Intellectual Freedom

Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association 

One of my duties where I work is to review, order and read Young Adult literature.  One of my assignments in my graduate class is to read a challenged or banned book.  For this bibliophile, it is a match made in heaven.

I chose to read Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.  It was published in 2013 by St. Martin's Press. It was challenged by the Parents Action League of the Anoka-Hennepin Independent School District in Minnesota.

Eleanor and Park are a match made in heaven for each other.  The most unlikely of pairs, to others. The main characters of the book, Eleanor and Park meet and become inseparable on the school bus.  She's a big red head with a unique sense of style.  Park's classmates define him as a half-Korean-half-white music and comic book nerd who wears eye liner.   They connect.  They bond over the love of music. They share comic books.  They hold hands with an intensity well defined by the author.

The book, intended for high school students, tackles big issues: poverty, abuse, race, bullying, self esteem.  It tackles everyday high school life (whether parents want to believe it or not): first love, sibling rivalry, trying to fit in, looking for love, physical attraction, pop culture. Rowell does it all beautifully.

Rowell's ability to write as high school students think and talk made it a rich experience for me and many.  I guess that's the problem the Parents Action League had with this book.  They don't want to know (or remember) what it feels like to be young and in love.

This excellent book received the 2014 Michael L. Printz award for excellence in Young Adult literature.