Banned Books Week--on the way to library

Actually nothing happened. LOL.

Last night, my local library system had a program on Banned Books Week. I'm sure the closest library to me has a display set up where you can actually sit behind a glass and do something dangerous...read a banned book.

But I digress.The program had a couple of local authors and they read from their favorite challenged books.

I took my 10 year old. LOL yeah. She's gotten to the age where I think she can understand about Banned Books Week. She was shocked, especially as a I pointed out her favorite series, Harry Potter has been challenged quite often. She couldn't understand why.

The authors handed out a list of frequently challenged books. I'd read more than 30. She'd read about 11. Yes, she's read challenged books. She reads a lot. I pretty much do not censor what she reads. She tells me about stories I haven't read yet and we talk about what she's read. She couldn't believe that James and the Giant Peach is on the list.

They read snippets from their favorite banned books, including the Kite Runner, A Wrinkle in Time (yay!), Olive's Ocean, and To kill a Mockinbird (yay!).

After the program, oldest and I talked about what she'd heard and about banned books in general. I want her to grow up knowing that the freedom of ideas is extremely important.

I put a copy of Olive's Ocean on hold at the library. It's a young adult book, and I really enjoyed the snippet that was read. If the oldest wants to read it, I will probably let her. Then we'll discuss it.

Mechele

Banned Books Week-Who challenges books and where

Overwhelmingly, parents are the ones who initiate challenges.

Schools and school libraries are where most of the books challenged are found, with public libraries coming in third.

Information from the ALA

Banned Books Week-Three most common reasons for a challenge

the material was considered to be "sexually explicit"

the material contained "offensive language"

the materials was "unsuited to any age group"

Information from the ALA

Banned Books Week-Challenged books from 2007-2008

Adler, C. S. The Shell Lady's Daughter.

Allan, Nicholas. Where Willy Went.

Alvarez, Julia. How the Garcia Girls Lost TheirAccents.

Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Anonymous. Go Ask Alice.

Atkins, Catherine. Alt Ed.

Barnes, Derrick. The Making of Dr. Truelove.

Baron, T. A. Child of the Dark Prophecy.

Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.

Beiderwell, Bruce, and Jeffrey M. Wheeler, eds.The Literary Experience. Thomson/Wadsworth.

Bradford, Richard. Red Sky at Morning.

Burroughs, Augusten. Running with Scissors.

Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Colfer, Eoin. The Supernaturalist.

Comfort, Alex. The New Joy of Sex..

Conroy, Pat. Beach Music.

_______. The Prince of Tides.

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War.

Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk

de Haan, Linda, and Stern Nijland. King & King.

Dessen, Sarah. Just Listen.

Doig, Ivan. Dancing at the Rascal Fair.

Frank, E. R. America.

Nixon, Joan Lowery. Whispers from the Dead.

Norton, Jim. Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch.

Oates, Joyce Carol. Sexy

Opie, Iona Archibald, and Peter Opie, eds. I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild’s Pocket Book.

Patterson, James. Cradle and All: A Novel

Picoult, Jodi. The Tenth Circle

Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass

Richardson, Justin, and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

_______. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

_______. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

_______. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

_______. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys.

Schniedewind, Nancy. Open Minds to Equality: A Sourcebook of Learning Activities to Affirm Diversity and Promote Equity.

Schreier, Alta. Vamos a Cuba (A Visit to Cuba).

Sebold, Alice. The Lovely Bones.

Silverstein, Charles, and Edmund White.

The Joy of Gay Sex.

Sittenfeld, Curtis. Prep: A Novel.

Freedom Writers. The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World around Them.

Giles, Gail. Shattering Glass.

Going, K. L. Fat Kid Rules the World.

Gordon, Sharon. Cuba.

Green, John. Looking for Alaska.

Grove, Vicki. The Starplace..

Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars.

Harris, Robie H. It's Perfectly Normal: A Book

about Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health.;.

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner.

Howe, James. Totally Joe..

Kingsolver, Barbara. Animal Dreams.

Koertge, Ronald. The Brimstone Journals.

Korman, Gordon. Jake Reinvented.

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird.

Lowry, Lois. The Giver.

Mackler, Carolyn. Vegan Virgin Valentine.

Mathabane, Mark. Kaffir Boy.

McCarthy, Cormac. Child of God..

McNally, John, ed. When I Was a Loser: True Stories of (Barely) Surviving High School by Today's Top Writers.

Mercado, Nancy E., ed. Tripping over the Lunch

Lady and Other Short Stories.

Morrison, Toni. Beloved.

_______. The Bluest Eye..

Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels.

Myracle, Lauren. TTYL.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Alice on Her Way..

Newman, Felice. The Whole Lesbian

Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn't Know.

Steer, Dugald. Wizardology: The Book of the Secrets of Merlin.

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men.

