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A review by dark_reader
Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes
5.0
Yes, yes, yes! I have a mad on for real-life reports of book bans and book challenges, so this book immediately tickled my fancy, although I can't think of the last time that I read a non-fantasy middle school book. [a:Allison Varnes|16454723|Allison Varnes|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png] spins a tale that perfectly captures the essence and impact of book censorship through the lens of a young avid reader.
The main character, June Harper, is in 7th grade, and I think this book would appeal to any book lover in middle-school or early high school. After June's parents find her with a book titled The Making of a Witch (the only fictional book in the novel; all others are real) whose content they find objectionable, they spearhead a school-wide book cull and see rules instituted that make reading any non-approved text a punishable offense. The only unrealistic aspect of the novel, in my opinion, is the speed at which the book ban is implemented and the breadth of its scope; within 24 hours the school librarian is fired and the school library is virtually emptied of it's inventory. Otherwise, the story of banning books and the impact it has on readers rings true, and the speed of the ban provides needed dramatic effect.
The story maintains a steady pace, never dragging. The social-emotional interactions between the kid characters felt very authentic; I was reminded of some my own actions and thought processes at that age (and not necessarily those of the sympathetic characters), and they were not even remotely tiresome to this adult reader, despite that I often find this to be the case when I read young-adult or younger books. The book's double-wham climax was highly invigorating, driving it home with satisfaction. A slam dunk for a new author!
Would recommend to: any intelligent book lover of any age. I consider myself lucky to have spotted this on my local library's New Books display in the children's section.
This book also provided an opportunity to teach my daughter (age 7) the meaning of "rebel" and "rebellion". May she grow to rebel in joyous ways. We have spoken many times about the concept of banned or challenged books, a notion which still dumbfounds her ("Why would someone ban Captain Underpants?").
The main character, June Harper, is in 7th grade, and I think this book would appeal to any book lover in middle-school or early high school. After June's parents find her with a book titled The Making of a Witch (the only fictional book in the novel; all others are real) whose content they find objectionable, they spearhead a school-wide book cull and see rules instituted that make reading any non-approved text a punishable offense. The only unrealistic aspect of the novel, in my opinion, is the speed at which the book ban is implemented and the breadth of its scope; within 24 hours the school librarian is fired and the school library is virtually emptied of it's inventory. Otherwise, the story of banning books and the impact it has on readers rings true, and the speed of the ban provides needed dramatic effect.
The story maintains a steady pace, never dragging. The social-emotional interactions between the kid characters felt very authentic; I was reminded of some my own actions and thought processes at that age (and not necessarily those of the sympathetic characters), and they were not even remotely tiresome to this adult reader, despite that I often find this to be the case when I read young-adult or younger books. The book's double-wham climax was highly invigorating, driving it home with satisfaction. A slam dunk for a new author!
Would recommend to: any intelligent book lover of any age. I consider myself lucky to have spotted this on my local library's New Books display in the children's section.
This book also provided an opportunity to teach my daughter (age 7) the meaning of "rebel" and "rebellion". May she grow to rebel in joyous ways. We have spoken many times about the concept of banned or challenged books, a notion which still dumbfounds her ("Why would someone ban Captain Underpants?").