Ban This Book is not your typical Alan Gratz novel. The books I’ve read by him have been action-adventure (like Code of Honor, the SCJBA winner last year) or historical fiction stories (like Projekt 1065).
This realistic fiction story is about Amy Anne, a fourth grader whose favorite book has just been banned from the library. The library is her safe haven, the place where she can go for peace and quiet (unlike her hectic house and loud little sisters), but more and more books are being taken out for being “inappropriate for elementary schoolers.” While Mrs. Jones, the librarian, is tied by law and must remove the books, that doesn’t mean Amy Anne can’t start her own banned book library out of her locker. “Good books shouldn’t be hidden away. They should be read by as many people as many times as possible.”
I throughly enjoyed reading this one! It’s an easy read and appropriate for elementary and middle schoolers. We talk about banned and challenged books at my school, but this puts it in a way that I feel kids can relate to easily. It also shows what’s the right and the wrong way of doing things. Amy Anne does get in trouble with the school and her parents for some of her actions (like taking books out of the library without permission), but I like her parents’ response. They’re not angry she’s trying to speak up, “but there’s a right and a wrong way to voice your objections.” And as an added bonus, all the books listed in the book are banned or challenged book titles. This book is a win all around!
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