Everything old, and so on

"New Adventures in Censorship" says the alternet headline, but it's hardly a new adventure for Judy Blume's Forever to be on somebody's shit list. But last year Blume won the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, which she well deserves. And book challenges are still madly popular among the narrow-minded, no matter the popularity of the book. Harry Potter is satanic; Francesca Lia Block, the recipient of this year's Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement, is still getting attacked by groups like Parents Against Bad Books in Schools; Chris Crutcher's Whale Talk is riling people up all over the place. And on top of all the challenges and outright bannings, there are the neverending debates about whether books for teens are too depressing or too lightweight, too dark or too fluffy. Does it matter? Frankly, I don't think so. Teens love the Gossip Girl series, of which I read the first, rolled my eyes, and put down for good, and they love Laurie Halse Anderson, whose Speak is told in the voice of one of the truest, most believable teen narrators I can think of.

Laurie's most recent book, Prom, just debuted on the New York Times "chapter books" bestseller list at #8, which makes me want to jump up and down and cheer. I read it in a night, ignoring the Curb Your Enthusiasm DVD my roommates were cackling at, and I'm still marveling at just how well Laurie succeeded at what she set out to do: write a novel for the normal kids. Huzzah to that.

I had something else to talk about, but I forget it now. I get wrapped up in the YA stuff, y'know.

Oh! It was this! (Via Bookslut.) I, well, I love that place. I miss it like I suspect I'll miss no other job, ever. But still, all the way on the other side of the country, I somehow missed the announcement that Roger Straus died last year (this story, while not an obit, is a good one). TMFTML said it best, if snarkily: "You can probably get a table today at Union Square Cafe: Former CIA covert operative Roger Straus has died."

I'm going to get back to work now, and count myself lucky I ever had him pat me on the shoulder as he passed me in the hall.