Blog Review # 8: Challenged or Censored Title "Harry Potter and The half blood Prince"

J. K. Rowling. New York, NY. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2005 1^st Ameri. ed.

Genre: Challenged or Censored book.

Annotation: This is the sixth book in the series by author J. K. Rowlings and just like the earlier books before this, the story is full of magic and sorcery. There is a major confrontation between good and evil in a prolonged battle that results in the death of one of the major characters. There are wizard lessons and quidditch matches and making of potions that some parents deem too offensive for young adults. Harry Potter and the half blood Prince has been constantly challenged by parents due to the excessive portrayal of witchcraft and wizardry and they have actually succeeded in getting the books off of some school shelves and libraries.

Non-Nomination Justification: It is true that this book contains a lot of magic and violent graphic scenes like the scene where Dumbledore uses magic to freeze Harry in place and the battle scene between the members of the order of the phoenix and the death eaters. The incident were Snape kills Dumbledore by sending him flying over the edge of the tower is described by some as too graphic for young teens. However I don’t think this book deserves to be banned or censored. After considering the book as a whole, it is clear that the author just wanted to satisfy the curiosity of her young readers. One of the developmental milestones of adolescence is the intense curiosity about the world of fantasy. It is interesting too that a little romance was depicted in the relationship between Ron and his girl friend Lavender and the jealousy that ensued with Hermoine.

Blog Review # 7: Science Fiction "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone"

J. K. Rowlings. Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone. New York: A. A. Levine Books, 1998

Genre: Science Fiction/ Fantasy

Annotation:   Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a science fiction story about an eleven year old boy who was living a miserable life at his aunt and uncle's home. He gains admission into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and while there, he makes some new friends. Harry gets transported later into the supernatural world with the help of the school keeper, Hagrid. While there, he goes on a quest that results in an awesome adventure experience.

Nomination Justification: I nominate this book for all young readers because it is full of fun characters and creatures. The story line will also appeal to teens because of the adventure/quest themes. Teenagers go through stress daily either in academics, social or personal life and reading a good science fiction /fantasy book can help them to release some of that stress. They like to be transported or immeresed in a world where they can experiment with magic and find some answers about nature or the superntural. This book would surely give them all the excitement that they so much crave.

Blog Review # 5: Multicultural "When my Name was Keoko"

L. Sue Park. "When my name was Keoko" New York: Clarion Books, 2002

Genre: Multicultural

Annotation: This historical non-fiction novel is about a Korean family that lived under the Japanese occupation during World War 11. The close-knit family which was made up of five members which includes; the father, mother, two kids and an uncle, went through a lot of struggles that tested their family bond and patriotism. They were forced to undergo a name change, had their property seized, were subject to suspicious and frequent unannouced searches until the family was torn apart. The uncle ran away after being accused of treason by the Japanese and there was no trace of his whereabouts and Tae-yul (the son) was forced to join the Japanese army in order to save his family.


Non-Nomination Justification: This novel has a lot of merits in dealing with multicultural issues which includes the struggle of the characters with ethnic and Identity Issues, conflict which drives the family apart and social justice and courage themes. It also presents a lot of historical information and teaches about the Japanese and Korean culture but in I don't nominate this book for an award.
The story line presented in the novel lacks depth and there is no intrigue. The interaction of the characters within the family unit in relation to the issues presented in the plot is somewhat boring. The author's style of telling the story from the perspective of Sun-hee and Tae-yul (the brother and sister) was a little bit repetitious. The resolution of the plot was even more surpising, sudden and uninteresting. The book was catalogued as an ALA Notable Children's book and an ALA best book for young adults but I think it is more suited for the children than for the adolescents.