Banned Books Week: September 30- October 6, 2012

Image Credit:Banned Book Week

In celebration of Banned Books Week, The Things You Can Read will be sharing quotes 
from authors of banned works...

“And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about.” ― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

What do you think of the John Steinbeck quote?  Let us know your thoughts by sharing a comment!

Image Credit:Publishers Weekly

Just in case you are unfamiliar with Banned Book Week here is some information from their site:

Banned Books Week is the national book community's annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2012 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 30 through October 6. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982. For more information on Banned Books Week, click here.

Help celebrate this worthwhile event by reading a banned book. Below you will find a list of the most challenged books in 2011, according to the American Library Association. Their data shows that there were 326 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2011, however many more go unreported. The 10 most challenged titles of 2011 were:

ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle 
Reasons: offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence

My Mom's Having A Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit

What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit

Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language; racism

We shared how we plan to celebrate Banned Book Week, are you celebrating Banned Book Week?  If you are, let us know how by posting a comment!

Happy Banned Books Week Reading!
Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Discovered: Lord Byron’s Copy of Frankenstein Signed by Mary Shelley

Image Credit: Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Image Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

As September closes her doors, and the fall season truly gets underway we, here at The Things You Can Read, thought we'd get into the spirit of the upcoming spooky, creepy, eerie month of October  with a post to welcome this month of Tricks or Treats or both.  And, what better book to post about then the quintessential scary classic, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. 

Mary Shelley
Image Credit: University of Oxford

What made us think of Frankenstein over all the other scary classics out there?  As luck would have it, it just so happens that Mary Shelley's super scary classic is in the news.  What has brought Frankenstein into the spotlight?  All the attention has to do with the recent discovery of Lord Byron's presentation copy of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.  In a recent post Open Culture reminded its readers of the genesis of Frankenstein:

"The story behind the writing of Frankenstein is famous. In 1816, Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley, summering near Lake Geneva in Switzerland, were challenged by Lord Byron to take part in a competition to write a frightening tale. Mary, only 18 years old, later had a waking dream of sorts where she imagined the premise of her book"

To learn more about this remarkable discovery view the video below:

If you are looking for a copy of Frankenstein, checkout Open Culture's Free ebooks and Free Audio Books.  If you are an old movie buff, like we are, Open Culture has links to the first film adaptation of Shelley's famous novel from 1910, or try the 1931 version.

The Frankenstein Movie Dynasty
Image Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

What do you think is the scariest tale for the Halloween season?  Leave us a comment with your choice.

Additional links of Interest:
Frankenstein at the Bodleian

Happy Halloween Reading!
Things You Can Read

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Celebrate 110 years Since the Publication of Beatrix Potter's Classic Tale

Image Credit: Free Lake District Walks

Did you know that 2012 is the 110th anniversary since the first publication of Beatrix Potter's classic tale of Peter Rabbit?  Well, it is, and to celebrate an anniversary edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit is available.  The 110th Anniversary Edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit honors the classic tale, which according to Goodreads is, "the quintessential cautionary tale..."  

Summary from Goodreads:

Peter Rabbit warns naughty children about the grave consequences of misbehaving. When Mrs. Rabbit beseeches her four furry children not to go into Mr. McGregor's garden, the impish Peter naturally takes this as an open invitation to create mischief. He quickly gets in over his head, when he is spotted by farmer McGregor himself. Any child with a spark of sass will find Peter's adventures remarkably familiar. And they'll see in Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail that bane of their existence: the "good" sibling who always does the right thing. One earns bread and milk and blackberries for supper, while the obstinate folly of the other warrants medicine and an early bedtime. 

If you are a Beatrix Potter fan you are not alone, Emma Thompson, the academy award winning British actress is as well, and she has taken her appreciation of the Beatrix Potter book to a whole new level.  In an article published in Publisher's Weekly the actress said, “I’ve always loved Beatrix Potter, as a child and then as a mother and all the years in-between as well...When Mr. Rabbit invited me to write a further tale, I was more honored than I can say. I hope I don’t let him or his extraordinary creator down.”  Ms. Thompson would have made Beatrix Potter proud with the actress's new story starring the beloved bunny, which you can find in bookstores starting September 23, 2012.  Ms. Thompson's book is entitled, The Further Tales of Peter Rabbit, and according to an article in The Guardian the actress stated, "It's lovely when my childhood favourite characters also become my daughter's."

