Reading Spaces

Sex & The Library: Progressive Librarian: London Chapter Event

Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 2:30. Visual Arts Centre 100.

Breaking News: And Tango Makes Three is the most challenged book in US, again

No surprise there, but I was (kinda) surprised to see Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian on the list. Of course, super popular books like Twilight and The Hunger Games are on the top 10. In fact, 7 of the top 10 most challenged books are YA novels, and when you add Parnell and Richardson's books, that makes 8 for books for young people. But, perhaps, the oddest addition this year is Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. As this Associated Press release tells us,

"One curious addition was Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich's non-fiction work about how difficult it is to live as a waitress, maid or Walmart worker. The book is cited for offensive language, drugs and as "inaccurate."

I just finished reading Ehrenreich's Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Undermines America, I wonder if it will be challenged too? To my mind, it's potentially more controversial than Nickel and Dimed. I highly recommend both titles.

Over at I'm Here, I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read, Lee Wind has issued a reading challenge to his readers -- Read the Top 10 and protest these challenges! I've already read 7 of the 10 but have added Lush, What My Mother Doesn't Know (ok -- I read half of it) and Revolutionary Voices to the pile of things to be read.

YA authors’ boycott shuts down Teen Lit festival in Texas | Quillblog | Quill & Quire

This from writer and Q&Q blogger, Zoe Whitall:

Hopkins, whose New York Times bestselling novels deal with topics from teenage drug addiction to prostitution and suicide, says she was invited to take part in the Humble Teen Lit Fest next January but after a librarian raised a fuss with some parents about the suitability of including her, the invitation was rescinded. Teen writers including Melissa de la Cruz, Pete Hautman and Matt de la Peña all pulled out in solidarity, the event has now been cancelled, and the National Coalition Against Censorship, along with five other organisations, is calling on the school district’s superintendent to reinstate the festival “as originally planned”.

via www.quillandquire.com

NYTimes article on China and self-censorship

-begins with the experiences of Chinese Canadian author, Denise Chong, upon the publication of Egg on Mao.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/books/review/Parker-t.html

Cory Doctorow on a FAQ: Teen Sex in Teen Lit

From Doctorow's most recent Locus column:

"What I didn't expect was that I would receive a torrent of correspondence and entreaties from teachers, students, parents, and librarians who were angry, worried, or upset that Marcus loses his virginity about two-thirds of the way through the book (secondarily, some of them were also offended by the fact that Marcus drinks a beer at one point, and a smaller minority wanted to know why and how Marcus could get away with talking back to his elders)."

A new-old controversy: is Small's "Stitches" appropriate for younger audiences?

Read more about the debate over at Publisher's Weekly

High School Student Lends Banned Books from his Locker Library

A former student of mine (thanks kg) sent a link to this story on BoingBoing about a student who is purchased a bunch of banned books and is lending them from his high school locker.