Banned Books Week

The last week of September is honored each year as Banned Books Week. The American Library Association (ALA) has activities of all sorts. Bookstores, libraries, and a variety of literacy groups participate. Lists of most frequently challenged and banned books are published. Some people get quite excited. Others--probably most people--ignore the entire discussion.

When my daughters were in upper elementary school and older we would sometimes play a silly game of trying to think of a reason for any book to be banned.

What could be objectionable about Goldilocks and The Three Bears? Surely, you don't want children reading about a child who enters a house that is not hers, eats their food, breaks their chairs, and generally makes herself at home. What kind of lesson does that teach?

The Cat in the Hat? That classic can't be bad, can it? Let's see--a parent leaves children unattended and they let a total stranger come into the house. At the very least, that is not good parenting, at worst it is a lesson in trickery and ultimately lying to that neglectful parent.

I won't go on with this because you get the idea, I am sure. Can you think of other examples?

Just to get you excited, here are a few of the most challenged books of the 21st century. I think you will find some favorites on the list. Can you understand why some people might object to them?

Captain Underpants (all of the them) by Dav Pilkey

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Harry Potter (all of them) by J. K. Rowling

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Here are some authors who have had many challenges, often on more than one book, in the past 10 years.

Judy Blume

Roald Dahl

Kevin Henkes

Lois Lowry

Lauren Myracle

Barbara Park

I am eager to know what you think about banning books. We could get a good discussion going here.

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A side note: Lauren Myracle was one of our best visiting authors, ever. Her challenged books are the ones for high school students. We don't own those books, but many, many girls have enjoyed reading her books for upper elementary and middle school--Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen. They are great books to read to get inside the mind of a girl of those ages. They are funny, touching, and very real. If you are about ten, you can think about what lies ahead. If you are older than the ages of the girl in the book, you can remember what you survived so well. If you are 11, 12, or 13, you will recognize yourself and your friends in these books.

What's Special About This Week--Sept.29-Oct. 3

September 29--National Chimney Sweep Day

While most folks probably think of Mary Poppins and the rooftops of London when they think of Chimney Sweeps, there are still many chimney sweeps around today. Professional chimney sweeps encourage you to get your chimney cleaned regularly. Chimney sweeps are also considered lucky in some parts of the world. Read this to learn about how seeing a chimney sweep on New Year's Day is supposed to bring good luck.



September 29, 1829--Scotland Yard established

By going to this site from Scotland Yard I not only learned about the history of the Metropolitan Police (the official name for Scotland Yard), I also learned about some of the famous investigation carried out by what may be the most famous police agency in the world.

At the Smithsonian site I learned why London's policemen are called "bobbies".

September 30--Chewing Gum Day

"Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?" asked a silly song my parents used to sing. I don't know the answer to that one, but you can find lots of information about chewing gum at the official website of the National Association of Chewing Gum Manufacturers.

September 30, 1868--Louisa Mae Alcott's Little Women published

I already told you that I have never read this book, but clearly lots of people have if it is now 140 years old and still popular.

October is National Dessert Month

I just thought you would want to know that.

Why is dessert spelled with a double 's'? Because with dessert you always want more. With a desert--especially if you have no dessert--you don't want more very often.

October 1--Tuvalu Independence Day

Tuvalu is an island in the South Pacific, so you know it has to be beautiful. It was granted independence from Kiribati on October 1, 1975. Read all about this island paradise at their official website.

October 1--World Smile Day

Isn't the Internet wonderful? I even found a site that tells you how to smile.
SMILE. :-)

October 2--National Custodial Workers Day

Emerson has the some of the best custodians in the world. Today, take a minute to thank Lisa, Ron, Brad, and Seth for all they do to make the school a better place for all of us. Take time every day to pick up after yourself.

October 2, 1967--Thurgood Marshall sworn in as U. S. Supreme Court Justice

Thurgood Marshall made history for many reasons, not the least being the first African American to serve on the United States Supreme Court. There are many good biographies of him such as Up Close: Thurgood Marshall by Chris Crowe that you can check out from the library. You can see pictures of Thurgood Marshall and then surf around the site for much more information.

October 3, 1955--Captain Kangaroo premieres on TV

You may have grown up without ever watching Captain Kangaroo, but his TV show was the favored show of young people for many, many years. It ran from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest running children's show in history. My generation could tell you all about Mr. Greenjeans and all the other Captain Kangaroo characters. Click here to learn about all the folks on the show. There are even videos of clips that may have kept your parents--or even your grandparents--entertained.

October 3, 1955--Mickey Mouse Club premiered on TV

The Mickey Mouse Club has changed a lot since the first version of it premiered in 1955. Now there are games and activities on the Internet if you go to the official Mickey Mouse Club site.

Quote of the Week--#006

"Readers are lucky--they will never be bored or lonely."

Natalie Babbit
Quoted in Quotations on Education
Compiled by Rosalie Maggio

It's Working

Good news!

Now that I have shown most of the 3-5 classes how to get to my blog, they have gotten excited. While there are no new comments, there is a wait list for The Lightning Thief. So people are talking.

