I'll read what I want, when I want, and without labels...Thank you!

 

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 Censorship in any form really makes me angry and when I read this article today I was incensed. I understand a parent who doesn't want their child to read certain books and/or not be able to check them out from a school library. I've had several parents call me to make sure that I put notes on their child's library account so that a flag comes up that reminds me not to allow them to check out "Harry Potter" or "Fear Street by R.L. Stine." I follow their requests because they're the parents after all...doesn't mean though that other kids can't check them out. I also do not label books in any fashion. No stickers for holidays, historical fiction, comedy, etc. Why? Because I think kids need to learn how to use the library catalog and search for books under keywords, subjects, author name. And I think they need to browse and pull books out and spend a few minutes with it to see if it might be one that they will enjoy. Heck, I quit putting those annoying "Accelerated Reader" sticker on the spines. Because frankly, I despise AR!!! But that's a whole 'nother post!! Let me get back to the issue, which is censorship. The issue here is that this parent wants the PUBLIC library to label all YA books so that kids know what they're getting before they open it. This parent wants the "naughty" books put somewhere else. This parent wants to tell YOU and YOUR child what is acceptable to read....what do you think about that?

Here is the article, read it and tell me what you think?

This article originally appeared in SLJ's Extra Helping.

By Lauren Barack -- School Library Journal, 4/26/2010 2:10:00 PM

Dixie Fechtel wants to know the kinds of books her daughters check out of the local public library’s YA section. That’s why the Leesburg, FL, mom of two is pushing for labels on any book aimed at teens containing material that refer to illegal acts or what she calls “inappropriate.” “We’re not trying to ban books,” she says. “We just want kids to know what they’re getting into.

Leesburg branch of the Lake County Library System.

Fechtel’s fight has been a long one, starting in 2008 when she pushed for the Leesburg branch of the Lake County Library System (LCLS) to label books she felt had content unsuitable for teens. Back then, the library placed stickers that read "High School" on some books and reshelved them outside the teen reading room. But Fechtel says that’s not enough. She wants labels that delineate the content more clearly—and she wants them on books throughout Lake County. But Library Services Director for LCLS, Tom Merchant, who sat with Fechtel during her first round of requests, says she has not made any formal appeal this time through the library system.“Nor has she contacted me or anyone else directly associated with the library system,” says Merchant.Fechtel doesn’t argue that point, and instead has taken her cause directly to Lake County Board of County Commissioners, hoping to make inroads with them. She says two of them, Linda Stewart and Jimmy Conner, are both very concerned about the lack of labeling on books. Repeated calls to all five commissioners, including Conner and Stewart, the latter of whom serves as liaison to the Lake County Library System, were not returned. Fechtel has also enlisted the help of the Liberty Counsel, a self-described nonprofit ministry that provides free legal aid in “the areas of religious liberty, the sanctity of human life and the family,” according to its Web site. Through the group, Fechtel says she has provided commissioners with legal wording that could be attached to a library’s collection and development policy stating that materials mentioning illegal activities among minors shouldn’t be housed in a library.But why hasn’t Fechtel approached the Lake County Library System or the library itself?
“Been there, done that,” she says. “The system they have in place, probably dictated by the American Library Association, is not meant to accomplish anything for parents and citizens. It’s meant to wear you out.”
Merchant says that if Fechtel were to come in, he would tell her about the library’s reconsideration process. And he adds that industry-imposed labels do exist on DVDs and CDs in the library, but they still don’t affect where librarians might actually place those materials.
“Our policy clearly states that it’s a parent’s responsibility to review what their child is checking out,” he says. “It’s not our role to impose one group of parents’ idea on all children in the library.”

2009's Most Challenged Books

From ALA: Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books for 2009

Out of 460 challenges as reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom

1. “TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs
My Thoughts: I loved this series and found it to be very true as to how the teens today speak via texting, IM...I would recommend 9th grade+. Guess why I read this series??? A teacher where I worked tried to take a student's personal copy of this book because she didn't like it....well, if someone tells me that I CAN'T read something, then of course I'm going to get my hands on that book and READ IT!!!!

2. “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: Homosexuality

3. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide
My Thoughts: Another book that I so loved and I don't remember any anti-family thoughts...but hey, guess what world, lot's of kids feel that way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee
Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
My Thoughts: One of my favorite books ever. My son, Marcus is reading this one right now!

5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
My Thoughts: Sexually explicit??? LOL..what a joke!! Cheesy sexual thoughts especially in book 4!!!