If this has made you curious here is the Goodreads summary of the new book:

Emma Thompson celebrates 110 years of Peter Rabbit by giving us a brand-new tale 

Celebrate 110 years of Peter Rabbit with a new, original tale written by Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson and based on the original tales by Beatrix Potter. In this story, Peter's adventures take him beyond the boundaries of Mr. McGregor's garden and all the way to Scotland With 72 pages of beautiful text and illustrations, this hardcover picture book, which includes an audio CD of the story narrated by the author, is sure to become a classic--and a collector's item

Image Credit:  Goodreads 

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the classic tale or the new addition by Emma Thompson.  To learn  more about this new book see what Publisher's Weekly had to say about Emma Thompson's new tale.  Also take a look at the Peter Rabbit site.

Happy Anniversary Beatrix Potter!
Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Eleven Classic Kids Books from the '60s

BuzzFeed  "Eleven Classic Kids Books from the '60s" 

If you long for the books of your youth, and your youth happened to be in the 1960s, BuzzFeed  has a list for you.  The staff over at Buzzfeed decided to highlight books that you would have found on the shelves of your fifth grade classroom library. back in the day.  So calling all children of the 60s...take a peek at the Buzzfeed post "Eleven Classic Kids Books from the '60s" by BuzzFeed Staff Writer, Molly Horan.  Here are the top three on their list...just to whet your appetite.

Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O'Dell (1960)
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L.Konigsburg (1967)
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1962)

Just to put things in perspective here is a blurb from The American Cultural History about what was happening in the book world in the 1960s:

Image Credit: The American Cultural History

Literature also reflected what was happening in the political arenas and social issues of America in the sixties. A book which described some of the turmoil of race relations as they affected people in America, Harper Lee's Pulitzer prize winning novel ToKill a Mockingbird is a story about a small southern town and social distinctions between races. Writing about race and gender, women of color like Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou and Margaret Walker Alexander helped create new insights on feminism as it developed in America. Sylvia Plath (The Bell Jar), and Mary McCarthy (The Group) spoke of women in roles outside those of the happy wife and mother of the fifties. Women like Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique , and Gloria Steinem , led the way for many women. Disillusionment with the system was the theme of books like Catch-22 and One Flew Over the Cuckoo'sNest.

Marshall McLuhan, author of books on communications and the scope of the "global village," popularized his belief that mass communications were a driving force in the development of modern society in works like The Gutenberg Galaxy and Understanding Media . The Peter Principle, by Laurence Peter, came to epitomize incompetence. In 1963, Maurice Sendak published Where the Wild Things Are, about a boy named Max who must face some of his childhood fears. This controversial book with its illustrations, also by Sendak, won the Caldecott Medal in 1964 and has become a classic in children's literature.

Checkout BuzzFeed for the rest of the books on their list.  Let us know, here at The Things You Can Read, what you think of the list.  Better yet, share with us the book you fondly remember on the shelf of your fifth grade classroom.

Happy Reading!
Things You Can Read

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Annotated Edition Classics-Emma: An Annotated Edition by Jane Austen; Bharat Tandon, editor

Image Credit: Goodreads We, here at The Things You Can Read, have made a serious commitment to read the Classics (Book Blogger Appreciation Week post), and with this in mind, we noted that on September 17, 2012 a new annotated edition of Emma by Jane Austen has been released.  We love Jane Austen and we encourage anyone out there who is a Jane Austen fan or a Jane Austen Wanna-be fan to check this one out. Don't forget to check out our Classics Challenge Page, which lists all the classics we plan to read between September 14, 2012 and September 14, 2017. Summary from Goodreads: Emma: An Annotated Edition by Jane Austen; Bharat Tandon, editor Emma: An Annotated Edition by Jane Austen Emma, perhaps the most technically accomplished of all of Austen’s novels, is also, after Pride and Prejudice, her most popular one. Its numerous film and television adaptations testify to the world’s enduring affection for the headstrong, often misguided Emma Woodhouse and her many romantic schemes. Like the previous volumes in Harvard’s celebrated annotated Austen series, Emma: An Annotated Edition is a beautiful and illuminating gift edition that will be treasured by readers. Stimulating and helpful annotations appear in the book’s margins, offering information, definitions, and commentary. In his Introduction, Bharat Tandon suggests several ways to approach the novel, enabling a larger appreciation of its central concerns and accomplishments. Appearing throughout the book are many illustrations, often in color, which help the reader to better picture the Regency-era world that serves as the stage for Emma’s matchmaking adventures. Whether explaining the intricacies of early nineteenth-century dinner etiquette or speculating on Highbury’s deliberately imprecise geographical location, Tandon serves as a delightful and entertaining guide. For those coming to the novel for the first time or those returning to it, Emma: An Annotated Edition offers a valuable portal to Austen’s world. Published September 17th 2012 by Belknap Press ISBN 0674048849 (ISBN13: 9780674048843) edition language English  Harvard University Press Harvard University Press Happy Reading! Things You Can Read Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Request an ARC of Sapphire Blue Advance Copy Giveaway

Are you interested in an Advance Readers Copy of Sapphire Blue?  If you are read on...

