BANNED BOOKS WEEK: MY READING LIST

This is my second year participating in Banned Books Week. I'll have to admit I have had no experience with he banning of a book. One of the best gifts my Parents gave me was unlimited access to books in all their forms. My father too me weekly to the local pharmacy for comics and I quickly progressed from library user to book purchaser. Living in a college town I had access to lots of eclectic book stores and genres. My parents were always aware of what I read but I had no concept of a "Bad" or 'Banned " book.

That is not he case for young readers today.When I perused this years lists I was surprised how many classics and YA reads that I had enjoyed were on the list.So I'm choosing to support one of them by buying this:



Here is the synopsis for Lush:

Samantha has a secret... It's hard to be a thirteen-year-old-girl. But it's even harder when your father's a drunk. It adds an extra layer to everything - your family's reaction to things, the friends you're willing to bring home, the way you see yourself and the world. For Samantha, it's something that has been going on for so long that she's almost used to it. Only, you never get used to it. Especially when it starts to get worse.

Sam knows things have to stop. But she doesn't know how to make them stop. So she picks a random girl in the library and starts sending her notes, asking for advice. And she keeps an extra-close eye on her little brother, trying to protect him from getting hurt. Sam doesn't want her family to fall apart. But that might be what has to happen for things to be okay again.


As she did in the prize-winning Perfect, Natasha Friend has written a powerful, honest novel that gets to the heart of one girl's problems - and the strength she must find in order to cope. .

I immediately knew I needed to support this book. You see despite the wonderful gifts my mother gave me there was also one Challenge. My mother was an alcoholic. A very highly functioning addict for many years but as I entered my teen years her control began to fall apart. I know Sam's life and I have yet to read a single page of this story. I would have loved to have a book like this growing up. I'm sure there are many teens today that can really use this novel as well. Often what book banners are trying to protect children from are the very things that need to be discussed. I'm looking forward to  reading this.




The Golden Compass trilogy has often been challenged due to it's religious overtones. I love this series and hope to at least reread book one and read this as well:

This book is a further exploration into the world of The Golden Compass as well as a new short story. So look for some reviews and other comment posts over the next couple of days. Happy Reading!