Reading Dangerously

At the recent 2019 American Library Association annual conference, held in Washington, D.C., the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) celebrated its 50th year in action!  What a fifty years of full-steam advocacy and action it has been, the organization working tirelessly to defend and support the First Amendment. What does the First Amendment and FTRF … Continued

The Good, the Bad, the Human Being, and the Importance of Children’s Books

Last night, I viewed the movie about Astrid Lindgren’s early life, entitled Becoming Astrid.   I learned that Ms. Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking and namesake for the world’s largest award for children’s and young adult literature, experienced quite an earth-shattering adolescence.  Despite the religious and societal norms of the times, she exhibited a hero-like sense … Continued

Of Academia and…Football?

Recently, I visited my alma mater’s University Bookstore.  Shockingly, I found the books had been moved into a corner, and the football paraphernalia stood where a plethora of books once welcomed learners and visitors in search of a well-stocked bookstore (in a town in which all the bookstores had closed).  I became incensed and asked to … Continued