Banned Book Week

Last week we celebrated Banned Book Week and used the opportunity to talk to the kids about their responsibilities as free people who read freely. We discussed the efforts of a few to ban books such as Harry Potter, Captain Underpants, James and the Giant Peach, Charlotte's Web and many more. We discussed how most of these efforts are made out of a genuine concern for the welfare of children but that their parents are the only ones who can decide what books are appropriate for them. I had planned to read the 3rd - 5th graders "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss because it is a book that has been challenged by the lumber industry but the children were such active participants in our discussion that we never got to the book. Hopefully, they all left the library with an appreciation for their access to great books and a respect for the responsibilities they have to be critical readers.

K-2 classes heard "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" by William Steig. This is a book that has been challenged before but I didn't talk much about Banned Book Week with this younger group. I only mentioned how fortunate we were to have such great books to read. The children did a great job making predictions about the story and then sharing how they would've changed the story if they had been Sylvester. Ask your child to tell you what they would've wished for if they were facing Sylvester's problem.

A special thank you to Amy Martinez for loaning me her Sylvester Reading Buddy. The kids were surprised and delighted by his special trick and it added some fun to our story. Thanks, Amy!

Next week is Book Fair...See you then!