Oct 15

Oct 15 Episode #128: Censorship!

Grace and Alvina discuss several issues relating to censorship, including Banned Book Week, an update on the York, PA book ban, the cancellation of the Plum Creek Literary Festival, and "soft" censorship.

“How have you been?”

Alvina and Stephen went to their first Broadway show together and the first Broadway show since the pandemic started! They saw Come From Away. They also adopted two new kittens named “Mo” and “Sweet Pea”.

Grace has been busy working on her upcoming book but also found time recently for some fun personal projects. She’s been helping her daughter with her latest craft ideas; making “watch bunnies”! They watch over you and your other stuffed animals.

Censorship!

According to the Oxford English Dictionary: Sensorship is “The Suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc...that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security. The book friends define censorship and talk about what it means in terms of Government control and the First Amendment. It is Banned Books Week…an annual celebration of the freedom to read and freedom of expression.

UPDATE on the banning of books that was happening in York PA last week: A Big Mooncake for Little Star was on the list of books that were frozen and unable to use by teachers because some thought the books were teaching critical race theory. See episode #127 from last week.) The decison was reversed! This was mainly because it made national news and also there was a huge uproar by the students. Grace reminds everyone to pay attention to your local elections!

Plum Literacy Book Festival cancellation:

Author Eliot Schrefer was the first to pull out of the event when he noticed one of his books was not accepted, The Darkness Outside Us, because of it’s queer content. Eliot researched why this might be and found in Concordia Univeristy’s Code of Ethics that it basically punished homosexual acts. Many other authors began to withdraw from the event and it was eventually cancelled. Grace shares her own disheartening story from her experience ten years ago at the same festival.

Other book banning controversies mentioned: Fred Gets Dressed by Peter Brown, Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian and illustrated by Mike Curato, Hey Kiddo by Jarret J. Krosoczka and Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Grace and Alvina share some of their favorite “Random Tips”! Like how to tell which side of the car your gas gauge is on and even thought he soap smells really good, don’t come out of the bathroom smelling your fingers! Listen in to hear more great life TIPS from the Book Friends!

Gratefuls:

Alvina is grateful for her new kittens. Grace is grateful for the successful Moon Festival and for recently being invited to give a speech! (Details coming soon!)

*If you’re a patron, don’t forget to check out this week’s Random Questions feed! Authors J.Anderson Coats and Grace Lin answer the question, “What is the most ridiculous fact you know?” Click here to listen! If you’re not a patron already, join today!

Thank you for tuning in! Thank you to Hachette Audio, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, and Alex at Pacyworks Studio for producing and editing this podcast. Be sure to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and tell a friend about us. (Use the hashtag #bookfriendsforever.)