About Books & Literature: Banned Books Week 2010

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor This week is officially designated as National Banned Books Week. To celebrate, I plan on reading whatever the heck I want, no matter what my Mom (or anyone else's Mom) says. Banned Books Week 2010 Banned Books Week, also known as "It's Not the First Amendment by Accident, Sillies" Week, is an annual celebration of the American Library Association. It's been going on for almost thirty years, and it's a great excuse to be a big-time rebel and read some books that someone somewhere thinks you oughtn't. Top 10 Banned Classics I remember being in 10th grade and reading The Scarlet Letter, which we were promised was "so exciting that it has been banned from many schools and libraries." This was either a ploy by my English teacher to get us to read the book or some people are far too easily excited. How to Save Books from Banning Say the easily-excited folks get themselves organized and try to ban The Scarlet Letter from your local library. What can you do, other than giggle at them behind your hand? Should Children's Books be Censored? But should children's books be censored? Some would say that we protect our children from many things, so why not books with objectionable content. Others would say that only a parent should censor a child's reading. Still others would encourage children to read anything and everything. If they should be banned, when? And by whom? Our readers chime in! Books & Literature Ads Books 2010 Literature Games 2010 Delhi Banned Books Week Featured Articles 8 Comic Critics Assess 'AX' Alternative Manga 'Howl' The Movie is Here! Shakespeare Lesson Plans Another Grammar Revival The Top 5 Sondheim Musicals Attitude Quotations   More from About.com Is it a Cold or the Flu? Knowing whether you have a cold or the flu can help you treat your symptoms more effectively. More> Concerned About Your Drinking? This short quiz can help you identify whether or not you have a drinking problem. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   New Reviews from our Guides 'Fall of Giants' by Ken Follett 'Promises to Keep' by Jane Green 'Richard Yates' by Tao Lin Advertisement

About Books & Literature: New Oprah Book Club Pick - Franzen's 'Freedom'

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor Oprah's latest Book Club pick has been announced: Jonathan Franzen's Freedom. Freedom spent the summer dwelling in the beach bags of some big-name readers (including President Obama), so if you haven't read it yet, you'd better get to it. Oprah's watching. Review: Jonathan Franzen's 'Freedom' Our reviewer slapped a big fat five-star rating on this book, and assures us that, as far as language goes, it's not too difficult of a read, but it's still smart, relatable, and begs further discussion. If that isn't a recipe for a book club slam-dunk, I don't know what is. Who is Jonathan Franzen? When Oprah announced Franzen's book as her latest choice, lots of people were a bit surprised. See, this isn't the first time she picked one of his books for her Book Club. When she picked Franzen's The Corrections for the club in 2001, he became Mr. Literary Snobbypants and basically said, "No, thanks." Have they worked things out or is Freedom so good that it transcends feuds? All of Oprah's Book Club Picks. Ever. Even if you are a Ms. or Mr. Literary Snobbypants, just like Mr. Franzen, it's hard to deny that Oprah's Book Club has had a huge impact on the literary landscape in this country. And hey, who else but Oprah could convince hundreds of thousands of people to pick up Faulkner for any reason other than to pass a college American Lit class? How to Join Oprah's Book Club Oprah's Book Club is actually a book club, not just a suggested reading list. Most of the discussion takes place online, which is great for those of you who don't have the time (or social inclinations) to start or join a real-life book club. Books & Literature Ads Books Children Story Books Kids Reading Books Book Club Books Literature Stories Featured Articles The History of Greek Theater Hector St. John de Crevecoeur SPX Interview with Warren Bernard Moto Hagio Interview Old-Fashioned and New-Fangled Tools for Poets The 2010 National Book Festival: What You Need to Know   More from About.com Is it a Cold or the Flu? Knowing whether you have a cold or the flu can help you treat your symptoms more effectively. More> Concerned About Your Drinking? This short quiz can help you identify whether or not you have a drinking problem. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   A Sonnet Sampling Sonnet 42: That Thou Hast Her, It Is Not All My Grief Sonnet 24: Mine Eye Hast Play'd The Painter And Hath Stell'd Sonnet 37: As A Decrepit Father Takes Delight Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Where Have all the Book Reviews Gone?

