Be Subversive: Read a Banned Book!

It's here again--that time of year when readers around the country celebrate the freedom to read: Banned Books Week. Held by the American Library Association every year in the last week of September, Banned Books Week will take place: September 25−October 2, 2010.  It's a time to show your support for authors whose books have been banned.

Here's a list of few books that have been banned:

The Bible
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle

There are plenty more at the ALA website. Even one of our own authors' books was challenged. Some teachers did not feel the cover of Island Sting with its bullet holes and blood was suitable for the classroom, even though Doerr's book is an eco-mystery about endangered animals. Here's her challenged cover below:

What's your favorite banned book? Anyone who answers this week will get 20% off any Leap Books title from now until the end of the year. Watch for some great upcoming releases, including Jacqueline Horsfall's For the Love of Strangers.

Popular Paperbacks for YA List

YALSA has announced the finalists for their 2011 Popular Paperbacks lists. And Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr is on their Crime Scene list. Way to go, Bonnie!!

YALSA is the Young Adult Library Service Association, a division of ALA (American Library Services). Here's the list of contenders:

Abrahams, Peter. Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery

Arnold, Tedd. Rat Life

Blundell, Judy. What I Saw and How I Lied

Cormier, Robert. Tenderness

Cusick, Richie Tankersley. Walk of the Spirits

Doerr, Bonnie J. Island Sting

Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother

Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light

Ferguson, Alane. The Christopher Killer: A Forensic Mystery

Gerber, Linda. Death by Bikini

Gerber, Linda C. Death by Latte

Giles, Gail. Dead Girls Don't Write Letters

Gordon, Roderick and Williams, Brian. Tunnels

Kate, Lauren. The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove

McClintock, Norah. Dooley Takes the Fall

McNamee, Graham. Acceleration

Olin, Sean. Killing Britney

Parker, Robert B. The Boxer and the Spy

Perez, Marlene. Dead is the New Black

Price, Charlie. Dead Connection

Shepard, Sara. Pretty Little Liars

Sorrells, Walter. First Shot

Stolarz, Laurie Faria. Project 17

Vande Velde, Vivian. Never Trust a Dead Man

Weingarten, Lynn. Wherever Nina Lies

Werlin, Nancy. Killer's Cousin

Urasawa, Naoki. Naoki Urasawa's Monster

Do you have a favorite? Tell us about it. We hope Island Sting is on your favorite's list, of course, but feel free to tell us what you liked best about any of the contenders' books. We're always interested in hearing your comments about books and reading.