"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Disney

Showing posts with label To Kill A Mockingbird. Show all posts
Showing posts with label To Kill A Mockingbird. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

IWSG: Impactful Books

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

JUNE 4 QUESTION - 
What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?

MY ANSWER - There are so many! In high school: To Kill a Mockingbird - this book filled my senses and made me examine the type of person and parent I one day hoped to be. It's also one of the few movie adaptions that didn't disappoint after reading the original story. Flowers for Algernon is another one that stayed with me as I had previously no experience with the mentally handicapped. Just as the previous book, it reminded me to respect and treat others kindly no matter the differences. Tuesdays With Morrie is a wonderful reminder to cherish loved ones and prioritize appropriately because you never know how much time you have. There are also a number of series that took up much of my time. Anne of Green Gables was a wonderful reminder that it was acceptable to read and enjoy classic literature as much as contemporary. Alongside Little Women it made me believe writing was an acceptable pastime as well. I also spent a lot of time with the Sweet Dreams romance series (I think there were over 200), the Nancy Drew Files (I believe there were over 100), Fear Street (I think there were around 50 in the 1990s - there are more now), and the Christopher Pike series. While I certainly read many other enjoyable books, these series took up many hours of my teen life in the 1990s.

Sweet Dreams Book Series

Nancy Drew Files Series by Carolyn Keene | Goodreads

Fear Street - Book Series In Order

Christopher Pike - Book Series In Order


What about you? What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?

Posted by at 4 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, August 12, 2024

Lee and Capote's Monroeville: The Literary Capital of Alabama

I recently enjoyed a trip to Monroeville: The Literary Capital of Alabama.

For those of you who don't know, this is the birthplace, home, and inspiration for Harper Lee and her book To Kill a Mockingbird. It was also the home of Truman Capote and inspiration for much of his own writing.

Lee and Capote were inspired not only by the environment, but a lifelong friendship that began as young children.

Here, I visited the courthouse where Lee's father worked as a trial lawyer - the inspiration for ATTICUS. Hollywood teams created a near exact replica of the building for the movie version. This original is now a museum celebrating local authors with a primary focus on both Lee and Capote.

My husband and I enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the Courthouse Cafe' down the street from the museum. This delightful restaurant offers a variety of simple salads, sandwiches, soups, home cooked meals, and desserts. The decor celebrates the courthouse, the authors, and small-town living.

The town square around the courthouse offers a walking tour and scavenger hunt "Sculpture Trail". The trail includes sculptures honoring more than a dozen additional local authors with brief information available on each writer.

I then went to the original site of Lee's family home which is now the location of Mel's Dairy Dream. However, right next door are the remains of the house where Capote spent so much of his childhood.


Our final stop was the graveyard where Harper Lee is buried. Upon visiting her grave, I noticed the headstone was covered in pennies and seashells. Pens and flowers both adorned the location as well. All of these are tokens left behind by visitors so the family will know someone has visited to pay their respects and honor their memory.

I enjoyed the day very much and highly recommend this stop to any fan of Lee or Capote's work.

How about you? Have you ever visited Monroeville? Have you enjoyed any of the stories created by Lee or Capote?


Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Banned Books Week 2021

September 26 is the beginning of "BANNED BOOKS WEEK 2021". Below is a couple of lists of ten of the most frequently challenged books.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.

The Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged books list is compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and is based on or derived from communities across the United States. According to their data here, the ten most challenged books of 2020 were:

  1. George by Alex Gino
    Reasons: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”
  2. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
    Reasons: Banned and challenged because of author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people
  3. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”
  4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
    Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity
  5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author
  6. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
    Reasons: Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views
  7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience
  8. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students
  9. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
    Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse
  10. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
    Reasons: Challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message
You can also view the previous years lists as well at OIF. The list of the most banned books for 2021 will be available in April of 2022. However, if you're curious about the most frequently banned books for the last 100 years in America:

TEN OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED BOOKS IN AMERICAN HISTORY:

Some books have been repeatedly banned or challenged throughout history. This is a list of books that appear the most often on THE UNITED STATES banned books lists.











  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
    Call Number: PS3573.A425 C6 1982
    ISBN: 0156028352
    Publication Date: 2003-05-28





















If you would like more information about banned and challenged books, contact the Office for Intellectual Freedom at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4220, or oif@ala.org. Another god source of information on banned books is the "Libraries and Center for Academic Technology" site by Butler University: https://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217684
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Banned Books Week 2020


September 27 is the beginning of "BANNED BOOKS WEEK 2020". Below is a couple of lists of ten of the most frequently challenged books.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.

The Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged books list is compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and is based on or derived from communities across the United States. According to their data here, the ten most challenged books of 2020 were:

  1. George by Alex Gino
    Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”
  2. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
    Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased
  3. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
    Reasons: Challenged and vandalized for LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is “designed to pollute the morals of its readers,” and for not including a content warning
  4. Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth
    Reasons: Challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate” 
  5. Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
    Reasons: Challenged and restricted for featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content; for being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint
  6. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
    Reasons: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged”
  7. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones”
  8. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
    Reasons: Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals”
  9. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
    Reasons: Banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals
  10. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson illustrated by Henry Cole
    Reason: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content
You can also view the previous years lists as well at OIF. However, if you're curious about the most frequently banned books for the last 100 years in America:

TEN OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED BOOKS IN HISTORY:

Some books have been repeatedly banned or challenged throughout history. This is a list of books that appear the most often on banned books lists.










  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
    Call Number: PS3573.A425 C6 1982
    ISBN: 0156028352
    Publication Date: 2003-05-28





















If you would like more information about banned and challenged books, contact the Office for Intellectual Freedom at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4220, or oif@ala.org. Another god source of information on banned books is the "Libraries and Center for Academic Technology" site by Butler University: https://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217684
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Banned Books Week 2019

September 22 is the beginning of "BANNED BOOKS WEEK 2019". Below is a couple of lists of ten of the most frequently challenged books.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.

The Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged books list is compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and is based on or derived from communities across the United States. According to their data, the eleven most challenged books of 2018 were:



  1. George by Alex Gino
    Reasons: banned, challenged, and relocated because it was believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones, and for mentioning “dirty magazines,” describing male anatomy, “creating confusion,” and including a transgender character

  2. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
    Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ content, and for political and religious viewpoints

  3. Captain Underpants series written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey
    Reasons: series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot was challenged for including a same-sex couple

  4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
    Reasons: banned and challenged because it was deemed “anti-cop,” and for profanity, drug use, and sexual references

  5. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
    Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ characters and themes

  6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
    Reasons: banned, challenged, and restricted for addressing teen suicide

  7. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
    Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations

  8. Skippyjon Jones series written and illustrated by Judy Schachner
    Reason: challenged for depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture

  9. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
    Reasons: banned and challenged for sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint

  10. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten
    Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content

  11. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
    Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content

TEN OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED BOOKS IN HISTORY:
Some books have been repeatedly banned or challenged throughout history. This is a list of books that appear the most often on banned books lists.










  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
    Call Number: PS3573.A425 C6 1982
    ISBN: 0156028352
    Publication Date: 2003-05-28





















If you would like more information about banned and challenged books, contact the Office for Intellectual Freedom at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4220, or oif@ala.org. Another god source of information on banned books is the "Libraries and Center for Academic Technology" site by Butler University: https://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217684
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)