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor On Sundays, I take a news break. I read, watch, and comment on the news from Monday to Saturday, but on Sunday, over bagels and French Roast, I read the entertainment pages, the wedding section, and the book review. Nothing else. My better half reads all of the important news, and sometimes tries to discuss it with me. "I don't know what you're talking about, dear, but looky-looky! Sara Gruen wrote a new book!" A Turning of the Tide? As our Classic Literature Guide Esther Lombardi reports, book reviews are disappearing in papers and periodicals across the English-speaking world. This is a bummer for those of us who enjoy Sunday mornings in bed with a fat stack of newsprint, but it's a sign of the times, for sure. Review: Sara Gruen - 'Ape House' But look! You can still find book reviews at About.com! Including this one, of Sara Gruen's (Water for Elephants) latest work. Is it as good as her debut novel? Maybe not, but it still looks to be a quick and refreshing read. Review: Jonathan Eig - 'Get Capone' Or if it's nonfiction you seek, perhaps a new and excellent biography of notorious gangster Al Capone, tirelessly researched by biographer Jonathan Eig, whose biographies of Lou Gehrig (Luckiest Man) and Jackie Robinson (Opening Day) are considered two of the best contemporary sports biographies. Review: Ross Campbell - 'Shadoweyes' Or maybe you've got something a bit more graphic in mind... This new comic book from small press SLG is not necessarily the favorite (nor is it the least favorite) of Guide Aaron Albert, but even he concedes that it would likely be a resounding hit with most young teenage girls, to whom it's geared. Not many good comics are written for that demographic, so it's a special find. Books & Literature Ads Books Children Story Books Kids Reading Books Online Book Reviews Literature Featured Articles 50 Essential Manga for Libraries 'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller Buy Shakespeare's First Folio! (If You Can Afford It...) 5 Tips to Cut the Clutter - Concise Writing Mark Twain Quotations The Pura Belpre Award   More from About.com Is it a Cold or the Flu? Knowing whether you have a cold or the flu can help you treat your symptoms more effectively. More> Concerned About Your Drinking? This short quiz can help you identify whether or not you have a drinking problem. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   Classic Poems for Autumn William Blake - "To Autumn" Elizabeth Barrett Browning - "The Autumn" Robert Louis Stevenson - "Autumn Fires" Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Back to School!

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor Many of the wee ones (and grown ones, for that matter) in my life return to school this week, following in the footsteps of those who've started in the past week or two. Not that summer is over or anything. It's still going strong, the way I see it. "An Old Man's Thought of School" by Walt Whitman Uncle Walt always gets you thinking, and this quick ode (the subject matter should be fairly obvious) is always a nice one to ponder this time of year. You don't even have to be old to enjoy it. How to Succeed in Freshman Composition Know any first-year college students? Send this their way. Seriously... I wish I'd followed some of this advice when I was a cheeky freshman who already knew everything. We need more great writers in this world, and Freshman Comp is not a bad place for them to tone their skills. Tips for Teaching Shakespeare I've never taught Shakespeare, but it seems intimidating. After all, learning Shakespeare is intimidating, so teaching it must be even tougher, right? But Shakespeare should be taught well, and learned well, and these tips (plus some extra tips proffered by our readers) should give you some ideas as to how to make that happen, from both sides. How to Start a Book Club If you're not in school, and don't know anyone who is, you still might consider using the academic calendar for your book club. After all, summer is for beach reading, but the colder months lend themselves well to deeper, more discussion-worthy bits of literature. Books & Literature Ads Childrens Books Horror Fiction Books Read Books Romance Books Free Story Books Featured Articles Book Review: Jonathan Franzen - 'Freedom' Geek Garage Sales 15 Manga About Making Manga Poems About Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 Share Your Embarrassing Onstage Moment Grief Quotes   More from About.com Is it a Cold or the Flu? Knowing whether you have a cold or the flu can help you treat your symptoms more effectively. More> Concerned About Your Drinking? This short quiz can help you identify whether or not you have a drinking problem. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   Children's Books About Libraries Tomas and the Library Lady The Librarian of Basra: A True Story of Iraq The Boy who was Raised by Librarians Advertisement