Part A: The final book reviews. Banned and Challenged books

First of all, I want to say that during my search for books, I found that a lot of them were not at my own library. I had to put holds on 75% of my books. Still, I enjoyed most of the books as well as learning about why the books made the ALA top 100 most frequently banned and challenged books of the last decade. Personally, I think that some of the reasoning behind these bans and challenges is a bit silly and anybody should be allowed to read these books if they have the skill to do so.

1) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Speak is about a girl who was raped at a party and called the cops but did not tell them what happened to her. She starts out 9th grade as the unpopular girl who had the cops come break up the party. She does not tell anybody what happened to her and she begins to withdraw from everyone and rarely speaks. She begins to fear for her best friend when she starts getting closer to the boy that took advantage of her at the party. She must find the strength to speak up and figure out where she truly belongs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it really stood out from other high school books. The main character obviously needed help and I wish that her prior friends had done something rather than ignore her. Being an outcast for ruining a party seems unfair especially when you don’t realize that there is something worse going on. This book really makes an impression on the average teenage girl but it also teaches you that if you don’t speak up (or at all), it will get you nowhere. One thing that I liked was that she expressed herself through painting even if she was hiding in a little room while doing her artwork. I think it may be a little haste to ban a book for the content when it is telling the reader that you should not be taken advantage of and actually take action.
Banned/Challenged for: sexual assault and language.


2) Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park
Mick Harte was Here is a book about a sister and her family that has to deal with the aftermath of her brother’s death. He was riding a bike without a helmet and hit his head after falling off from hitting a rock. It was a complete accident but Phoebe and her parents occasionally blame themselves for his death. It is a tragic yet hopeful book about a subject some people may know too much about.
Phoebe Harte takes the reader on a journey from before the accident to a month or so after the accident. It can be painful to read for a parent as neither of her parents deal with Mick’s death very well. There is serious depression from her mother and her father seems to be falling apart as well. Phoebe acts out and starts to torture her mother by saying Mick’s name a lot. I thought the book was well written especially when dealing with a death in the family. It also teaches the reader a valuable lesson that a bicycle helmet should be worn at all times. I think that is the most important part of the book as well as Phoebe Harte knowing that it was never her fault for her brother’s death.
Challenged, but retained at the Centennial Elementary School library in Fargo (ND) after parents complained to school officials that the book contains themes and language inappropriate for elementary students.

3) It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley
It’s Perfectly Normal is a book for the inquiring adolescent that contains information about the changing body and sex. The average tween and teen would feel too embarrassed to ask about these questions and this book has more than enough information to answer them. In going through the book, I don’t think I fully prepared myself for the amount of information that was actually given. I think that this book would really come in handy for those that were too shy to ask about anything in their changing years. I certainly never read a book that had so many pictures of nude bodies even if they are cartoons. It is extremely informative and would help the parent who feel too embarrassed to talk about sex or where babies come from. I know that most tweens will not ask me for a book on sex and their sexual health but this is definitely the book that they should be reading for all of their needs.
Banned/Challenged for: sexual content and value statements.
A Lewiston (ME) patron refused to return the book to the Lewiston and Auburn public libraries because she was "sufficiently horrified by the illustrations and sexually graphic, amoral, abnormal contents." A police investigation found the library did not violate the town ordinance against obscenity and the patron will stand trial for theft.

4) What My Mother Doesn’t Know by Sonya Sones
Sonja Sones' book is about a teenage girl who is discovering things about her body as well as boys. She goes through a few relationships throughout the year as well as dealing with her parents. They are constantly bickering and she doesn’t always have the best relationship with her mother. She relies on advice and help from her friends and they all hope to find Mr. Right. Written in poem format is the main concept of the book. I was not a fan of the way it was written so I could not get into this book as much as I would have liked. I do like that all the poems tell the story that the author is trying to get out and make the main character express herself in her own way. I believe that this book is mainly geared towards girls as there is a lot of talk about boys and how Sophie explores her own body. Personally, the book doesn’t stand out as particularly interesting to me but it may interest a younger audience.
Banned/Challenged due to sexual content and foul language.

5) Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Judy Blume is the adult that will tell you the truth about things when nobody else will. This book is about a girl named Margaret who is starting out the 6th grade in a new town and has no religion. She takes her time throughout the year to explore what possible religions would fit her best. She is also bonding her new friends who have made a pact to buy their first bras and tell each other when they get their first period. It is a book that includes first kisses and dances as well as crushes. This is my first Judy Blume book and I do not know how I never ended up reading anything by her. I would have loved this book as a pre-teen since I felt very similar to Margaret in more than one way. It is a wonderful book for girl who is slowly but surely coming into her own as well as anybody who is conflicted about religion.
Banned/ Challenged due to content involving menstruation and religion

6) Blubber by Judy Blume
Blubber is told in the perspective of a girl named Jill who is starting out the 5th grade and taking part in bullying. Wendy is the leader of the pack who chooses to pick on and bully Linda because she is overweight. Jill would rather take part in bullying Linda than stand up to Wendy because she is intimidating to the rest of the class. The point of the story is to point out that you should not let bullying happen but to actually do something about the situation.
In looking at the book as a whole, I think it sends a good message that you should not let yourself be bullied and you should stand up for yourself. When I first started this book, I liked a lot about the character Jill except when she took part in the bullying. It was very cruel and unfair to be so rude and merciless with Linda when she had done nothing wrong. Jude Blume definitely has an effect on the reader and made me feel like I was back in school where kids can be so cruel with each other. It is a book that I would definitely want the younger audience to read especially if they are having trouble speaking up about their own problems.
Banned/Challenged for language and no punishment brought against the bullies

7) Cut by Patricia McCormick
Callie used to be a runner before everything fell apart in her life. Her brother, Sam, has severe asthma and her parents seem to not be as close. She finds herself at Sea Pines after it was discovered that she had been cutting herself. Part of a group that includes eating disorders and emotional problems, she is the mysterious one. After a new girl joins the group who does the same thing as Callie, it is up to her to decide if she wants to get better or continue on her path of destruction.
I thought that there were similar elements to Speak when reading this book. Callie doesn’t speak to anyone for the longest time until she gets a call from her mom that they may kick her out. There are some tough storylines in this novel including the description of what she feels like when she cuts herself. I personally felt my arms tingling in an uncomfortable manner when reading about Callie cut her arms. This is a book about a serious problem in tweens and teens and I think it is a must read for anybody who is willing.
Banned/Challenged for explicit content and self inflicted harm

8) The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
The Face on the Milk Carton is a book about a girl who believes her parents kidnapped her but stumbles upon an even bigger scandal. Janie Johnson is minding her own business when one day she sees her younger self on the side of a milk carton. She has questions and does research but does not know what to do about everything. There is no way her loving mom and dad could have kidnapped her, is there? With the help of her next door neighbor and boyfriend Reeve, they both go down a path where questions are answered and even bigger mysteries await.
Personally, I was not expecting this at all when I first started reading the book. Janie is a well written character that made me want to follow her from the idea of kidnapping to finding out the bigger truth. The plot sounds like something straight out of a lifetime movie but it really made me want to continue reading until the end. I was not aware that this was part of a series but it is a series that I will definitely continue on down the road. The relationships between parent and child are tested throughout the book but I think they are stronger for having go through all of this. The Face on the Milk Carton is definitely a book I would recommend especially to those who have always wondered about their murky past.
Banned/Challenged for sexual content and challenge to authority

9) Staying Fat for Sarah Byrne by Chris Crutcher
Sarah Byrne was as ugly as Eric Calhoune was fat. That was the case until Eric joined the swim team and started losing weight. He was afraid to lose Sarah as a friend so he began eating even more until Sarah found out. Sarah has a dark past that is catching up with her and now she is in a near catatonic state at the psychiatric ward. Eric is trying to figure out how to help Sarah and find out what really happened to her all those years ago.
This book is fast paced and full of challenging subjects that really make the reader think. Eric is part of a contemporary class where the issues they talk about are normally avoided in a school setting. Christianity, abortion, and insanity follow the class and it can be hard to get a word in. The characters are well written and even the hard Christian boy has a redeeming quality in the end. It is not a book for everyone especially when you find out what two of the classmates did but it gets very exciting in the end when Sarah Byrne’s father will do anything to find her. The younger audience should read with caution but I believe anyone 12 and older should be able to handle this book.
Banned/Challenged for: talk of abortion and religion as well as child abuse

10) Crazy Lady by Jane Leslie Conly
Crazy Lady is about a boy named Vernon who grew up in a Catholic family with only their father to take care of them. Vernon is not the smartest kid in the family and is struggling in school. After running into the “crazy lady” and her son, she finds him the help he needs as long as he helps her in return. Vernon has trouble helping Maxine and her disabled kid, Ronald because Maxine gets drunk a lot. Vernon begins to form a bond with Maxine and Ronald and tries to help Ronald get into the Special Olympics.
In general, I thought that this book was average amongst all the other books that I read. I enjoyed seeing Vernon grow within the book as he found the help he needed for English as well as slowly bonding with his father. It touches upon difficult subjects including alcoholism as well as retardation. It was touching that Vernon wanted to help Ronald get into the Special Olympics as well as go on to win awards. I thought that it ended a bit abruptly but the ending got the point across. I would recommend the book to interested kids but they have to be aware of the language within the book.
Banned/Challenged for: Profanity and/or inappropriate language

11) Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Georgia Nicolson is having problems but has the help of her Ace friends. She starts out the school year mortified after having shaved off part of her eyebrow and she doesn’t have a boyfriend. She sees a Geordie boy (a boy from Newcastle) and must have him as a boyfriend. She and her friends scheme ways to get boyfriends as well as going to the cool parties.
The book is written in diary format which usually is not my preferred style of writing but I thought it made the book go by more quickly. It was a formulaic book of first kisses and first crushes but I think it was still written well enough to keep me entertained and interested. Georgie may seem a little superficial in the beginning but it is really how most girls her age end up acting. Not only does the reader get to learn about her life but the book is set in England so there is a whole new vocabulary that comes up. While some subjects may be just a little too old for the younger audiences, I see no problem with anybody in middle school or above reading this book.
Banned/Challenged for: Drug use and pervasive sexuality.

12) The Terrorist by Caroline B Cooney
Caroline Cooney seems to be similar in writing to Judy Blume since they both have multiple books on the banned/challenged list. The Terrorist is about a family who is trying to cope with the loss of their son after he is killed in a terrorist attack. One minute, Billy is handed a package and the next minute he is gone. Laura is upset and finds it hard to handle the fact that her brother is gone forever. She is determined to find out who killed her brother and is convinced that somebody in her school did it. She doesn’t realize how dangerous things could get in the process.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought that it was a quick read. It is always upsetting to lose someone in the family especially the way Billy died. Caroline Cooney gave Billy so much character and made him so loveable even when he was only in the book for such a short time. I felt connected with many of the characters and everything leading up to the climax of the book was very exciting. This is one book that would definitely go on my recommendation list to anybody wanting to read something different.
Banned/Challenged for: negative portrayal of Islamic religion and Arabs.

13) The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
Gilly Hopkins is a foster child who has bounced from home to home. She doesn’t want to go anywhere but where her mother is and she is hard to find these days. She definitely doesn’t want to live with a bunch of freaks like Maime Trotter and William Ernest. Gilly has a tough exterior because of her past but through friendships and these freaks that surround her, she may feel like she belongs more than she thought.
I thought that this book was perfect for foster kids who have a hard time fitting in with other kids or even with their families. Gilly had the privilege of hearing from her mother on rare occasion even if she wasn’t able to stay with her. It was a shorter read but concise and to the point about what the author was trying to say. Gilly may put up a fight when it comes to letting people in but she realizes who is important to her in the end. I really liked the teacher because she was actually trying to show that Gilly had a place with everyone else even if Gilly was stubborn. The book has had issues with foul language but I barely noticed it most of the time. I would have anybody read this book even if they are not having issues with their foster life.
Banned/Challenged for: language and conduct of the title character.

14) The Facts Speak for Themselves by Brock Cole
Linda walks into the police station to report that she witnessed the murder of a man that she may know. She has been having an affair with him and she is only 13. She tries to tell everyone the truth even if things may go askew. She holds nothing back and what the reader finds out is shocking.
I can definitely see why a book like this would be banned from some schools and libraries. Nothing is held back from the reader even when it may make you uncomfortable or shocked. The fact that Linda is only 13 years and she is having a sexual relationship with a middle aged man can really offend people. She mistakes sexual abuse for a relationship as well which can be difficult for many people to read. Still, I think that it is an important book to read especially for those trapped (or are willingly) in these kinds of relationships. The writing quality is gritty and straightforward. This is not a book I would recommend to everybody but I would recommend it to those who can handle the more mature subject matter.
Banned/Challenged for: sexual abuse and subject matter.

15) The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Virginia Shreves is not your average Shreve. She lives by the “Fat Girl Code of Conduct”, has an inferiority complex and lives for the computer. Her mother loves to exercise and her dad plays golf amongst other things in Connecticut. Virginia has a hard time living up to her older, more perfect siblings and then everything changes. Her older brother is suspended from college for date rape. Virginia takes her life into her own hands and changes. She is no longer willing to be belittled by her mother and finally stands up for herself.
I thought that this book was a pretty good read but there were a few slow parts. Virginia seemed like a stereotypical teen who seemed obsessed about her weight because she wasn’t the skinniest girl. I think that it ended with a positive message that included taking care of your body and not caring about what other people think. I would have hated to have self involved parents because they rarely saw Virginia as herself. Virginia does have a different take on sexuality than more plus size characters do. While she may not be comfortable in her body, she knows how to use it. I think that some of the subjects are harsh like her brother being a date raper and her having eating disorders. Still, there is a good sense of humor and wit within the book that I would recommend it to the other tween audience.
Banned/Challenged for: sexual content, being anti-family, and offensive language.