6. “Catcher in the Rye,” by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
My Thoughts: I read this as an adult and just didn't get it....offensive language usually does not bother me.

7. “My Sister’s Keeper,” by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence
My thoughts: Some of the reasons for being challenged are because it is unsuited to age group...well, it is targeted to adults but with the movie lots of teens are now reading Picoult....that's a bad thing??? This book was NOT sexually explicit, and that's why America was created...FREEDOM OF RELIGION!

8. “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things,” by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
My Thoughts: I haven't read this one YET, but it is on my list!

9. “The Color Purple,” Alice Walker
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
My Thoughts: This book had a huge impact on me as a young adult....I may read this one again. Excellent book.

10. “The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
My thoughts: Geesh...when I get to work today I better take this one off the shelf...wouldn't want anyone to read about nudity!!!! or sex or bad words....naughty naughty!!

So tell me, have you read any of these books??? What are your thoughts on censorship? Have you ever complained about the contents of a book that your child read in school?

Do Book Reviews Still Matter?

This was taken directly from the email that I received:

Reviews have traditionally played a major part in a book's success. Authors and publishers looked to the trades to start a book's trajectory and then to the major newspapers and magazines to bring a book's merits to readers and book buyers. In the age of the internet, marketing and publicizing books is being radically altered. Print coverage is shrinking and the shift to online is marked by inconsistent, sometimes unreliable information by bloggers. Our panel will address what this changing climate means for the future power of book reviews

• What is the impact of book reviews, both print and online? How do they affect buying habits? Does a good review sell books? Does a negative review hurt sales?
• Is the authority of the book reviewer and the reputation of the publication still important? Will their hard won status hold the power in the new "democratic" climate?
• The critic James Wood said "prizes are the new reviews." Is this true?
• What does a publicist/author hope for these days in relation to reviews?
• A book could in the past be "well-reviewed" and a reputation established without astronomical sales. If authoritative reviews disappear, will this no longer be possible?
• Will the breaking down of the authority of the review mean the end of 'the ivory tower,' opening up possibilities for self published books and books that would not typically generate reviews?

So did the highlighted green part tick you off just a bit??????? Unreliable information by bloggers??? WTH?? We're the real readers out there, not the "professional reviewer." What are your thoughts on this and any of the bullet marked topics???? Speak up you naughty, unreliable bloggers.....let your thoughts be heard!!!
FYI: NO BLOGGERS ARE ON THE PANEL

EDITED TO ADD THE PANEL(Sorry I should've included this! 6:27 pm 1/29/2010)
PANELISTS:
Carol Fitzgerald is co-founder and president of The Book Report Network, a group of Internet sites about books and authors with programming for adults at Bookreporter.com, reading groups at ReadingGroupGuides.com, graphic novels at GraphicNovelReporter.com, Christian readers at FaithfulReader.com, teens at Teenreads.com and children at Kidsreads.com.

Lev Grossman is Time magazine's book critic and the author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Magicians.

Peter Hildick-Smith is president and founder of Codex-Group, a leader in book audience research. In addition to the firm’s author and new book development programs, Codex tracks ongoing book consumption trends nationally through its Early Read Book Preview survey. Peter was previously the vice president of merchandising for Bantam, Doubleday, Dell Publishing Group.

Dori Weintraub is deputy director of Publicity at St. Martin’s Press where she is also editor-at-large. Before working at St. Martin’s, she was the director of advertising and publicity at Harcourt. She began her career at Newmarket Press and is a graduate of the Denver Publishing Institute.

MODERATED BY: Louisa Ermelino, Reviews Director, PW

If you want to attend here's the info:
DATE: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 | TIME: 8:30-9AM (Registration); 9-10:30 AM (Panel)
LOCATION: Random House, Louis L. Amour Room (14th fl)
1745 Broadway (at 55th Street), New York, NY 10022

Review Burnout-Please Help!!!

image from: California Kit Fox

I was going to post a review for today, but as I sit here reading and commenting on blogs, I find myself with nothing to say!!! It isn't for lack of good books that I've read recently. And my husband and son can attest to the fact that me not talking is very rare. So what is the problem? I can't exactly pinpoint it, but right now I feel pretty unoriginal. I'm at a loss as how to put into words what each one of these books made me feel and to make it something that anyone would care to read. How many of you have had this happen? What did you do to re-energize your thoughts and creativity? I don't want to quit posting or take time off from my blog because I love doing it. I've just hit a road-block and need help getting around it. Any suggestions? Please share your stories with me and help give me a lift out of this funk!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!