Books – Page 83 – Katie L. Carroll

In honor of Banned Books Week, I decided to scour my shelves and see how many banned/challenged books I actually own. Turns out it was enough to bury myself.

(That’s me covered in books…ahem, in nothing but books!!!)

This doesn’t even include the banned books I’ve read that I don’t own, or ones that I’ve lent out, or ones that are part of my parent’s collection of books, or ones that are on my Nook. And there’s probably some on my shelves that have been banned but didn’t come up on any lists I referenced or haven’t made it to any list. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom actually believes that as many as four out of five challenged books goes unreported.

I can’t imagine what my life would be like without having read these banned books. They have sparked my imagination, informed me, and entertained me. Lois Lowry’s The Giver (which surprisingly I don’t seem to own) in particular made a huge impression on me when I first read it. I’ll never forget how shocked I was when I realized the weirdness Jonas was seeing on the apple is the color red.

What banned books have had an impact on you?

Book trailers are great. I can’t wait to make one for my own book someday. I’ve decided to share trailers and some thoughts (not a review, just some thoughts) of books I’ve read recently. The first one I’ve selected is Jandy Nelson’s The Sky is Everywhere.

My older sister (my not-really-twin twin sister) gave me this book for my birthday. As I started to read it, I knew exactly why she selected The Sky is Everywhere: It was like Jandy Nelson had been in my brain when my younger sister, Kylene, had died and took my deepest thoughts and feelings and put them on a page. It’s about what happens after, how to refind your life, and how to learn how to live it again. This book is heartbreaking, beautiful, and ultimately joyful.