What is funny to me is that everyone knows as soon as you tell somebody not to do something, or watch something, or read something....yep, that's the first thing they are going to do. I do appreciate the fact that these people are at least paying attention to their children enough to know what they are reading. But don't they realize that there are going to be WAY bigger battles to fight down the road?
Let's say your child is curious about magic. Wouldn't it be better to let him read Harry Potter to satisfy his curiosity then drop out of college someday to join the circus? Okay, so that's an extreme example, but I know that anything I was denied growing up, I completely longed for. For the record, I wasn't denied much, except a dog, because of my allergies.
And even if they don't agree with a certain book for THEIR child, should they really be given the power to make the decision for all children? I think not. Personally, even if I wasn't an author, I wouldn't pay a bit of attention to these lists. We all parent differently. Maybe you feed your kid cotton candy for dinner? I don't agree with it but it isn't my business. Just like it isn't your business what book I let my kid read.
If you want to read more about Banned Book Week, check out this article with Meg Cabot. She says it better than I ever could. http://www.storysnoops.com/blog/?p=596
And don't forget to pick yourself up a banned book this week.
xo,
Stephanie
www.stephaniehale.com
It's about Val Russell, a 17 year-old lacrosse player and gamer who runs away to New York City when both her mom and her boyfriend betray her. She joins up with a group of homeless teens living in the subway tunnels and is promptly introduced to a delicious, dangerous, and unpredictable new world--one she would've thought was impossible until she began to experience it herself. The urban fantasy explores friendship, addiction, love, and standing up for what one believes in--even if your beliefs are being challenged with every step. As I voraciously turned its pages, I felt the danger, smelled the odors, and hoped our smart, witty, and lovable heroine would not only survive, but thrive. 
(Me and my hubby getting ready to ride the Toy Story Mania ride at Hollywood Studios, which I think is in 4-D. It was awesome. )
This week the Bee's are all talking about the second time we have done something and how much better the experience is. Several years ago, I picked up and moved to Colorado. My dad and stepmom lived out there but other than that I didn't know a soul. I was kind of in limbo when I first moved out, there not going to school or working, so it was next to impossible to make friends. The movie of Maeve Binchy's Circle of Friends came out at the theater. I wanted to go so bad I could hardly stand it. 
But my parents didn't really care for going to the movies so I made the decision to go alone. To a Friday night 7pm showing. Yeah, I know. I might as well of had an L tattooed on my forehead. I was scrunched in between two couples the entire time. After the movie I drove home sobbing and swore I would never, ever go see a movie alone again.
(He is really why I wanted to see the movie)
We are talking this week about finding our way in the world and decisions we have made. The heroine from my most recent novel, The Alpha Bet, struggles with making her own decisions. For sixteen years Grace Kelly has had a helicopter mother who has pretty much controlled her every move. She dreams of the day when she can finally make all of her own decisions. But when she gets dropped into the middle of a college campus and finally has the opportunity to make all of her decisions, she realizes quickly how unprepared she is. She learns that being an adult isn't just making your own decisions, but owning up to the bad decisions you might make. She realizes that in the past it was easier to blame things on her mother so that she wouldn't have to take responsibility. Grace Kelly ends up learning that sometimes the answers you are looking for don't come from a book.
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