I don't know what to talk about today and I really have anything exciting to talk anyways. So I guess I can talk a little about what I did today. So today, I went to the library and checked out some books.
I decided to go ahead and get started on my booklist for my Multi Cultural Literature for Children and Youth class. It's not until May but they've already sent the booklist and suggested that we read the books prior to class beginning so that we can focus on class discussions and projects. I figured it was especially important since I'll be going to Phoenix Comic Con at the end of May. It's better if I get as much out of the way since I'll be too busy having a good time to spend a lot of time.
I decided to start with the picture books on the list since they'll take the least amount of time to read. I figured I'll be able to knock them out and then focus more on the chapter books. Since many of the books on my list were located at the North Branch that's where I went.I certainly have a nice stack of books to keep me busy for the next week. I ended up having to put some books on hold since they were checked out or at the South Branch library which is further away. I ended up stopping at the Emily Fowler (Central branch) anyways and picking up one other book. I've already read 2 of the picture books. Both were bilingual Spanish books.
While at the Emily Fowler library, I talked to the Children's Librarian. I showed her my signed copy of Suite Scarlett and then showed her my list of books. We got to talking about how there was controversy over some of the books and how ridiculous the controversy is. It made me think about book banning and censorship. It's ridiculous some of the reasons why people ban books. It's like people are so bored that they go through and nit pick books. I'm sure if someone spent time, they could find issues with any book. It's just stupid. Then there's the fact that they say they haven't read them. How can you say something bad about a book if you've never even opened to cover and read what the book was really about?
For me, book banning and censorship hits home. This is because a church group in my hometown held a book burning and burned books like Harry Potter and other books they considered to be "evil" and against their religion. It was big enough to make the national news! The good thing was that members of the community supported the library and protested against the book burning. This event sticks in my mind even though I did not personally witness the burning itself. It was something that was big in my hometown. For me it's even more important to fight against those that try to ban or censor a book in the library. Interestedly, a few years ago, I was on the front page of my hometown newspaper. It was a picture of me and another girl looking over a banned books display at the community college library. I was just browsing the library between class one day and saw the display. I was looking at the books that were on display when a photographer for the newpaper showed up and asked to take our picture. For the picture I picked Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire since it was on display. When the picture came out in the paper the caption read "Harry Potter is my friend". While it made me smile to see this, it also made me think about the book burning event and how for those people, I was probably on their most hated list or at least on their list of people who need prayer since they think Harry Potter is evil.
So yes, I'm such a huge book nerd and I guess that's why I'm in the field that I am. I feel that every book has its reader and that every book should have the chance to be read.
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