Welcome to Litsy!

A hauntingly beautiful book in the setting of the Mexican pre WWII New Mexico. A coming of age story of a boy walking in the two worlds of Spanish Catholics and his indigenous god mother who knew different powers. The book left you thinking strongly of the essence of what our walk in life is about. In the end what does it mean? Love this book!

So...apparently, I haven't read many of the books listed, but here are my top 3:

1. Bless Me, Ultima
2. The Bluest Eye
3. The Color Purple

#TLT #ThreeListThursday @dabbe

I took AP English during the time covered by the survey! Don‘t ask me what we read, because I don‘t remember. It wasn‘t any of these books, though. Still, I think of it as one of the best classes I took in high school. All 12/100 books are ones I read as an adult. Highlights:
1. Anna Karenina
2. Bless Me, Ultima
3. The Cider House Rules
Survey link: https://www.listchallenges.com/litsy-ap-literature-free-response-titles-list-1
#TLT

#PoeyryMatters @TheSpineView
#Ulcer

After reading an article with the author about banned books, I read Lawn Boy to see what all the fuss was about. Without giving much away, there's themes of sexual identity & sex, but the book is much more about poverty & how difficult it is to overcome than anything else. I see no reason for this book to be banned. The honest reflection of class in our society could make some uncomfortable, but as the saying goes, “The truth sometimes hurts“.

This has been on my radar a bit, and the audio was available on Libby at just the right time. As for the story…. It‘s pretty character driven, about Mike, a half Latino guy in his early 20s, trying to catch a break while also figuring things a#out about himself, his goals, and his sexuality. Overall, it was alright - the narrator eventually grew on me, but it‘s a shame it gets challenged in high schools for what it is.

One of the ALA‘s ten most banned books. I read it because it was challenged in my high school library by a community member. I thought it was an appealing book for teens with lots of humor. It also had a protagonist who was a little lost and searching for direction, which is something that kids need to see.

#Banned LGBTQIA+, claimed sexually explicit
Age: 9-12
Maybe it‘s the narrator, but I didn‘t feel it. Miquel is figuring out how he feels about dating. I think the age range doesn‘t work (better for teen). It is a good book for those immigrant families who face discrimination every day just for being Mexican, let alone testing gay. The book also talks about wanting the dream job, that one job, you want. How he always expects to owe a favor.

Not sure why this is a #BannedBook other that its exploration of a half-Latino young man coming out as gay. I‘d call this New Adult over YA.

Mike can seem to catch a break. He quits a job he loves (mowing lawns) because of an exploitative boss. But he struggles to find work after that, and he and his mom can barely make ends meet. Still, his story rings much more hopeful than sad. A great “be true to your dreams” novel.

Anaya‘s book had me thinking about faith and family and what does it mean to be a part of something bigger than yourself.