Image Credit: Goodreads

Sapphire Blue Advance Copy Giveaway 

Summary from Macmillian

Book Two in the Ruby Red Trilogy!

Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

Request an ARC from Macmillian Here 

Giveaway ends on September 26, 2012!

Happy Reading!
Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Blending Something Old with Something New

Blending Something Old with Something New

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop recently published some very interesting findings.  Researchers found that, roughly 90% of iPad owners read, "mostly print books and some e-books" with their children during shared reading time, while about 8% read both formats equally with their children, and only about 3% read "mostly or exclusively" e-books."  Over two thirds of the responding parents preferred reading print books with their children, "with more than 50% of their children agreeing."  Only slightly less than 10% of parents or children preferred their shared reading time to totally consist of e-books.  Wow!  If you are interested in delving further into this study, you can read all the nitty gritty details at Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.  How do you feel about this?  Do you prefer reading a printed book or an e-book to your child?  We'd love to hear your thoughts on this very interesting research.  As they said over at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, "When it comes to reading we need to effectively blend 'something old with something new.'" Well, this study reminds us, here at The Things You Can Read, of what Dr. Seuss said: And ultimately it really doesn't matter if it is an e-book or a print book as long as you read to your child, but we, here at The Things You Can Read, have to admit we are in the 100% who read only print books to their children. Happy Reading! Things You Can Read Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

More on What Kind of Reader Are You?

What Kind of Book Reader are You?

Back on September 1, The Things You Can Read's post discussed the article found on The Atlantic Wire written by Jen Doll entitled "What kind of book reader are you?" (Click here to see our September 1 Post) As we said earlier, according to The Atlantic Wire, we all have a category.  Well, on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 one of our  favorite podcasts, Books on the Nightstand, devoted a full seven minutes of their podcast to discussing this question, and deciding which category or categories the hosts, Ann and Michael, fit into.   It warmed our hearts to realize we weren't the only ones interested in this question or article for that matter.  If you would like to listen to what Ann and Michael from BOTN had to say on the subject simply click on the link below, and take a listen.  It goes without saying, but we will say it anyway, as always, we'd love to hear what you think of these categories, and if you could add another category with your very own personal description please fill free to share your creation with us.

Books On The Nightstand: BOTNS #197: What Kind of Reader Are You? 

Another interesting read, which touches on this idea, is an article found on the New Yorker's website...Check it out as well!

New Yorker Post

Happy Reading!
Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Request an Advanced Readers Copy of Level 2

Image Credit:  Goodreads

If you are wondering if you'd be interested in Level 2, here is a description of the novel from Goodreads.

Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles #1)

by Lenore Appelhans (Goodreads Author)

 4.06  rating details  ·  80 ratings  ·  47 reviews

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

Hardcover, 288 pages

Expected publication: January 15th 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN

1442441852 (ISBN13: 9781442441859)

edition language

English

original title

Level 2

series

The Memory Chronicles #1

characters

Julian Jones, Felicia Ward, Neil

Request an ARC Click Here

If you want to request an ARC-Advanced Readers Copy-of Level 2, click on the link BELOW the picture.  Enjoy!

Happy Reading!

Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books! 

Classic Writers-Which Ones Have Staying Power?

Mary Shelley (1797 – 1851) 
Image Credit: Flavorwire

We, here at The Things You Can Read, have made a serious committment to read the Classics.  On September 14, we posted the following, with regard to the close of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, "The thing that I will take into the future is the Classics Club, which I've recently joined. The blogs goal is to, 'unite those of us who like to blog about classic literature, as well as to inspire people to make the classics an integral part of life.' I love this idea. Bravo to the founders! I know this new find will enrich my life in the coming months, and I look forward to adding my voice to the Classics Club."  Please check out our Classics Challenge Page, which lists all the classics we plan to read between September 14, 2012 and September 14, 2017.  With this previous post in mind, here is an interesting article from Flavorwire with regard to the authors of some of the most well known classics.

Some writers speak to generations after generations, according to Flavorwire, one of the most relevant writers of the 19th century is Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Flavorwire reports that, "she has some serious staying power...her work is more relevant now than ever."  Others who made their list include:  Herman Melville, Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, John Keats, and The Brothers Grimm.  For more details check out Flavorwire for the full low down as to why each of these authors has staying power.  As always, let us know, here at The Things You Can Read,  what you think!  Hey, maybe even consider joining the Classics Challenge.

