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Answers in the Pages
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
13 posts | 9 read | 2 to read
A bold, timely novel about speaking up and coming out as parents lobby to ban a beloved book from the school curriculum by New York Times-bestselling author David Levithan. When Donovan left his copy of The Adventurers on the kitchen counter, he didn't think his mom would read itmuch less have a problem with it. It's just an adventure novel about two characters trying to stop an evil genius...right? But soon the entire town is freaking out about whether the book's main characters are gay, Donovan's mom is trying to get the book removed from the school curriculum, and Donovan is caught in the middle. Donovan doesn't really know if the two boys fall in love at the end or notbut he does know this: even if they do, it shouldn't matter. The book should not be banned from school. Interweaving three connected storylines, David Levithan delivers a bold, fun, and timely story about taking action (whether it's against book censors or deadly aligators...), being brave, and standing up for what's right.
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haylee.roach10
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan

Overall I enjoyed this book. I'm not sure I would teach it because I think I would personally get bored reading it multiple times over but I would definitely recommend it to students or teach it through small group settings where kids could pick from various books and read them in a book club. The ending was satisfying and had a feel-good aspect to it that gives kids closure when building reading stamina.

annagsears I agree with this! I think that working this book in through small group settings or individualized reading would be the way to go. While the content is highly engaging, I can see where you're coming from, where repeated use could cause burnout. I also like the point you've made on reading stamina. Because this book is relatively fast-paced and under 200 pages, it could be a great starting book for students who “dislike“ reading. 4d
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haylee.roach10
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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Okay the character reveal got me at the end. I think Levithan did a good job making the characters interesting by not giving too much away. I could have done without the jump to the fiction story throughout but I understand why it was there and how it would be captivating. Just not my favorite to flip back and forth. This book would be good to spark discussion and instill confidence into readers.

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haylee.roach10
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan

The first part of this book threw me off for a little bit. The character povs swapped out but once I realized what was going on I was all for it. first half of the book did a good job staying interesting and explaining book banning on an age appropriate level. I enjoyed Donovan the most because he shows the coming of age process kids have with their parents regarding differing opinions. Would be a great resource to discuss beliefs in writing.

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annagsears
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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Building on my earlier post about parents, having come from an educator family, I've always heard horror stories about parent interaction. This is why I was fascinated by Mr. Howe's empathy towards Donovan's mom and how he refrained from vilifying her despite all the stress. While parents may engage in contests, they have good intentions in looking out for their children. As such, parents are not scary figures and can even be our strongest allies.

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annagsears
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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“My mother would thank me...for turning her head a little so she could focus on the right thing.“ (Levithan 154)
While I initially hated Donovan's mom, this quote, along with her support of Curtis, made me like her more. As teachers, we need to recognize that parents have the right to doubt books and that taking action does not vilify them. Howe even agrees, arguing that a contest is simply a response to fear, which Donovan's mom concurs with.

haylee.roach10 Yes I liked the complexity of the mom without an over analyzation into why she had her beliefs. Levithan did a great job tying in her beliefs, the growth, and giving space to students to challenge outdated beliefs and speak their minds. The theme of speech throughout the novel between the mom, teacher, and child was well done and intriguing. 5d
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annagsears
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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The most intriguing character of this work for me had to be Mr. Howe/Gideon. I admire his immense care for his students alongside his bravery and adamance for standing up for his beliefs. His speech at the board meeting was terrific, making me feel like the high schoolers in the background whooping at his argument. I loved that we were able to see the growth of Mr. Howe through Gideon and Roberto's relationship, making for a tear-jerking reunion.

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annagsears
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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Out of everything I've read so far for the YAL class, I believe this book was my favorite. The interconnected storylines proved to be an engaging read, and I found the characters extremely lovable. I shed a few tears by the time the resolution was reached. This narrative addresses book censorship in a way that is both interesting and relevant to young readers, serving as a great starting point for discussing the topic and its impact on society.

haylee.roach10 yes!! I also really enjoyed reading this book and the ending got me by surprise. I love discussing book censorship as someone who believes some books are advertised to our students that are not age appropriate whereas good books are challenged every day because someone was offended. This book definitely explains book banning for the wrong reasons and the connotation of a ban in such a delicate way for young readers. 5d
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HeyT
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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In this book three seemingly separate storylines come together to help start a discussion about book censorship and how early young people can handle LGTBQ+ content.

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HeyT
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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It is very slow at work right now so I‘m going to start this and see how far I get before anyone else enters the building.

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Amie
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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Middle grade novel with 2 story lines: one where two boys develop feelings for each other and begin a relationship, and the other where a 5th grader's mom challenges a book the class is reading because the main characters might be gay. And a 3rd storyline where we get excerpts from the book that's being challenged.

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KateKintail
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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“…there‘s something important about going back to books you‘ve already read. You will always find new thing inside or have new reaction to characters you thought you already knew well. You learn more about the story and you also learn more about yourself as a reader, and where you are in life.”

SqueakyChu It depends on how old you are and how many years you have left to read! 😂 2y
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GirlNamedJesse
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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This was hard to read at first in the midst of fielding challenges at my own library. Ultimately, it was joyful and satisfying. I really ought to read more Levithan; I always love what he does with narrators and points-of-view.

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MaggieCarr
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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(Middle Grade) If you want to see me get on my soapbox just bring up book banning. Gah! Not all books are for all readers so if something offends you leave it for someone else. So simple. Loved Ban This Book (Alan Gratz) and this one gave me similar vibes but a different perspective.