In an all too predictable pattern, the Crook County School near Bend, Oregon, has banned Sherman Alexie’s National Book Award winning novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This, after a single parent read a few pages of the book out of context and then complained to the school board, skipping the required procedure that requires him to meet with the principal first:

“Crook County School Board Chairman Jeff Landaker said although Moss didn’t follow the proper procedure — because he went straight to the school board and skipped speaking with his son’s teacher and the high school principal — he agreed with Moss’ complaint. “Personally, as a father, I felt it was inappropriate,” Landaker said about the book.”

Personally, as a father, I disagree with a lot of things my children’s teacher do, but that doesn’t mean I should use my power to make knee-jerk decisions. When you join a government body, you represent everyone, and you must act with vision to look beyond your personal feelings as a parent or sibling or child. Most of all, you must follow your own procedures, which the Crook County board did not do.

Three cheers to Principal Jim Golden for voicing his displeasure with this act of censorship:

“I’ve been directed by the school board and the superintendent to pull the book, and I will comply with their directive,” Golden said. “But I respectfully disagree with what they are doing. It’s a slippery slope. … If you take one or two pages out of context, I mean ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is about two teenagers who are having a relationship. … It’s a dangerous precedent. … Part of what you are going to do is discuss ideas not proselytize kids. You want them to come to their own conclusion.”

Although he is forced to remove the book based on the established procedures. It’s too bad that the school board sees fit not to follow its own procedures, as well. How can those in charge of schools expect kids to follow rules when they don’t do it themselves?

ALA has released the titles for the inaugural William C. Morris Award, which honors a book written for young adults by a first-time, previously unpublished author. Bill Morris was a terrific person and advocate for teens and their books. He was also the first publisher I met when I joined ALAN and the first to let me crash a cocktail party. Here’s to Bill and his legacy!

A Curse Dark As Gold
by Elizabeth C. Bunce
published by Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic (9780439895767)

This supernatural novel retells the story of Rumpelstiltskin, setting it at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and centering it around the life of Charlotte Miller. When the bank wants to repossess her mortgaged mill, Charlotte strikes a bargain with the mysterious Jack Spinner, (a creature who knows the art of turning straw into gold), but then discovers she must free her loved ones from a generations-old curse.

Graceling
by Kristin Cashore
published by Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (9780152063962)

In the Seven Kingdoms, those born with eyes of two different colors are Gracelings who develop intense and powerful skills. Katsa’s Grace is killing, and she serves as King Randa’s enforcer until she and Prince Po join forces to solve the riddle of his grandfather’s kidnapping. The closer they get to the answer and to each other, the more dangerous their quest becomes.

Absolute Brightness
by James Lecesne
published by HarperTeen/ Laura Geringer Books (9780061256288)

When Phoebe’s flamboyant, effeminate cousin, Leonard, moves to her New Jersey town, he brings a confusing mix of beauty and irritation as he inserts himself into the day-to-day running of her mother’s beauty parlor business and Phoebe’s life at school. When Leonard disappears, seemingly without a trace, Phoebe embarks on a mission to uncover the truth, and confronts first-hand the price Leonard paid for being different.

Madapple
by Christina Meldrum
published by Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books (9780375851766).

Fifteen-year-old Aslaug was raised in isolation by a mother who was both strange and ill. Her mother’s death brings an onslaught of new experiences as Aslaug must learn to cope with the unwanted attention of the police, relatives she never knew she had, and multiple charges of murder.

Me, the Missing, and the Dead
by Jenny Valentine
published by HarperTeen (9780060850685)

Sixteen-year-old Londoner Lucas Swain, on a whim, decides to take a cab home and happens upon an urn with the ashes of Violet Park in the taxi office. He feels the spirit of Violet leading him through a maze of layered clues, as he bit by bit solves the puzzle of his father’s disappearance more than five years ago.

Congrats to the finalists! The winner will be announced Jan. 26, 2009 at ALA Midwinter.

 Thanks to everyone for the many emails, notes, and phone calls about the ALAN workshop. You are very kind, and I appreciate all of the compliments. The truth is, I didn’t do it alone. The workshop is the cumulative effect of dozens of people working together: The ALAN Board, a group of consultants, presenters, authors, panel chairs, publishers, NCTE staff, the local San Antonio host committee, and the Marriott staff. Include also, the almost 500 people who paid for the workshop and gave us a reason to have it. 

The tragedy of being ALAN president is that once you’ve made all the contacts, created the program, arraigned all of the books, the speakers, the AV, the chairs, the awards, the committee, the breakfasts, etc. and analyzed what you could have done better, your job is finished. It’s time to pass the gavel to the next president in line. It has been a good year for me, and I am thankful for it.

As Laurie Halse Anderson whispered to me after she received the ALAN Award, Isn’t this a wonderful life we get to live?

Yes, ma’am, it is.

Gacked from the HarperCollins newsletter:

2009–2010 Texas Bluebonnet Master List:The Gollywhopper Games
Congratulations also to Jody Feldman, whose debut children’s book, The Gollywhopper Games, has been named to the 2009–2010 Texas Bluebonnet Master List! “Nonstop action, appealing pencil illustrations, and increasingly difficult brainteasers will keep readers engaged,” said ALA Booklist of this interactive story of puzzles.

Go Jody!