Thank you to my 6th grade English teacher....

Mrs. Rome, I thank you!

I heard recently that Harry Potter has consistently been on the top ten list of books libraries want to ban for the last several years... I was flabbergasted. I couldn't believe that type of censure would take place in a public school. Some digging discovered that my little backwater school was actually pretty forward thinking...

Some of the frequently Challenged books in the last 10 years include:

Harry Potter
And Tango Makes Three
To Kill a Mockingbird*
Twilight
Catcher in the Rye*
The Color Purple*
His Dark Materials
Adventures of Huckleberry Flynn*
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings*
The Chocolate War
Of Mice and Men*
Bridge to Teribithia*
Summer of My German Soldier*
Blood and Chocolate

The ones with an asteric(*) are books I read in Junior High at the assignment of my 6th Grade English Teacher. We also read Rebecca, Congo, Lord of the Flies, and James Harriet.

It really surprises me that schools and public libraries seek to censure these books. They were integral to my intellectual and emotional growth at that age.

This week is also Banned Books Week - check it out.
www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

Maggie Stiefvater: Shiver & Linger

Shiver - Good

A girl was attacked by wolves when she was younger, and since then - instead of being afraid - she has felt a connection to the wolf pack that lives behind her house. One wolf in particular.

A young boy knows little more than being a wolf during the winter months, and a human boy during the summer, but he sets his eyes and protective instincts on a girl who lives by the woods...

Linger - Bad

They are now a couple deeply in love, keeping dangerous secrets from family and firends. A few new twists enter the mix, some role reversal, and focus on a full cast of characters including a cocky turned werewolf, a concerend sister, and a missing friend.

If you are a fan of youth paranormal romance, I recommend Shiver... let Linger, wel... linger...