Friday, June 14, 2019

Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

An inspiring tale of a fourth-grader who fights back when her favorite book is banned from the school library--by starting her own illegal locker library!

It all started the day Amy Anne Ollinger tried to check out her favorite book in the whole world, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, from the school library. That's when Mrs. Jones, the librarian, told her the bad news: her favorite book was banned! All because a classmate's mom thought the book wasn't appropriate for kids to read.

Amy Anne decides to fight back by starting a secret banned books library out of her locker. Soon, she finds herself on the front line of an unexpected battle over book banning, censorship, and who has the right to decide what she and her fellow students can read.

Reminiscent of the classic novel Frindle by Andrew Clements for its inspiring message, Ban This Book is a love letter to the written word and its power to give kids a voice.

I wasn't too excited about reading this book until I heard more about it from friends that had read it and enjoyed it. I went into it with low expectations because I don't have much interest in middle grade books. I never imagined how fast I would fly through this book!
I loved Amy! I could understand how she had a hard time speaking up and declaring herself to others and how she would rather just live in the school library with her favorite books. I myself have been friends with a school librarian and would check out a stack of books every day. I loved her spunky attitude even though she didn't say much out loud. I was surprised by the ideals and themes in this book that is for a younger audience. I didn't expect to be so moved by the story but I definitely was. I wholeheartedly enjoyed Ban This Book and I think that young readers should read it to understand the importance of literature not only for school but also for enjoyment. Books have power to transport you to other worlds and to help you through trials but helping you to know characters that are going through something similar. 

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