Generic Becky

Agree!

Principles over parenting. That stinks. I understand and actually appreciate the lie. There’s only so many issues a book could take on before messages get muddied. Was her dad’s portrayal accurate?

There’s a time for everything, except defeatism.

It’s also an important resource for people who could benefit from seeing in detail a historic and monumental moment of turmoil and overcoming odds, then zoom out to a longer timeline. No moment is the end, something always comes after.

I am excited to recommend this to patrons, especially those at an age when one is discovering the world is bigger than their bubble, and deciding where their place is in it. The book allows growth both personally and globally.

Something I see here in the US and was depicted so well in Banned Book Club was the collective effort to normalize, despite political corruption and governmental attacks on individuals (ie, the first day of school where she is sidestepping the protest because she didn’t want to be late to class).

Fictional stories come from one source—the author’s, along with their singular hopes, beliefs, agendas. True stories like this one pull a plethora of viewpoints to tell its tale. The result is more journalistic. Voices clash, characters and experiences may never merge, it’s messy. It’s realistic.

Banned Book Club highlights this beautifully when you look at all its supporting characters. The other students, the professor, her parents, they all represented different choices and the avenues that open from those choices.

Being apolitical or anarchistic is in itself a political statement, just like atheism is a religious statement. Your choices for how you respond to a societal issue affects that society and your place in it, especially if your choice is to opt out.

The books banned clarifies the agenda of those doing the banning. Scarlet Letter wasn’t banned in South Korea, but it was in a religiously oppressive US. The books banned in SK were designed to control its political spectrum. And today banned books in America are designed to homogenize culture.

Show up to council meetings, especially if the library or a book challenge is on the agenda. Donate. Even $10 is a lot. Finally, just ask your librarian what they need. Be specific with your question’s intent so they will know how to lean on you. We stay pretty diplomatic until we don’t have to be.

Librarian here. Help by volunteering. It’s needed and the volunteer numbers (people/hours) get recorded and will affect their funding. Donate a banned book if they need a copy. Easier to approve a donation than to buy a challenged book for collection.

I recommend it at my library all the time. I also add it to just about every display I can. We have the graphic novel, too. Butler for everyone.

I see your lead-in-with-a-positive-quote and raise you one.

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
- Maya Angelou

#librarian community, advice please!

The director and board are afraid we’d lose our non-profit status if we post anything political, even when political forces are tearing down our support system.

Any non-profit libraries have an affective argument I could present?

Most qualified librarians, young or old, wouldn’t like your unverifiable data.

Another by Christian Robinson is one of my favorite wordless books!

For writing style, A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry

For brave animals, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

For friendship with animals, Pax by Sara Pennypacker (there’s also a sequel)

For robots, A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga

For pretending to be a robot, Robosauce by Adam Rubin

Even better, Klassen took that story and made this perfect gem.

At first I thought it was a sad bomb, but on second take, a mustachioed clock?

I find strength in it. You hear Stay Strong from well meaning people, but sometimes it doesn’t resonate. I would relate more to Sure You’re Weak, But Persist Anyway. 😁

“Survival of the fittest” is not about strength, but who is most fit for the changing habitat. She was mostly surrounded by people who were weak, but adaptable…the most fit for what was to come.

It made the experience more hopeful, as if I’m transported in the future, survived long enough to discover her journal, and read.

Also…

The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb (graphic novel more true to the text than tradition)

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn (not wholly religion based, but changes the perspective so much, it washes away all preconceptions)

Happy to!

Christianity: the First Three Thousand Years by Diarmaid MacCulloch

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

And a Documentary:
Marketing the Messiah (2020)

I love Octavia’s choices for what is strength.

1. Lauren’s leadership was a burden, not a step up the ladder. Her purpose wasn’t based on an agenda, but a reaction to what she experienced and witnessed.

2. Nurture is a necessary trait in acquired leadership. Our politicians are good at campaigning, but that skill would be useless in survival.

Laws of nature don’t change, but nature itself and our understanding of it does. Same for the laws of God. Traditional religions follow laws. Lauren’s religion follows God. God is change.

“God is the same forever” is what is said, but not practiced. In your theology books, I’m sure you’ve seen a metamorphosis of definitions that fit the times. And in particular times when it wasn’t unanimous, we see splits and schisms of sects.

Once upon a time, a really smart librarian realized shushing was more disruptive than general background noise. We all lived happily ever after. The end.