Wisconsin parents tried to ban "Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" and school said "nah"

Another ray of sunshine for an otherwise kinda okay nice day, the superintendent of Sauk Prairie schools in Wisconsin said that they would be keeping Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian despite parental complaints. Go Wisconsin educators.

Here's the copy from the most 80s NBC affiliate out there, WMTV:

The superintendent of Sauk Prairie schools announced his recommendation to keep a controversial book in Sauk Prarie's curriculum at Monday's school board meeting.
"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," a novel by Sherman Alexie about growing up on a Native American reservation, is at the center of the controversy. Parents complained that the book adult content, which includes sex, smoking, drug use and other mature themes, was not appropriate for high schoolers to read.

Video and more words here. WMTV-15

Bill Gate's Book Club is Fucking Boring, I'm going back to Oprah

Bill Gates released his annual "Five Summer Reads List," a thing I did not know or care was a thing. In case you are wondering, it's not a bad list or a good list, but it is five books long.

While the rest of us can't sit around on a pile of money, I guess we can take the time over the next five hellish hot months to check out the following:

"Born a Crime," by Trevor Noah
"The Heart," by Maylis de Kerangal
"Hillbilly Elegy," by J.D. Vance
"Homo Deus," by Yuval Noah Harari
"A Full Life," by Jimmy Carter

From CNBC

Malaysian Muslim leader says Muslim leaders should learn from Christian history when banning books

Look, I'm not here to step on toes or to push buttons. I also have no idea how reputable the Malaysian Digest is, so if this is some crazy racist thing, then please let me know and I"ll delete it.

A leader of the Muslim population in Malaysia, Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, said on a Facebook post (see, sounds legit...) that other Muslim leaders should learn lessons from history when banning books. According to the Malaysian Digest, he said:

“Atheism is getting more foothold these days, thanks to popular scientific figures such as Richard Dawkins who wrote ‘The God Delusion’ advocating the atheism belief.

“This happened due to the inability of Christian leaders to answer scientific and philosophical inquiries that were asked of them,” wrote Dr Asri, in which church leaders were known to punish anyone who had contradictory beliefs to the religion and disputing the existence of God Himself.

Dr Asri then gave an example in the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei. He was punished by the church for his scientific discoveries and had his book banned by the church until 1835.

He then goes on to explain how the Catholic church had to then retract their treatment of Galileo in 1992, earning criticisms. He explains that Islam is a religion of the pursuit of knowledge and that banning books closes the doors to questions rather than helping people find answers.

All of this sounds super progressive and right-minded, something that the (American) press almost never is when the word "Muslim" is included, so I'm goddamn nervous as hell about posting this. I half expect Fox News to jump in and scream "thanks for linking to us!" or something.

If this is legit, however, I feel better about mankind and journalism as a whole for giving me an uplifting message without including a puppy for once.

Florida Crazy #2259A: School Bans Personal Copies of 13 Reasons Why

In more Florida is crazy news, Stone Lakes elementary school in Florida has removed 13 Reasons Why, the book about teen suicide. What's crazy is that they are also banning students from bringing personal copies to school, according to the National Coalition Against Censorship.

"In a message sent to parents, Florida's Stone Lakes elementary school's principal Bryan Dolfi announced that the book was banned from campus because of the books “somewhat graphic nature [and] frequent use of profanity, alcohol, and sexually explicit material.”"

It's one thing to say, hey, we maybe don't want a teen book being read or assigned to elementary kids. Still a bit wrongheaded to think that all students are stunted morons who can't grasp weighty concepts so we infantilize them with picture books until high school, but understandable. It's another thing to say "you can't have that book at all." That's personal freedom and a dick move.

If one thing comes from this, a lot of elementary kids in Florida are going to be asking about suicide now because they can't read a book.

Letter to Editor Proves Parents Just Don't Understand Banned Books

Edit:Fun Fact: The person who wrote the letter claimed they had read the book, yet used the wrong title which I then repeated here. The irony is real. Should be "Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian"

Recently there was opposition in New London-Spicer School District in Minnesota about the book Absolute True Story of a Part-Time Indian being included in the classroom. Someone opposed to the book felt the need to write in to explain their case. It's laughably ignorant.

Thankfully, the person involved felt the need to explain they had read the book. They give no opinion on the story beyond critiquing the language and sexual content, but they have read the book. Good for them. They have proven a basic literacy level if not a critical one.

The kicker comes here (the first quotation is the writer being "attacked", the second quotation at the end is the writer forcing the reader to ask a question):

""Students know all this content and talk like this." You seem to not realize I was this age once. The language is nothing new to me. The difference is we would not use this profane gutter language in our home. If I were to use this kind of talk at a school board meeting or in a letter to the editor, I am sure I would be asked to stop or leave and the letter would not be printed. You have to ask, "Why is it allowed in the classroom?""

The key here is the use of "in our home" as well as the blatant crazy use of quotation marks as noted above. Another person confusing what is acceptable in their private home and what is acceptable for the world at large. Sometimes, some of us look past or even use profanity when it displays a deeper truth. People are not the nice and comfortable animals that golden retrievers are and if you want a nice story with no "profane gutter language" then please read books written by golden retrievers.

Bonus points for the phrase "profane gutter language," however, because if nothing else, profanity should be relegated to its gutter and non-gutter status.

Here's that weirdo letter from the West Central Tribune.

Looking for a new job? Try these library programs from our Board of Directors!

In this economy, jobs are hard to come by even for educated or skilled workers. Just look at how many old people are holding tight with their gnarled hands to jobs they should have quit years ago because otherwise they're just leaches on a system they created. Anyway, the library's here for you with these programs with the help from the affluent members of our community, the Board of Directors!

Book Journal Giveaway!

Book journal giveaway! Like, follow, and tag three friends on this Instagram post for a chance to get this awesome journal from @bookjournals. Drawing on Saturday, May 20, 2017 !

Instagram post by Banned Library * May 13, 2017 at 4:19pm UTC

7 Books You Should Read Before They Become Movies For Real Some Day

Nowadays, anyone with an Amazon account can make a book and get some of that sweet, sweet Hollywood action. It's horrible when that happens, too, as the property we loved is diluted into mainstream trash. Just look what happened to the Transformers and Fifty Shades of Grey.

5 Books to Read When You're Fighting a Bear with a Hatchet

We've all been there, right? You're walking along the woods with your mind all empty and your hand full of hatchet. A bear explodes from the brush, 800 pounds of mean and manure, challenging you to a battle to the death. The first question on your mind, what's a good narrative pairing for this situation?

5 Steps to Burn Out on Summer Reading Early

Only two more months and the little bastards are set free for the whole damn day. You think you're prepared, making your crafts and such. Planning your events and performers. As my old mentor used to say, everyone has a plan for Summer Reading until the mothers start shooting at you. Then all that goes out the window.

But why start worrying about all of that collapsing on you then? Here's five steps you can take to start that Summer Reading burn-out early. To really get out of the groove and hate children earlier than you mean to so that June through August feel like a breeze.