books have been challenged and yet are considered the top novels of the 20th century.
Why do people challenge books?
The most common reasons books were challenged from 2001 to 2010
- “sexually explicit”
- “offensive language”
- “unsuited to age group”
- “violence”
- “homosexuality”
- "anti-family”
- "religious viewpoints"
I know Harry Potter has been challenged due to promotion of witchcraft.
Mechele Armstrong
October 2, 2012
Banned Books Week: Most challenged books of 2011
The list changes from year to year. The reasons for the most part do not.
After I read it, I told my older daughter, who LOVES the Hunger Games, I bet this series will wind up on the challenged books list and it did in 2010. It moved from 5 in 2010 to 3 in 2011.
1.ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
2.The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
3.The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence
4.My Mom's Having A Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
5.The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
6.Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint
7.Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit
8.What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit
9.Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit
10.To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language; racism
Mechele.
After I read it, I told my older daughter, who LOVES the Hunger Games, I bet this series will wind up on the challenged books list and it did in 2010. It moved from 5 in 2010 to 3 in 2011.
1.ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
2.The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
3.The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence
4.My Mom's Having A Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
5.The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
6.Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint
7.Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit
8.What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit
9.Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit
10.To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language; racism
Mechele.
October 1, 2012
Banned Books Week: Quotes
“All of us can think of a book... that we hope none of our children or any other children have taken off the shelf. But if I have the right to remove that book from the shelf - that work I abhor - then you also have exactly the same right and so does everyone else. And then we have no books left on the shelf for any of us.”
― Katherine Paterson
Top Quotes about about book banning:
"If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed." - Benjamin Franklin, 1730
"Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance." -Lyndon Baines Johnson
"Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books that nobody reads." - George Bernard Shaw
"One man's vulgarity is another's lyric." - John Marshall Harlan, Supreme Court justice, 1971
"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it." - Mark Twain
"An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all." - Oscar Wilde
Free people read freely!
Mechele
― Katherine Paterson
Top Quotes about about book banning:"If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed." - Benjamin Franklin, 1730
"Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance." -Lyndon Baines Johnson
"Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books that nobody reads." - George Bernard Shaw
"One man's vulgarity is another's lyric." - John Marshall Harlan, Supreme Court justice, 1971
"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it." - Mark Twain
"An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all." - Oscar Wilde
Free people read freely!
Mechele
September 30, 2012
Banned Books Week: On the Web
Celebrate the Freedom to Read!
Some states are having activities recognizing the week and banned/challenged books.
Some states are having activities recognizing the week and banned/challenged books.
September 28, 2012
Friday Five
1. I'm discovering when I'm reading, I write more. Who knew? Hmmm now I have an excuse to buy books and read!
2. Am reading Fahrenheit 451. Just read Night Season by Chelsea Cain, who must lace her books with crack. I enjoy her writing style. Have Kill You Twice to read too.
3. Had an awesome idea during insomnia the other night. It's going to be a present for anyone who is a member of my newslettter group. Can't wait!!!
4. No word from the editor. Work continues on the WIP.
5. Watched Warehouse 13. Whoooooaaaa. Didn't see that coming. Can't wait until next week. And Castle is back! I loved the season premiere. I suspect it's going to be a great ride this season. Watched Revolution. Meh. Still not sure how I feel. I like Miles but Charlie needs to Katniss-up. Watched all of Primeval. Am sad now that there is no more. Primeval New World still doesn't have a US distributor. Boooooooo hisss. Dr. Who mid season finale is Sat, too.
May the muses have books Mechele
2. Am reading Fahrenheit 451. Just read Night Season by Chelsea Cain, who must lace her books with crack. I enjoy her writing style. Have Kill You Twice to read too.
3. Had an awesome idea during insomnia the other night. It's going to be a present for anyone who is a member of my newslettter group. Can't wait!!!
4. No word from the editor. Work continues on the WIP.
5. Watched Warehouse 13. Whoooooaaaa. Didn't see that coming. Can't wait until next week. And Castle is back! I loved the season premiere. I suspect it's going to be a great ride this season. Watched Revolution. Meh. Still not sure how I feel. I like Miles but Charlie needs to Katniss-up. Watched all of Primeval. Am sad now that there is no more. Primeval New World still doesn't have a US distributor. Boooooooo hisss. Dr. Who mid season finale is Sat, too.
May the muses have books Mechele
September 27, 2012
September 21, 2012
Friday Five
1. Yes, it's been a while since I've done one of these.
2. No, I haven't heard from my editor yet and the pins and needles hurt.
3. Still reading some young adult. Jennifer Brown's newest one was good. Also read a book by Garth Nix that was great. Chelsea Cain must lace her books with crack. Have one by her to read but haven't started it because I know I'll be up until all hours.
4. Fall is coming! Fall is coming! No, I'm not excited or anything *Grins*.
5. Been watching Primeval. Love love this series. The 1st, 2nd, and 4th series especially. Have just started the 5th series/season. Have become an Andrew Lee Potts fan. His portrayal of Connor is epic. Doctor Who and Warehouse 13 have both been very good. Am so looking forward to Castle and the Walking Dead. Have missed them.
May the muses have fall
Mechele
2. No, I haven't heard from my editor yet and the pins and needles hurt.
3. Still reading some young adult. Jennifer Brown's newest one was good. Also read a book by Garth Nix that was great. Chelsea Cain must lace her books with crack. Have one by her to read but haven't started it because I know I'll be up until all hours.
4. Fall is coming! Fall is coming! No, I'm not excited or anything *Grins*.
5. Been watching Primeval. Love love this series. The 1st, 2nd, and 4th series especially. Have just started the 5th series/season. Have become an Andrew Lee Potts fan. His portrayal of Connor is epic. Doctor Who and Warehouse 13 have both been very good. Am so looking forward to Castle and the Walking Dead. Have missed them.
May the muses have fall
Mechele
September 19, 2012
Hitting send on a new submission leads to instant butterf...
Hitting send on a new submission leads to instant butterflies. But A Walk on the Wild Side of Wicked has been sent off. Cue nail biting!!
August 11, 2012
Loose Id's new site is up! Check it out. And from now unt...
Loose Id's new site is up! Check it out. And from now until Aug 19, get 25% off all purchases! My author page(s): http://www.loose-id.com/authors/l-p.html?cat=315
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