Banned Books: In the Hand of the Beholder

Welcome to the American Library Association's annual Banned Book week where we celebrate what it means to read in the United States!

In preparing for this post I looked up the 2012 Top Ten Challenged Books and was surprised to discover Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series at the top of the list. With titles like Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets (Pt.1) I can't fault people for being skeptical or concerned but given that the first book came out in 1997, I expected a more current title, with more graphic content (as compelling as nasal secretions are, we all know stickier situations exist).

Confession time- this librarian banned Captain Underpants in our home. Back in the day (early 2000's) when I read to my boys every night, I brought home one of the books because I knew they were popular, especially with boys. (Boogers!) I read one chapter and stopped. It wasn't that I minded the potty humor (As the mom of two boys how could I not?) but I hated the way the adults and kids spoke to one another. Neither side had respect for the other and that's what I wanted banned from the house.

Pilkey is a hugely successful author both commercially and critically, his picture book The Paperboy was a Caldecott Honor Book. His books continue to be favorites of school-age readers which shows me that had I been willing to finish reading an entire book of his, I might have read more. You could call what I did censorship, but I'd prefer to call it parenting.

The books that continue to be challenged (like The Hunger Games, To Kill A Mockingbird and most recently Ralph Ellison's classic Invisible Man) are as popular and relevant as ever. Why? It's quite simple- people connect to the characters and story. As a writer it's my job to create characters that readers can relate to and root for. It's the level of connection that creates bestsellers or classics. Captain Underpants makes kids laugh and gets reluctant readers to enjoy, perhaps for the first time, a chapter book. Is that a bad thing?

Books are a form of art and art is subjective, but all art tells a story. Sadly many of the stories about the human condition involve pain, war, death and a host of other upsetting topics. Keep in mind that where there's darkness, light will follow.

Parents should feel comfortable being informed and involved in  media choices for their own children. Just remember, the book that offends you might very well be a life-saver for someone else.

Starving for THE HUNGER GAMES

Rabid. Famished. Feral.

Anticipation for the first film based on Suzanne Collins' incredible trilogy has reached critical mass. Libraries across the country are struggling to meet demand for the books (including the Horizon Library Media Center) while watercooler conversations are singularly focused on the series. No matter your age, chances are you've heard about the series and have considered reading it or lost a weekend while you did (that's what happened to me).

We haven't seen anything like this since the Harry Potter days.

What? What about the Twilight series? How could I skip mentioning it? Easy- for all its popularity (and controversy) Twilight never crossed gender lines. The frantic TwiHard fans often seen on the news consisted of teen/tween girls and their cougar moms. None of the rare Y chromosome folks ever wanted to be captured on film.

Like the Harry Potter books, the Hunger Games series grabbed the interest of kids, teens and adults of both sexes. How does an author mange that? Good writing helps of course, which J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins demonstrated, but it's more than that. In both series the kids (teens really) are the heroes but they are surrounded by adults who are presented as flawed, fabulous and occasionally fatal. The honest depiction of adults on each side of the good/evil axis draws readers of all ages and genders in. The adults don't sugar coat and patronize the kids, nor do they rescue  them. They aid, support or interfere depending on their desires, but the kids ultimately have to do the hard work to achieve their reward or survival.

Harry Potter and Katniss appeal equally to girls and boys which, in my opinion is the true feat the authors achieved. Readers want and need a character they can believe in and root for as a protagonist. As a writer myself, I've heard a lot about how I'm supposed to convey a universal truth about the human experience. What could be more universal than having a character who has less than those around him or her, who wants more than life has offered so far and is who is willing to risk anything for the greater good?

Our boy readers here at Horizon have loved The Hunger Games, perhaps a bit more than Harry Potter since hand-to-hand combat is generally more exciting to read than a wizards' duel. A few have expressed that it felt odd at first to be in a girls' head, but they got over it quickly.

The adult readers here on campus are all drawn to the fast pace of the books and the cruelty of the regime that runs the Hunger Games. For parents it's difficult to imagine a world where you're required to enter your children in a game til the death as tribute to the government.

What's most exciting to me about the success and excitement surrounding the books and upcoming film is that we're all talking- kids and adults. Kids to adults, adults to kids, everyone to anyone who will listen.

Communication is the key to sustaining relationships and succeeding in life. Great stories (even fictional ones) have the ability to connect us not only to our imagination, but to each other. If you haven't read  The Hunger Games yet, I encourage you to. For those of you who have, I'll see you in line at the midnight premiere!