Review: Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

Amy Anne Ollinger has just made a shocking discovery. Her favourite book, her most favourite book in the whole world, Newberry Award winner From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg has been banned from her elementary school library. Even worse, she discovers from the school librarian that it has not been banned by the proper process, and is due to an objection by an influential (and wealthy) parent and member of the school board. And, worse again, it turns out the school board has banned a number of other books as well. What is a shy, quiet kid like Amy Anne, who finds comfort in the school library and the books there? How can she possibly make a difference and fight against the school board? It turns out she can, thanks to a bit of luck and some innovation between Amy Anne and her peers. They start a secret library of banned books, operating out of Amy Anne's locker. But what happens when she gets discovered and the grown ups decide once and for all to decide what the kids can and cannot read?

Ban this Book is an interesting and innovative take on book banning. All of the books mentioned in the novel are real and have been frequently challenged and even banned from school libraries. Many of them are Newberry Award winners, others such as Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret need no introduction. The book locker, it's eventual discovery and how the kids fight back against well-meaning but unfair and hypocritical adults is quite interesting, as is the other plot about how Amy Anne finds her voice and begins to assert herself in other areas of her life that are unfair. I enjoyed the paragraphs of all the things that Amy Ann wanted to say, but didn't. Author Alan Gratz makes his position clear on book banning, including at the end where Amy Anne is reminded that it is acceptable for her parents to make decisions about what she cannot read, what is unacceptable is for someone to say that all children cannot read a certain book. We also see a chapter where Amy Anne self-censors and chooses not to buy a particular book because she does not feel comfortable or ready for it. 

Although this one is aimed at middle grade readers, and currently the subject of a challenge of its own in the United States, it is interesting and compelling enough to appeal to teenagers and adults as well. 

Don't ban this book--I highly recommend reading it instead. 

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