Review: Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

Synopsis: In Ban This Book by Alan Gratz, a fourth grader fights back when From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is challenged by a well-meaning parent and taken off the shelves of her school library. Amy Anne is shy and soft-spoken, but don’t mess with her when it comes to her favorite book in the whole world. Amy Anne and her lieutenants wage a battle for the books that will make you laugh and pump your fists as they start a secret banned books locker library, make up ridiculous reasons to ban every single book in the library to make a point, and take a stand against censorship. Ban This Book is a stirring defense against censorship that’s perfect for middle grade readers. Let kids know that they can make a difference in their schools, communities, and lives! (from the online description)

Review: This book! This book! Oh heavens – okay, so told from the first person pov of Amy Anne, an avid 9-year-old bibliophile, this books explores what makes us ourselves, where we find courage, and mostly, what censorship is and how it works.

When her favorite book (From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg) is banned from her school library, Amy Anne is cut to the heart. Why would someone ban her favorite book?

With a little digging and some help from her friends, Amy Anne learns than many books are banned, books that she loves, that others love. And she makes a choice – she’s going to run a Banned Book Library from her locker, freely giving out books, sharing her love of reading, with her classmates.

But this takes courage – what if she gets caught? And as more books disappear from the library shelves, Amy Anne has to decide if she can overcome her fear to speak out against this wrong.

Although meant for late-elementary, early middle-school reader, this book will appeal to all ages. If you are looking to explain censorship to young readers, this book is an excellent way to help them understand.

Note for Parents: Sex is mentioned (in relationship to why some books are banned, in particular, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume). While censorship is explained, the book also encourage parental involvement and activie engagement in the reading life of their kids, essentially saying that parents should be the one to guide their child’s reading.

I will recommend this book to kids and adults alike. 

Note: As part of LibraryThing's Early Review Program, I received this book free in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Bookmarks: 4.5 of 5

Awards: None (Yet)

ISBN: 978-0-7653-8556-7
Year Published: 2017
Date Finished: 10-9-2017
Pages: 255