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A review by paperprivateer
Not Another Banned Book by Dana Alison Levy
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’ve read a few middle-grade books about banned books before this one. I wasn’t really sure why I read this one since I didn’t enjoy the others. I’m generally fascinated (and infuriated) by censorship and book banning, but I haven’t read many books about it for this audience that do a great job (in my opinion) of exploring those concepts. I did consider this one of the good ones.
One of the things that would annoy me about other middle-grade books about banned books is that it was almost too focused on book banning or a particular book and not enough on the character’s journey. So often the books on censorship have so much rage or frustration that it overshadows good storytelling or character development. In this case, the story shows why book banning affected these characters so strongly. I think that is the value of a book on the topic. Moving from rage to movement is reflected in how this book is written and Molly’s journey.
In this book, it’s clear why the main character, Molly, cares so much (even when she doesn't always understand herself). She needs the support of the book club in a time in her life when her world is changing and scary for her. Books and the club where she read books and engaged in discussions about the sometimes difficult topics in the books were a lifeline when her world was hard.
Molly’s reason for being so upset makes sense for the character. It’s not too broad or too overwhelming. I liked that Molly, in many ways, is a pretty ordinary, unassuming person to take objection to book bans. We also, fortunately, get perspectives on the banning from kids of different minorities as they share their opinions as part of their book club and friendship group.
Molly is an intriguing character. At some points, she’s a little clueless. She’s focused on figuring out who did it and why rather than trying to figure out how to move forward. The efforts to handle the book banning mirrors her efforts to handle the other difficult things in her life, and she grows and changes with her discussions with other people. She learns to be more empathetic and tackle challenges even when encountering roadblocks.
Not Another Banned Book is about more than a banned book. It’s about grief and change, friendship and relationships, and about how important feelings and personal experiences are to have and be able to reflect. By going into more detail about how book banning affects the kids who need these books, it presents how censorship is so much more complicated than whether a book is allowed to be on shelves. It’s about not being alone or feeling like there’s something wrong with you because books about people like you are banned.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy to review in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
One of the things that would annoy me about other middle-grade books about banned books is that it was almost too focused on book banning or a particular book and not enough on the character’s journey. So often the books on censorship have so much rage or frustration that it overshadows good storytelling or character development. In this case, the story shows why book banning affected these characters so strongly. I think that is the value of a book on the topic. Moving from rage to movement is reflected in how this book is written and Molly’s journey.
In this book, it’s clear why the main character, Molly, cares so much (even when she doesn't always understand herself). She needs the support of the book club in a time in her life when her world is changing and scary for her. Books and the club where she read books and engaged in discussions about the sometimes difficult topics in the books were a lifeline when her world was hard.
Molly’s reason for being so upset makes sense for the character. It’s not too broad or too overwhelming. I liked that Molly, in many ways, is a pretty ordinary, unassuming person to take objection to book bans. We also, fortunately, get perspectives on the banning from kids of different minorities as they share their opinions as part of their book club and friendship group.
Molly is an intriguing character. At some points, she’s a little clueless. She’s focused on figuring out who did it and why rather than trying to figure out how to move forward. The efforts to handle the book banning mirrors her efforts to handle the other difficult things in her life, and she grows and changes with her discussions with other people. She learns to be more empathetic and tackle challenges even when encountering roadblocks.
Not Another Banned Book is about more than a banned book. It’s about grief and change, friendship and relationships, and about how important feelings and personal experiences are to have and be able to reflect. By going into more detail about how book banning affects the kids who need these books, it presents how censorship is so much more complicated than whether a book is allowed to be on shelves. It’s about not being alone or feeling like there’s something wrong with you because books about people like you are banned.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy to review in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.