On Censorship

Over the past week, I've read many insightful comments and discussions regarding censorship and book bans. This subject evokes a fiery passion in my mind and heart, a burning anger that it is difficult to quell.

For me, one of the greatest gifts we humans possess is our ability to make choices, to exercise our free will. Choosing what we read and don't read is an expression of that will.

As a reader with an acutely sensitive conscience, there are many books with subject matter that I choose not to read for various reasons. That is my choice. But to presume to inflict my conscience on others would, I believe, be an inappropriate violation of the gift of choice.

I am grateful for children's authors who have the courage to write about subjects close to their hearts. I am also grateful for publishers who are not afraid to publish books on controversial subjects, teachers and librarians who make these books available to young readers, bookstores that give them space on their shelves.

If anyone wants to campaign to make certain books unavailable to others, let them first sacrifice their own gift of free will, their right to choose reading material for themselves.

WHAT I'VE BEEN READING LATELY: Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever (M. Johnson) Black Box (J. Schumacher) Losing Faith (D. Jaden) Faith, Hope, and Ivy Jane (P. Reynolds Naylor) Freak Magnet (A. Auseon) Glimpse (C. Lynch Williams)

Please Help Us Finish Our Rural Library

Due to the amazing generosity of an all-volunteer labor force and monetary donations, our rural library is getting close to completion! For many years, our little library has shared space at the City Hall which involves hours of set-up and tear-down for the three days a week it is able to be open.

As you can see in the photo, the Friends of The North Fork Community Library have already raised $500,000 of the needed $550,000 to complete the project. In this economy, that is quite an accomplishment.

Every little bit helps! If you'd like to learn more about this project or make a donation, please click on this link. A PayPal account has been set up to make things easy. http://www.northforkcommunity.org/index.htm

WHAT I'VE BEEN READING: A Map of the Known World (L. Sandell) It's Raining Cupcakes (L. Schroeder) The Summer I Turned Pretty (J. Han) Faith, Hope, and Ivy June (P. Reynolds Naylor) Freak Magnet (A. Auseon) Girl 15 Charming But Insane (S. Limb)

Author Interview: Denise Jaden

There's a party going on right here! Join the fun. Read the interview below, take a moment to comment, and you'll automatically be entered for a load of fabulous prizes.

Denise and I met thanks to another one of those serendipitous cyber moments. We live in different countries, yet only minutes away from each other. The first time I met Denise, she let me read the first page of LOSING FAITH and I've been dying to get my paws on it ever since. I'm buying my copy on Monday. How about you?


Denise On The Joys of Life:

If I could snap my fingers and solve one of the problems here on earth, it would be:
I feel like a Miss America contestant! You really dive right in with the questions that make one think, don’t you, Angelina? Well okay. Hmmm. I think the root of most problems is unsubstantiated fear—fear of what people think of you (when really they’re not thinking of you at all!), fear of things that you can’t do anything to prevent or help anyway. I think people would have better relationships and lives in general if we weren’t all so afraid of…everything. So I guess my answer would be to abolish unhealthy fear. SNAP!

One question I wish I had a definitive answer to:
Where will I be and what will I be doing in ten years?

Best thing about being a child:
Curiosity

Worst thing about being a child:
Restrictions

Best thing about being a teenager:
Great passion

Worst thing about being a teenager:
Great passion – ha!

Most memorable teen moment:
Smashing up my dad’s van in a Gold’s Gym parking lot and having to go in and explain the situation to the She-Hulk owner of the car I hit.

A quote I live by:
God is good, no matter what.

My dream vacation:
Definitely a trip to Tahiti. I’ve been a Polynesian dancer most of my life, but I have not had the opportunity to visit many of the Polynesian islands yet. One day…

In My Perfect World…

Everyone would get a massage and reading break at least once a week.

There would be an abundance of chocolate and sugar snap peas.

No one would be deprived of deodorant.

Every child would have two loving parents.

No one would ever hurt another person.

I-phones would be free for everyone.


For more details about the prizes and other fabulous information, see Denise's Blog: http://baskinex.blogspot.com