November Wallowing

Although I could not have imagined what it must have been like to have been at Brandenburg Gate twenty years ago, I knew even then from my small hometown far removed that it was a significant event. Like many of you, I first heard the news from Tom Brokaw and the NBC Nightly News.

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This morning as I read stories of celebration and reviewed this old footage of the wall, I am reminded of that girl who was, with this event, learning that the world is a much larger space than a small corner in East Tennessee.

As we move toward our historic events with healthcare reform, I feel optimistic that change is ever possible.

Challenge for October

You may not have realized that we are in the midst of "Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read" which is held the last week of September, and this year runs September 26th through October 3rd. The American Library Association is one of the sponsors of this week, and its website is full of resources regarding the history of the event and various other statistics regarding challenged authors and books. (We do love math.)

The ALA reports that from 2001 to 2008 just over 3700 books have been challenged with nearly even thirds of these occurring in classrooms, school libraries, and public libraries. The leading challengers were parents in 51% of the cases. Would you be surprised to hear The Kite Runner ranked ninth in the Top Ten 2008? Several of our previous book selections (Golden Compass was fourth for 2007) and many of the "classics" have made the lists. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is one of the most challenged titles of last decade.

So for October, be daring and add a challenged title to your book list.