Workplace Woes and Magic Gone Wrong

Day four of ALA Banned Books Week brings two strange bedfellows to our list of banned or challenged library or school books.  Well, that's the way they're listed on my Library's "Banned Book" Trailers playlist, and I like to keep things orderly.

Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich

It's easy to understand why Barbara Ehrenreich's book is a victim of censorship attempts.  In Nickel and Dimed, she candidly reveals what it was like for her to work multiple low-paying jobs, like millions of underpaid, overworked Americans who struggle to make ends meet.  She pulls no punches and tells it like it is--from her viewpoint, which admittedly leans liberal and Democratic.  But she has solid ideas behind her rhetoric, and her experiences are honest and straightforward.  High school students and adults would profit from perusing this book.

The Indian in the Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks

The Indian in the Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks (illustrated by Brock Cole) was first published 31 years ago, and it has been a favorite among readers ages 9-12 and older. Some grown-ups have even read it to their preschoolers.

Why has The Indian in the Cupboard been challenged or banned in schools and libraries? Some adults think that Native Americans are stereotyped in the book, but the author extensively researched Iroquois life during early American colonial days, and her portrayal of Little Bear is historically accurate. Other adults think there is too much violence in the book, but that's difficult to understand. Any violent actions in the book are mild compared to anything on television or at the movies to which children are routinely exposed. Lastly, some grown-ups say there is bad language in the book, but, frankly, I can't remember reading any. If there are any "swear words" in the book, they're nothing compared to what kids hear daily from their elementary school classmates.

Readers ages 9-12 are old enough to understand and learn from the problems that Omri, Patrick, Little Bear, Boone, and the other characters encounter. Mostly, it is a fun adventure you should enjoy. Look for it in my Library's Evergreen Indiana catalog.

Keep Reading What You Want!


Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
BBW News Beat

P.S. John Lennon explained that "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" was based solely upon a drawing his then four-year-old son, Julian, made of his school classmate, Lucy. The elder Lennon was impressed with the imaginative design and colorfulness of his son's artwork, and this prompted the psychedelic imagery of the song's lyrics. There are people convinced that the song promotes L.S.D. use--which is why the BBC banned it from radio airplay when it was released on the LP Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)--so I suppose, at this late date, nothing would convince them otherwise. Personally, I believe John Lennon's version of the song's origins.