Edgar Allan Poe
One of our favorites, here at The Things You Can Read.
Image Credit: Flavorwire

What is a Classic: Click Here

Happy Reading!

Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books! 

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Image Credit: Amazon.com

If you are an old movie buff, now we're talking old-Buster Keaton kind of old movie buff, and you love books, here is just what the doctor ordered.  A children's picture book that has been turned into an Academy Award winning animated short, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.  We can't wait to use this one in the classroom.  Look for a future post that shares my teaching experience using The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore with my English class.

Here is the short film that won the 2011 Academy Award for Animated Short...After viewing make sure you go get the book, because everyone knows the book is always better!

Let us, here at The Things You Can Read, know what you think of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore!  If you are a teacher, let us know how you use this intriguing book or plan to use this book in the classroom.

Happy Reading!

Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Summary Courtesy of Goodreads:

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

by William Joyce (Illustrator), Joe Bluhm (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)  

Morris Lessmore loved words.
He loved stories.
He loved books.
But every story has its upsets.

Everything in Morris Lessmore’s life, including his own story, is scattered to the winds.

But the power of story will save the day.    (less)

Hardcover, 52 pages

Published June 19th 2012 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers (first published 2011)

ISBN

1442457023 (ISBN13: 9781442457027)

edition language

English

National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month September 15-October 15

Puerto Rico. School-pupils and classes. Principal, teachers and a few advanced pupils. Mayaguez Industrial School., 1898 - 1935 by The U.S. National Archives, via Flickr 
Image Credit:  Flickr.com 

National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month September 15-October 15

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month and starting today it is in full gear.  Here is the link to their official website: National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month.  Below you will find a few resources to use if you plan to celebrate National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month in the classroom.  We have also included our review of Frida by Amy Novesky, which we previously posted in July.  It is a gorgeous picture book, which we plan to use in the classroom.

Put the power of primary sources to work in the classroom. Browse lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids from:

The Library of Congress

National Archives Experience -- DocsTeach --

National Archives -- Teacher's Resources

National Endowment for the Humanities

National Gallery of Art

National Park Service

Smithsonian Institution

Me, Frida by Amy Novesky

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Me, Frida by Amy Novesky

Illustrated by David Diaz

Abrahms, 2010. 32 pgs.

Reading Level: ages 4-8

Me, Frida is a gorgeous lushous visual treat with a story that matches the quality of the illustrations. I would liken the experience of reading this book to falling into one of Frida Kahlo's paintings. However, the illustrator, David Diaz, does not simply copy Frida's style of artistic expression, but adds his own personal touches to that of the famous artist, thereby, creating something quite unique. The colors are vivid, warm, and inviting. My daughter's hands touched every page as we read this award winning book.  It is no wonder that Me, Frida won the Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Book Award in 2011.

Me, Frida focuses on Frida's life as the new bride of Diego Rivera, the famous muralist and painter. Specifically, the setting is the newlyweds time in San Francisco in 1931 when Diego Rivera received his commission to paint his renowned murals on the government buildings of the city. During this time Frida, also an artist, begins to find her artistic voice, while her more established husband is busy creating his own art. When the couple is together Frida is often neglected and overlooked. Parties are given in her husband's honor, but no one notices the eclectic Frida.

Left to her own devices, Frida travels the streets of San Francisco gaining confidence in herself. With this new found confidence, she unlocks her own personal artistic style. Instead of copying the style of her husband, Diego Rivera, Frida paints in an intimate and folkloric style, which hearkens back to her native Mexican culture. The first painting to explore this style is Frida and Diego (Wedding Portrait) painted in 1931 during her stay in San Francisco. The painting now resides in the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, California. It's the painting she entered in her first show. Frida goes on to paint many more self-portraits when asked about this the painter stated, "I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best."  Me, Frida shares all this biographical information about this wonderful female painter without sounding stiff and stilted. 

Me, Frida by Amy Novesky and accompanying illustrations by David Diaz is an excellent introduction to this influential painter.

Other Recommendations for books about Frida Kahlo:

Frida Kahlo (GB): The Artist who Painted Herself by Margaret Frith
Tomie dePaola (Illustrator)
Hardcover, 32 pages

Published August 11th 2003 by Grosset & Dunlap

Frida by Jonah Winter
Ana Juan (Illustrator)

Hardcover, 32 pages

Published February 1st 2002 by Scholastic Inc. (first published 2002)

Diego by Jonah Winter 
Jeanette Winter (Illustrator)

Hardcover, 40 pages

Published January 9th 2007 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

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Goodreads Comments

Happy National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month
The Things You Can Read 
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!