This fourth grader takes a stand against censorship when From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is challenged by a well-meaning parent and removed from her school library. Amy Anne is shy and soft-spoken, but don’t mess with her when it comes to her favorite book in the whole world. Amy Anne and her lieutenants wage a battle for the books when they start a secret banned-books locker library, make up ridiculous reasons to ban every single book in the library to make a point, and make a real difference in their community.
BL 4.5
7 Points
BL 4.5
7 Points
Activity 1:
RESEARCH & PRESENT: DAV PILKEY. In Ban This Book, real-life author Dav Pilkey visits Shelbourne Elementary. Go to the library to learn more about Dav and his books, making sure to read his 2014 online article entitled, “My Book Makes Kids Laugh, And It Was Banned Anyway” (huffpost.com/entry/captain-underpants-banned-book_b_5863980). Create an informational poster about Dav’s life and stories. Be sure to include a quote from his article, as well as an illustration of your own.
RESEARCH & PRESENT: DAV PILKEY. In Ban This Book, real-life author Dav Pilkey visits Shelbourne Elementary. Go to the library to learn more about Dav and his books, making sure to read his 2014 online article entitled, “My Book Makes Kids Laugh, And It Was Banned Anyway” (huffpost.com/entry/captain-underpants-banned-book_b_5863980). Create an informational poster about Dav’s life and stories. Be sure to include a quote from his article, as well as an illustration of your own.
Activity 2:
RESEARCH & CREATE: BOOK COVERS. In the chapter “What’s in a Name,” Amy Anne and her friends make up fake book titles, with M.J. designing corresponding covers. Using a graphic design program, colored pencils, or other visual art materials, create a new cover for your favorite book. Design a cover for one of the books on the American Library Association’s List of Challenged Children’s Books (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/childrensbooks). Or, design a cover for Amy Anne’s made-up title, Friend or Foe. Create a classroom display of your custom-designed covers.
RESEARCH & CREATE: BOOK COVERS. In the chapter “What’s in a Name,” Amy Anne and her friends make up fake book titles, with M.J. designing corresponding covers. Using a graphic design program, colored pencils, or other visual art materials, create a new cover for your favorite book. Design a cover for one of the books on the American Library Association’s List of Challenged Children’s Books (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/childrensbooks). Or, design a cover for Amy Anne’s made-up title, Friend or Foe. Create a classroom display of your custom-designed covers.
Activity 3:
Do some research about the most challenged or banned books, then create a bulletin board of covers and info for each of those books. You may be interested to know that many of your favorites (Twilight, Harry Potter, Speak, etc.) have been recently challenged!
Do some research about the most challenged or banned books, then create a bulletin board of covers and info for each of those books. You may be interested to know that many of your favorites (Twilight, Harry Potter, Speak, etc.) have been recently challenged!