When the Nampa, Idaho School Board recently banned twenty two books from their local high school library “forever” the owners of “Rediscovered Books” in Boise and “Flying M Coffee Garage” in Nampa swung into action and decided to “Stick it to The Ban” yesterday.
“Over 50 people were already lined up on the edge of the coffee shop’s parking lot to receive one or more books ahead of the 6 p.m. start time, and more trickled in. Volunteers held signs with photos of the banned books’ covers. People with Nampa school ID cards could get up to three books free while the books were also available to the broader Treasure Valley community.
Members of the public had purchased the books for the giveaway following the Nampa School District Board’s decision in May to remove the books from school libraries, as previously reported.
Rediscovered Bookshop, which has stores in Boise and Caldwell, asked the public to buy books to donate to Nampa students, teachers, and staff, as previously reported. The public purchased 1,250 books for donation in one week.“
“The books that will be permanently removed are “Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseini; “Leah on the Offbeat,” by Becky Albertalli; “The Prince and the Dressmaker,” by Jen Wang; “Thirteen Reasons Why,” by Jay Asher; “The 57 Bus,” by Dashka Slater; “Drama,” by Raina Telgemeier; “Looking for Alaska,” by John Green; “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison; “The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood; “l8r, g8r,” by Lauren Myracle; “Out of Darkness,” by Ashley Hope Perez; “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky; “Crank,” by Ellen Hopkins; “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian;” by Sherman Alexie; “City of Heavenly Fire,” by Cassandra Clare; “Clockwork Princess,” by Cassanrda Clare; “Eleanor and Park,” by Rainbow Rowell; “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” by Jonathan Safran Foer; “Sold,” by Patricia McCormick; “Speak,” by Laurie Halse Anderson; “33 Snowfish,” by Adam Rapp; and “It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health,” by Robie H. Harris“‘
Kite Runner! I haven’t read many of these books, but preventing a high school student from reading that particular book is child abuse!
“Kasey Moulton, who graduated from the district in 2020, selected a copy of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Many of the books that were removed were titles she read in upper-level English classes, or checked out from school libraries, she said.
“If you’re not reading, what are you doing?” Moulton said. “I think I turned out okay.”
Books can be used as a tool to help people leave their comfort zone, Moulton said.
“My thought is, if you’re uncomfortable, you’ve learned something,” she said.“
I agree Kasey, and while there is some must see TV tonight, I now have some reading to do and I know from whom I am going to order:
Rediscovered Books
Let’s all help them have a great sales week!
