October is such a great month for books!

October is a great month for books because there are at least two wonderfully fun celebrations that I know of going on.

This is the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week. A week long celebration of our freedom to read what we please, Banned Books Week has inspired schools, librarians, booksellers, & the general public to question what (if any) limits should be put on reading. The top ten most challenged titles of 2011 include The Hunger Games and My Mom's Having A Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy. You can see the full list as well as check for local events on the Banned Books Week website.

On a more delicious note, October is also National Cookie & National Book month. During the month of October, if you donate a book at a Great American Cookies store, you'll receive a free regular cookie of your choice! Get more information on the book drive and find participating locations.

Do you know of any other awesome bookish events in October?

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

In honor of Banned Books Week, an Ellen Hopkins book. Enjoy.

Twin sisters, both with secrets. Not just from each other, but from everyone. Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins with similar, but different problems.

Kaeleigh is emotional detached, a loner. She rides the school bus to be away from others, she works at a retirement home setting up meals, and she does not leave the house without Daddy's permission. Oh, and she is Daddy's replacement since Mom has moved on to the political arena and out from their lives. He drinks himself practically into oblivion and then sneaks into his daughter's bedroom, like he has for quite a few years, and gets the love he desperately misses from his wife. Too bad the only person she really wants is her best friend Ian.

Raeanne is just the opposite. She craves male attention because she feels unwanted by Daddy. She seeks out that attention in sexually with her drug-supplier and another random guy that she meets while fantasizing about her history teacher. She is rebellious in a sarcastic and smart-allick way, knowing when to stop just shy of "the line". Raeanne also feels like a protector for Kaeleigh. While she knows what's going on between her sister and her father, she does nothing to stop it.

As the election draws near tempers begin to flare as the girls' paternal grandparents, long missing from their lives, resurface separately and attempt contact with the family. The girls, unsure how to handle this and confused at their Daddy's vehement hatred of his own parents, set out to get to the bottom of what's going on; naturally they go about it in different ways with shocking results.

A grab-you-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of book, Identical is astonishing and heart wrenching. Ellen Hopkins has done it again with her artful way of writing just enough that you understand, without having to spell out every single action. The rhythm and meter of her work is captivating and will suck you in in no time. True to form as well, this book has a twist that I am sure no one will see coming. I can't wait to read her latest work, Tricks.

Banned Books Week September 26 - October 3

Banned Books Week has arrived again! This is a week where the freedom to read whatever you please and the First Amendment are celebrated. Many books and authors have been challenged over the years for many varying issues such as homosexuality, sexually explicit content, drugs, violence, or just plain old offensive language.

Censorship is a dangerous thing because once it gets started, there is no foreseeable end in sight. Therefore, during this week people are encouraged to explore books that have been challenged or banned and to attempt open and frank discussions surrounding their content.

Some popular and familiar titles that have been challenged or banned include, but are most certainly not limited to:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

A present day example of attempted censorship is available by studying what happened to Ellen Hopkins in Normal, Oklahoma. She was UNINVITED to come speak to eighth graders because A parent requested that her book be reconsidered. Story here.

So celebrate your right to read freely! Enjoy the attached links providing information on events across the country, banned/challenged book lists, and what you can do!

Events
Statistics
Lists: Classics 100 Most Frequently Challenged
You can help!