Teens
Teens Blog
Censorship is a dead end - find your freedom to read!
"Banned Books Week (September 27 - October 3, 2020) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular." -- That is the official statement of the American Library Association. What does Banned Books Week have to do with our community? Awareness. It is valuable to see the what and why of objections behind individual authors and books. At the very heart of Hoover Library's core mission is service to the community. Unparalled and unfettered access to materials and services - or as we like saying, "we have something to offend everyone!" In that one statement, we support free speech. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. Below are just a few examples of some of the more well known adult and young adult titles topping the list of banned books. Take the opportunity to expand your reading horizon!
The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian / by Sherman Alexie.
The bluest eye / Toni Morrison.
Fifty shades of Grey / E. L. James.
The glass castle : a memoir / Jeannette Walls.
The kite runner / Khaled Hosseini.
The perks of being a wallflower / Stephen Chbosky.
Virtual Field Trip Goes Underground
Today's virtual field trip will give you the opportunity to delve and explore deep inside the Earth. Our first stop is Sơn Đoòng Cave in Vietnam, near the Laos border. It is the world's largest cave and home to a fast-flowing subterranean river. National Geographic has put together a website that allows you to access the cave. Not only will you see the sights (with 360 degree maneuverability), but you will also hear the sounds. It is a very immersive experience. Access Sơn Đoòng 360 here.
Our next stop is a working copper mine run by Freeport-McMoRan. Get a behind-the-scenes look at various stages of the process -- from planning to mining, from processing to reclamation -- through a series of short videos. Access Dig into Mining: The Story of Copper here.
If you'd like to learn more about caving or mining, try one of these books!
Caves by Erinn Banting (2012)
Caves by Emily K. Green (2007-ebook on Hoopla)
Copper by Salvatore Tocci (2005)
Ores by Andrea Rivera (2018)
Wild Underground: Caves and Caving by Neil Champion (2013)
