Frequently Challenged books

        One of the squares on the Lucky 10 Challenge in the Teen Reading Log asks that you read a challenged book. I bet you will be surprised to know that you have probably read many challenged books, as picture books are challenged, too  

       Book banning is censorship and goes against our the First Amendment rights of freedom of expression. Books are rarely banned in American schools, bookstores and public libraries, but often books are challenged by people who object to something in the book, usually something religious, political, sexual or due to language.  

       The American Library Association and all librarians promote your freedom to choose the books you want and to express your opinions and views.

You can search online and find many banned and challenged books lists.  Here are some of them:  

Alexander - The Prydain Chronicles
Alexie - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Anderson - Twisted
Anonymous - Go Ask Alice
Armstrong - Sounder
Asher - Thirteen Reasons Why
Blume - Forever
Bronte - Wuthering Heights
Chbosky - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Collins – The Hunger Games
Cormier - I Am the Cheese
Cushman - Midwife’s Apprentice
Curtis - Watson’s Go To Birmingham—1963
Dahl - The BFG
Friend – Lush
George - Julie of the Wolves
Green - Looking for Alaska
Harris - It’s Perfectly Normal
Henkes – Olive’s Ocean
Hinton - The Outsiders
Hopkins – Crank
Howe - Totally Joe
Huxley – Brave New World 
Lee – To Kill a Mockingbird  
L’Engle - A Wrinkle in Time  
Lewis - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe       
Lowry - The Giver Things               
 Mackler – The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things
Meyer - Twilight
Myers – Fallen Angels
Myracle – ttyl, ttfn
Naylor – Alice (series)
Nix - Shade’s Children
Orwell - Animal Farm
Parnell – And Tango Makes Three
Paterson – Bridge to Terabithia
Paulsen - Nightjohn
Pilkey – Captain Underpants (series)
Picoult – My Sister’s Keeper
Pullman- His Dark Materials trilogy
Ringgold - Tar Beach
Rowling – Harry Potter (series)
Sachar - Sideways Stories from Wayside School
Salinger - The Catcher in the Rye
Schwartz – Scary Stories (series)
Sendak – In the Night Kitchen
Silverstein - Giving Tree
Smith – Bone (series)
Snyder - Egypt Game
Steig - Abel’s Island
Steinbeck – Of Mice and Men
Taylor - Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Twain - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
VonZiegesar - Gossip Girls (series)
Wilder - Little House on the Prairie
Winthrop - Castle in the Attic   

DON'T FORGET:  All reading logs are due August 2nd!  If you turn your log in by or on August 2nd, you get to come to the Teen Summer Reading Finale Party.  Ice Cream and a free book that you chose!  Don’t miss this!

Also, finish up your entry for the Writes of Summer writing contest.  They are due August 1st!

I’d love to hear what challenged book you read!

Happy reading,
Connie

The Wednesday evening fun continues with more great Teen Programs at the Scarborough Public Library!

       We had a great time learning all about Forensics with Officers Nelsen, Weed and Landry. We dusted soda bottles for fingerprints, used oblique lighting to find footprints and swabbed blood for DNA samples.  Each participant got a mask, gloves and booties, just like those worn by real detectives.

       A huge THANK YOU to the three officers who so willingly gave their time to our teens!

      Here are some pictures of the evening.

      Next week (July 16) don’t miss Improv with David LaGraffe.  What is Improv?  Acting…on the spur of the moment!  David will lead us in some improvisation games and exercises.  Come get in touch with your inner actor! 

      And on July 23rd we’ll watch the movie “Back to the Future.”  Popcorn provided by the library.  July 30th will be about Aeronautics.  We’ll be launching straw rockets and foam gliders.

      Don’t miss out on all the fun.  Call the Youth Services Room (883-4723 option 3) or stop by to sign up.

      And don’t forget to keep reading.  Bring in your reading logs and share with us what you are reading!

Connie

Our Box City!

       A group of teens had a blast last Wednesday night at our first Teen Program of the summer: Let’s Build a Box City!  

        Karen Martin, who works at SEDCO and has a Master’s degree in City Planning, helped the kids think about what buildings they might want in their town.  The teens worked in groups, with each group deciding which buildings they would create from all kinds of boxes brought in by the staff at SPL.  We had a library (of course!), a huge mall, a nuclear power plant, police and fire station, farm, town hall, church, school, beach, bus – and even the last phone booth in America!  At the end of our time together, the kids assembled their town, deciding, with Karen’s help, what buildings went together and how best to layout a community.  

       Lots of good thinking and great creativity happened! 


       Karen Martin was very impressed and had a blast with the teens.  A big “thank you” to her for sharing her time and knowledge with us.

      More great summer Teen Programs are scheduled!  Teen Board Games will be happening July 2nd, Let’s Get a Clue, with Detective Ron Nelsen on July 9th, Improv with David LaGraff on July 16th, a showing of the great movie, “Back to the Future” on July 23rd and learning about flight on July 30th with Trent Schreiber from 4-H.  


       And of course there is the final Teen Party (free book and ice cream! )for all participants in the Summer Reading Program  on August 6th!

There is lots going on in the Youth Services Room at Scarborough Public library this summer. Stop by!

Happy reading,
Connie