Strasser, Todd. Give a Boy a Gun.

Stroud, Jonathan. The Golem's Eye.

_______. Ptolemy's Gate.

_______. The Amulet of Samarkand.

Taylor, Mildred D. The Land.

Thompson, Craig. Blankets.

Twain, Mark [Samuel L. Clemens].

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five.

Welch, James. Fools Crow.

West, Stanley Gordon. Finding Laura Buggs.

_______. Until They Bring the Streetcars Back.

Wittlinger, Ellen. Sandpiper

Wright, Richard. Black Boy

Information from the ALA

Banned Books Week-the map of censorship

Here's a map showing challenges to book.

As you see, it affects libraries across the nation.

Mechele

Banned Books Week-what is it and why should I care?

Each year I like to do posts on Banned Books week, which this year is today through the 2nd of October.

Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read freely by highlighting books that have been challenged in public and school libraries across the nation.

I'm a big believer in the freedom to read. I think that everyone might find a book in any library that they find objectionable. But what I find objectionable may not be what you find distressing, and what you find disturbing, I might like. We all have different tastes and no one person should be deciding what books are available at a library by challenging books they find objectionable.

What would be left in libraries if everyone pulled out things they found objectionable? Nothing. No books would be left.




Not to mention, if the objection is over kids reading a certain book, well for my kids, I should be the determiner, not someone else. And just because I don't want my kid reading a certain book, that doesn't mean I have to pull the book away from everyone else.

That's why it's important to be aware that book banning is still going on throughout the United States.

When I was in high school, a person pulled Salem's Lot by Stephen King out of the school library. I had already read that book and had done a book report on it for a class. But all of a sudden, it was deemed unsuitable for the high school library. I've never forgotten that incident. It taught me that the freedom of books is an important thing.

Mechele

Friday Five

1. I'm in the home stretch of Another Dream, Another Reality. Only about another 8 K to go. I feel the end coming on.

2. October is shaping up to be uber busy with kidlet events and (whoo hoo) Authors After Dark Paranormal Weekend. Not sure if I'm supposed to tell but my friend is Ann is going with me. I'm looking forward to it but it's going to be very short LOL.

3. My oldest is in 5th grade and will have to start making decisions about middle school. Yikes. We have an IB program here. Open houses have begun. I look at this school and think "OMG. I would have loved this." So I have to keep in mind, I'm not the one going and that she has to make up her own mind. We can try and direct her to what we think is best for her (our job as parents), but she's the one who has to be committed to this decision or it won't work. I really do think, my own thoughts about myself notwithstanding, IB would be a good fit. She already loves to learn. Our big topic of the past couple of days: rabies. She's asked me a dozen questions about this disease after seeing a raccoon in our neighborhood and listening to a book read to the youngest. I had to do some research myself LOL to answer her fully. We will see what happens.

4. Big Bang returned with the guys coming back from the North Pole. I enjoyed the episode but one part was kind of meh for me. I'm sure it's to be explored down the road.

5. I know I already posted on Patrick Swayze's passing. For me, he really was an icon of my youth. Yesterday, I bought the People magazine tribute and found myself crying as I read the article. He and his wife had such a romantic love affair. One that weathered a lot of trials but always came through in the end.

May the muses have love affairs
Mechele

Friday Five

It's after 11 and I just realized...yeah, it's Friday, you need to post! LOL. It's been a looooonnggg week.

1. I chatted on Blog Talk radio with Stella Price yesterday about Authors After Dark's paranormal weekend. It was fun. I've been told I have an accent. Who knew?

2. I have edits back on Blood Lines: Surge. Had to read the notes accompanying it three times before I realized something was talking about the editor and not me. Did I mention it's been a long week?

3. Why long week? Let's see first Brownie meeting as assistant leader on Monday. Tuesday I took adult CPR from 6 PM to 10 PM. Youngest was home Tuesday and Wednesday sick with a cold. Tuesday night I really didn't sleep well (due to fact was waiting on youngest to get up in the night--she didn't). Thursday I did the radio show and grocery shopped. Thursday night was back to school PTA meeting for oldest and we were way later getting home than I thought we'd be. Oldest's bus didn't show up Thursday or today in the AM. I didn't sleep well at all last night as my body hurts. I think I maybe getting what the youngest has but unlike hubby, who it came on fast with, it's really slowly taking hold of me. I think for oldest it's coming on slow as well. Today was the youngest's Manners Soiree where the parents all came in and they showed us what manners they'd learned. I think I need a nap....

4. CPR has really changed. I last took it when I was a teenager. If it's been a while, I encourage you to take it and refresh your memory. You never know when it will come in handy.

5. Yes, I did some writing. Not as much as I'd like at this point but I hope to meet my goal *blinks* for the week. I think I need somebody's itty bitty whip.

