The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Wow. This book. I read it one sitting. Granted it is short, only about 211 pages. But it is really good. It is uniquely written in a series of letters, addressed "Dear Friend," almost like diary entries. It made me literally laugh out loud in some parts and cry in earnest in others. Since this is Banned Book Week, this book is an excellence choice. It has been on the challenged book list several times and I understand why, there is teen aged drinking, sex, drug use, and homosexuality. BUT that being said, I think it perfectly captures the feelings that I know I had when I was a teen, heck sometimes still experience even though I didn't/don't participate in those types of actives. That feeling of loneliness in a crowd of people that should be your peers. The feeling of not having friends and being willing to do just about anything to gain one, much less many. I think we just need to realize that people in general, especially teens are dealing with some, if not, many of the issues presented in this book. Being an adult, you realize that it is a passing phase of life but when you are going through it hurts and those pains are REAL.  I really don't like reading sad books but if they are wonderfully written then they have the potential for becoming the best books.

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

In action. Signing books and 

posters for us fans!

Hubs and I had the chance to attend a screening of the movie version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower with the author of the book/screenwriter and director Stephen Chbosky. The movie is AMAZING! I think it is awesome that Chbosky was able to play such a major role in the book to movie adaptation. That rarely happens but he did it wonderfully. I think the movie was a little lighter than the book. Obviously some scenes couldn't be in the movie because of time and flow constraints but I think all the important parts were included. This is just a really good coming of age movie (and book) and I totally recommend them both!

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.”

Stephen answering fan questions after the movie.

I was so excited to get to go to this event, I really didn't plan well and I forgot to take notes. But I remember Stephen saying something like, it was important to do a movie like Perks because you can be sitting in the movie theater and know that the people beside you, in front of you, and behind you are all experience the same emotions you are while watching the movie. The point being you are not alone. Most of us have felt the way you are feeling. Especially for teens, I think this is important to realize. He said as you get older you forget how big things feel when you are younger. Once you are older you can see how things do work out, but it is important for parents to try to remember what that was like.

Stephen did say that he working on another book, YaY!!

“He's a wallflower. You see things. 

You keep quiet about them. And you understand."

Signed book!

If you a person who has ever experienced the feeling of loneliness and not fitting in please read the book or at least see the movie! I give this book (and movie) 5 out of 5 stars. I totally recommend it.

Other bloggers I like that encouraged me to read this book:
elizziebooks
smashattackreads

Banned Book Review: More Scary Stories

I can not even tell you how much I loved the Scary Stories books by Alvin Schwartz when I was kid. When I was first looking at books for Banned Book Week I was surprised that one of my beloved childhood books was at the top of the boards for challenged books. I had forgotten exactly what this collection of stories were all about but I remembered LOVING them. I began searching my personal library for any of the series I could find, and behold, I have found one beat-up, much loved copy of More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, author Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell.

I probably spent less than an hour total rereading this book and reliving my childhood. Okay, so yes, the stories and drawings are kind of gross and gruesome but I still kind of loved them. There are mentions of vampires and ware animals, things I am still in to in 20 years later! (See stories "The Window" and "The Cat's Paw.") But there are also morals to the stories, which I'm sure I didn't bother to notice in my youth. Take the story called "Sounds" and "The Curse" for example. You learn you shouldn't break into houses that are not yours. There will be blood and someone might die. In the stories entitled, "Clinkity-Clink" and "The Cat in the Shopping Bag" you learn you shouldn't steal things. A ghost WILL haunt you to get her money back or you will end up toting around a dead cat in a bag, so it is best just not to take things that don't belong to you. In "The Drum" you learn you shouldn't listen to random little gypsy girls about being hateful to your mother because she will pack up and LEAVE you if you are too bad. No drum is worth loosing your mother.

Seriously though, reading these stories this many years later have given me a fresh perspective. I don't have children and I don't think I would want an extremely young child reading this but I think kids around 9 or 10 would get a kick out of it. (Depending on the child, of course!) People are allowed to have a difference of opinion. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean you should be able to take away my choice to read it. Parents are free to censor their own children but it is not your job to sensor everyone else's kids too. If you are concerned about it, YOU read it first and then you make the choice for YOUR child. Not for me or mine. I think parents should take an active role in parenting their own children. Lead by example. And don't make blanket judgements on things you really don't know about or haven't even read.

Which leads me to my last point, a HUGE thank you to my mom. As I looked over the frequently challenged book list, I realized I had read or owned many of the books and acquired many while I was still under her supervision. For example, More Scary Stories was purchased at book fair in elementary school. My mom always encouraged me to read. I don't know if she always liked what I read (or am reading to this day) but she does her best to understand my extreme love of reading. (She also is a reader and I love searching for books I think she will like when I'm on book buying excursions.) The thing is though, I didn't know there was such a thing as Banned Book Week and as a tribute to her parenting skills, I didn't know there was need for such a thing. So thanks again Mama for helping create the reading monster you have here today!

Pic from ALA

By the way, I'm totally giving More Scary Stories 5 out of 5 stars. Maybe it's nostalgia but this is a book I've managed to keep with me for over 20 years and I still enjoy it. That's gotta count for something! Also, it is pretty cool how at the end the author, Alvin Schwartz, includes his sources. He didn't just make up random stories, these are based, at least to a degree, in documented folklore. Similar stories have been told for hundreds of years in many different languages around the world. I think that's pretty awesome.

Banned Book Week

American Library Association

This week is the 30th anniversary of Banned Book Week. This is a celebration of books that have been challenged or banned in schools or libraries. I have never really thought of this being a problem. I don't have kids and maybe that's why it has never crossed my mind that a book would need to be banned. Books get challenged for all sorts of reasons including use of "offensive language," "sexually explicit" material, and being "unsuited for any age group." Books get challenged with good intentions and because people want to protect mostly children.

I personally think that this can be a problem. First, just because you have decided you don't think that a book is not appropriate that for you and your kids, doesn't mean that you should be able to take away from others. I want my future child, my husband, and myself to be well rounded and be able to read all kinds of different books.


Hubs made a good point, he said, "When you go and challenge a book in the library, not only are restricting the book from your kids, but also other kids and other adults. You are affecting every single patron of that library." Just something to think about before you try to ban a book from public access.

Second, if you are the parent, then be a parent. If you are worried about the content of a book, YOU read it first and make the choice for YOUR child if they can read it or not. In my experience the more you tell someone they can't do something, then the more they will want to do it. I would suggest, if you read something that don't agree with, then use it as a teachable moment. For example, it is not secret that I love Twilight. It has been on the challenged list several times. I concede that I wouldn't want my 13 year old daughter thinking it's okay for a hot boy to sneak into her room at night, like Edward does. I'd like to think instead of saying don't read Twilight I would explain why this was not okay and not as romantic as it might seem on the surface. (Uh, hello, stalker!)

Third, reading (almost) anything is better than reading nothing. Therefore, whatever it takes to get someone interested in reading is a good thing. And fourth, I think it is a shame to silence an idea, just because it doesn't match your idea. We should all get to decide for ourselves and our own families what is acceptable. There are so many great books, both classic and modern, on the challenged list. It's almost criminal to think these would not be accessible to people everywhere.


Some of my favorites from the banned/challenged lists:
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins


Here is a list of list of frequently challenged classics.

Books banned/challenged in 2011.

Top 100 banned/challenged books from 2000-2009.


These are MY opinions. Feel free to disagree. I probably won't change my mind but I think it is important to hear all sides of an argument.