Now I need you to talk back to these posts.

Remember, Emerson students, I am eager to post your book reviews for comment, too.

Falling from the Sky

Some of you may think of me as just as a boring old librarian. This video is to show you that I also have a little bit of a daredevil side. This was filmed in Taupo, New Zealand, in February of 2006, and was the highlight of a wonderful vacation.



Skydiving was truly the most fun I have ever had. I am ready to go again, so let me know if you would like to join me on an excursion--tandem, of course, with a trained professional. I think you have to be at least 18 years old. It is not cheap, but worth every penny.

Wacky Wednesday--Joke of the Week #005

Q. The alphabet goes from A to Z. What animal goes from Z to A?

A. (written from A to Z)--Arbez

What's Special About This Week--Sept. 22-26

September 22--Elephant Appreciation Day

There is so much information around about elephants that it is hard to narrow it all down. Try this website for an encyclopedia of elephant facts. The San Diego Zoo has pictures, video, and even a chance to hear a trumpeting elephant.

There are also many books in our library about elephants. Come look at all the elephant non-fiction books we have. One of my favorites is Elephants Can Paint, Too by Katya Arnold. With full page photos of elephants happily swinging paint brushes, this book tells a little bit about elephants who have been trained to paint plus some basic elephant facts.

If you are not in the mood for elephant facts, try some of these wonderful stories.

The Elephant's Child comes from Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories and may be my very favorite. The language is beautiful and the story is funny and exciting. You will want to go down to the banks of "the great grey-green greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever trees" just to see it for yourself, though you won't want to meet a crocodile or ask what he has for dinner.

Dr. Seuss has two elephant classics--Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches an Egg. As with any Seuss book, they are worth reading and re-reading many times.

When I was little the Babar books by Jean de Brunhoff always fascinated me. The copy we had was written in script so I spent hours amazed by the beauty of that script look before I could read it. When my children were growing up, I read the books to my girls. Because of these books, Celeste is one of my favorite names. Now you can read more about Babar and his family because Jean de Brunoff's son Laurent keeps writing a few more, though every few years I hear that he has decided to quit.

Michigan's own and much loved Patricia Polocco has abook with an elephant who is very different from Babar but just as enchanting. When you read Emma Kate you must decide for yourself if it is about a girl who has imaginary elephant for a friend or about an elephant who imagines a girl as a friend.

September 22, 2890--Bilbo Baggins' Birthday/Hobbit Day/Fantasies are Fabulous Day

If you would like to read Bilbo's biography and trace his family tree, here is the site for you.

Bilbo is almost like a personal friend to all of us who read and enjoyed this book when I was growing up. Be sure to read it before you read The Lord of the Rings trilogy. You will enjoy them all more this way.

"I am in fact a Hobbit, in all but size," J. R. R. Tolkien said about himself. He was a fascinating man who created an entire world right down to the language and script which the inhabitants used. He changed the world of fantasy. It is safe to say that Harry Potter and all the other fantasy stories that are so popular with Emerson students would be much different without the influence of Tolkien.

September 23, 1986--Rose declared to be official flower of the United States

It was on this date that the House of Representatives passed a declaration regarding the national flower. The Senate had passed the same resolution the previous year. In November of 1986, President Ronald Regan the proclamation that made the rose the official floral emblem of the United States. Be sure to stop and smell the roses today.

September 23, 1934--The Detroit Lions play their first game

While the Lions were not the first professional football team in Detroit, they were the first to stick around for more than a year or two. The official Detroit Lions site has a wealth of information on the history of the team as well as everything you might want to know about the current team.

September 24--Buy Nothing Day

What would it do to your piggy bank or to the national economy if you decided that for this one day you would buy absolutely nothing? What if everyone in the country made the same decision?

September 24, 1961--The Bullwinkle Show premiered on NBC

This was my favorite cartoon show when I was about 10. Just watching the trailer video on this website brought back great memories. (The link I offer you is to a site that is trying to sell you stuff. All you need to do is watch the trailer, get a good laugh, and move on.)

September 25--National Ask a Question Day

"There is no such thing as a dumb question."

But I have heard plenty of answers that were not very well thought out.

September 25, 1849--The nation's first state fair was held in Detroit

You've missed the state fair for this year. It was ran from August 22 to Labor Day. Next year you could be part of the crowd that has headed to Detroit every year since 1947. Prior to that year, the state fair moved to a different city each year. It was held in Ann Arbor in 1850.

September 26, 1985--Kalina becomes the first orca (killer whale) born in captivity at Sea World, Florida

Go here to see photos of Kalina. All of the whales who perform at Sea World have the stage name of Shamu, but behind the scenes they have their own names. If you want to watch the whales swimming in real time, visit the Shamu Cam,

September 26, 1580--Francis Drake completed circumnavigation of the globe

Francis Drake was a well known pirate before he became an explorer and the first British citizen to sail all the way around the world. Students have created this website of basic facts about Sir Francis Drake.