May the muses have people who know CPR
Mechele

On the Radio today

I'll be talking today at 11 EST on the Books Beyond the Boundaries AAD Aut show by StellaPrice on

http://ping.fm/egg8y

Feeling chatty?

Come chat with myself, Mari of Marissa Alwin, and Melissa Lopez aka Mel of Melany Logen and Rissa of Marissa Alwin at 9 PM EST.

Chat link.

Mechele

Posted at Ladies of the Club

About Patrick Swayze

http://ping.fm/hN7YM

Monday blah blah

Here's to another good writing week! Maybe some more good reviews? That will make my day.

Found a couple of interesting things:

Video on pilots who rescue dogs from shelters and fly them to loving homes. Neat program.

I hadn't gotten around to watching John Rich's Shuttin' Detroit down but did last night. Holy wow. How powerful.




I also watched Brad Paisley's Welcome to the Future. Like that one, too.





Darryl Worley's Sounds like Life to me, which I think is becoming a theme song much like his Awful Beautiful Life.





I had to explain 9/11 more fully to the 10 year old. She's old enough to finally...understand--that's not the right word, but it's the closest I can come up with--what happened. Gah, it's hard.

May the muses have a future.
Mechele

Another Night, Another Dream up for best book of the week at Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews!

Just a reminder that because of its 5 cherry review, Another Night, Another Dream is up for for Best Book of the week at Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews! Voting started yesterday (Sat the 12th) and runs through today (Sun the 13th). To say I'm excited about this is an understatement! LOL.

Here's where you can check out the books nominated and vote.

Mechele

Another Night, Another Dream up for best book of the week at Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews!

So recently I discovered a 5 cherry review of Another Night, Another Dream at Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews. Needless to say, I was thrilled.

Last night, I received a notice that Another Night, Another Dream will be up for Best Book of the week! Voting is to start today (Sat the 12th) and run through tomorrow (Sun the 13th). To say I'm excited is an understatement! LOL.

Here's where you can check out the books nominated and vote.

Mechele

This deserved its own post

Today is September 11th. Never forget.

Mechele

Friday Five

1. It's been a good writing week. I've written 9 K! I hope to get in another 1 today and maybe 1 over the weekend. The sequel to Another Night, Another Dream is going okay. The characters are very angsty. Basically they have issues to work out and until they work out, things are going smoothly.





2. I got some news last night that made me jump up and down! I will post it tomorrow. LOL.





3. Tomorrow I will be in training all day. To go camping. I'm so glad the weather is going to be nice LOL. And in the fall, I'm going camping with one daughter's troop. It's nice the kidlets still want me to come with them and do things. I know the time is swiftly approaching where they won't. I'm taking advantage now!





4. As of this weekend, we have had the spaz kitten, now spaz cat, a year.
He's gone from this:









To this: (both cats pictured)










He's a big boy. Long and tall and 13 pounds of muscle LOL. Unlike the Diva Kitty. The hubby said, "Wow. It's been a year and I haven't killed him yet." Spaz cat likes to attack things, wakes up at like 5 in the morning to announce he's hungry, and doesn't realize his claws...ummm hurt bigtime. It's been quite a year with him. Diva Kitty says we should take him back but we're keeping him.


5. The new TV season starts very soon. I can't wait for the return of Dexter and Big Bang Theory. I've discovered Castle and can't wait for more Chuck. What are you looking forward to this season if anything?

May the muses have spazes
Mechele

Monday blah blah on a Tuesday

Yeah, I know it's Tuesday. The kids are back in school. I wrote 3 K today so far. I know where my story is going and am in touch with my characters.

I hope the kidlets had as good a first day back as I did.

May the muses have Tuesdays to begin the week
Mechele

Friday Five

1. Posted at TRS on my favorite time of year, at Georgia's Crossroads Cafe on specialness, and at the Virginia is for Romance Lovers on wierd Virginia laws.

2. I'm featured at TRS Blue for the month of September! I'm so excited. I love TRS! Yes, I think I said it twice but it bears repeating LOL.

3. Did first round edits on Blood Lines 6: Surge. Realized how much I really enjoy Cheyenne and Roc, not to mention Sarah, Nathan, Nick, and Henri. It's a very sensual story, with a bit of suspense and vampire goodness. I can't wait until it comes out!

4. Had one open house yesterday and having one this morning. It's back to school time. The oldest has to catch the bus at 6:56. Not going to be fun for the first few days.

5. Did any0ne see the previews for the new season of Big Bang? Penny kissed the heck out of Leonard. Whooo hooo! I LOVE that show. It makes me laugh on so many levels. LOL Sheldon really reminds me of someone. No, not the hubby, someone else. Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock!

May the muses have kissing
Mechele

Check it out

I'm featured at TRS Blue for the month of September.

http://ping.fm/mDBIF

The annual Summertime Thursday Thirteen-What I did

The annual Summertime Thursday Thirteen


As I do every year, I'm going to post my goals to summer. Sometimes I get to them. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I find other things to become goals I didn't even know about when I wrote this. I will post in late August/early September about how we did on meeting the goals.



1. Write. Oh yeah, deadline of July 1st. Gotta get that manuscript turned in. I'm aiming for June 28th. Made the deadline! Haven't done a whole lot of writing since. :( Need to get back into a groove.



2. Go to the library. My girls have signed up for the summer reading challenge and I'd really like them to make and meet summer reading goals. I'd love to spend a lot of time at Twin Hickory. I love our library :) I think I'll set a reading goal too...and I've signed up for the adult summer reading programs. We spent quite a bit of time at the library. I did meet my reading goals and discovered a new author, Joy Fielding. The youngest has really turned into a lover of audio books. The oldest met her reading goal first (not counting the 7 Harry Potter books she reread in anticipation of the movie), followed by me, with youngest coming up third. We went to a local water park with friends to celebrate the meeting of the goals. Whoo hooo!



3. Go to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens a lot. They have an exhibit, Butterflies Live that I'm chomping at the bit to go see. They also have water play on warm days and as I'm sure gymnastics practice will be in the heat of the afternoons and Lewis Ginter is close by.... Well, practice wasn't in the afternoons. *blinks* I know I'm shocked, too. Tragically, we didn't make it to Lewis Ginter multiple times. Only once so far. Butterflies Live is sooooo cool. LOL.



4. Go to Busch Gardens. The youngest wants to grow 2 inches by the end of summer to ride all the coasters. I'd like to go there 3 or 4 times this summer. We did this one. The youngest went most with her gymnastics gym. LOL she's still not there on height for two coasters. And MAD about it. Hopefully by next summer. We are sad they are closing down the Big Bad Wolf on the 7th of September :>(. We all rode it one last time except for oldest who said "Once was enough." She rode it once earlier in the summer, her first coaster.



5. Spend time at pools. Yes, we'd like to sit poolside. Although, considering my oldest's burn rate already, indoor pools maybe better for us. Not as much as we would have liked but we did quite a few pool days, the girls more than me. The oldest got burned several times. She's now sun wary. Probably not a bad thing. And the youngest still has problems with her eyes at times. They get uber red, not just the whites but around her eyes and also swell. We did do some twisting by the pool so we'll mark that one done. *G* and even earned a Junior Badge and Brownie Try-it for Water Fun.



6. Go on vacation with the family. We'd like to go to Hershey *Grins*. Hot dog! We did it. Had a really nice trip. Went to Gettysburg. Hung out at the chocolate factory and two days at Hershey Park. Rather enjoyed ourselves. Youngest was mad she couldn't ride three coasters, yes there is a trend here but enjoyed what she could ride. It was nice and for the most part, work let hubby alone that week.



7. Travel to Washington DC to attend the Passionate Ink Nationals Luncheon. I'm excited about this. Little nervous about the travel (Northern VA...ughhh) but hope I make this one. I did it. Rode the Metro for the first time, which I rather enjoyed. Yeah, I'm a geek. It was neat and I picked up my certificate in person. Whoo hooo.



8. Write some fun stuff. I've been working my butt off on submissions. After Blood Lines is done, I'd like to do a few fun writing things. *sigh* I didn't meet this goal. I'm a little sad about it.



9. Spend time with my mother in law and with my sisters. Have been missing them. Did some spending time together. Would have liked to have done more.



10. Walk the dog daily. All the rain and the schedule has left her wanting in the walk department. I'd like to institute a family walk daily. Didn't do too bad on this goal! She did get some walks. The kids came a lot, too.



11. Volunteer at the local SPCA. We did. The oldest actually got into volunteering. Loved doing laundry LOL. I think she's developed a new respect for the SPCA and what it does. We'd like to keep volunteering throughout the school year.



12. Just hang out. Not have anywhere to be. Chill at the house with no plan. (I say that now...but after a few days, the kidlets will be fighting I bet and I'll wonder why nothing is going on LOL). I don't know why we didn't do this one more. It was supposed to be a low key summer. I don't really think the low key part happened. Stuff came up.



13. Find fireworks on the 4th. We did this! My sister came and we met some friends. Was nice.



We picked up music lessons in mid summer. Oldest got a guitar for her birthday and it was required for the present. The youngest clamored for piano lessons. I think youngest really really enjoys piano. She's beamed for all lessons and will practice without fussing. We'll see how that goes because they both signed up for more lessons.



The kids also sewed with Grandma and had a blast. They both really enjoy doing things like that. The youngest will walk around, "What can I make?" talking about cooking or making a craft. Apparently they did really well with the sewing machine.



We'll see what I do and don't do. There you have it. What we did and didn't do on summer break.

Mechele