We discuss ⁠Crank⁠ by Ellen Hopkins, which was a New York Times bestseller and was first published in 2004. Crank was also 38th on the ALA's list of the 100 most challenged books from 2010 to 2019, and it was number 4 on the top 10 list in 2010 and number 10 in 2022. In this episode, we discuss our opinions of the book's characters, themes, and significance. Please listen to our twenty-seventh episode for a discussion of why this book has been banned. Thanks to Chris for our music, to Heather and Lizzie for their assistance, to Dorothy for our audio editing, and to our patrons for their financial support! Please visit our website for a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠of this episode. If you would like to join our conversation, please visit ⁠⁠theroguelibrarians.com⁠⁠ or follow us on social media.  Linktree: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Facebook: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/roguelibrarians --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message

We were delighted to be interviewed by Tricia Friedman on her wonderful podcast, Be a Better Ally. We're sharing that episode, "We're Not One Thing," here as well. Please learn more about Be a Better Ally at allyed.org, and listen and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts! Be a Better Ally's "We're Not One Thing" Episode Notes: The conversation revolves around the importance of libraries and the challenges they face, particularly in relation to book banning. The hosts of Rogue Librarians discuss their (amazing) show, which focuses on books that have been banned or challenged, and highlight episodes that they are proud of. They also emphasize the role of libraries as community leaders and the need for advocacy to support them. The conversation touches on the importance of local politics, the rights of the child, and the value of public libraries as free public spaces. The hosts provide suggestions for how the general public can support libraries and advocate against book banning. Libraries play a crucial role in communities, providing resources, programming, and support for people of all ages. They serve as a place for families to gather, for individuals to access information, and for communities to come together. Librarians are essential in connecting people with the resources they need and providing personalized assistance. Funding for libraries is crucial to ensure their continued operation and to support the diverse needs of the community. Reading widely and engaging with books can foster empathy, understanding, and compassion for others. Ready to follow their show? https://www.theroguelibrarians.com/ Listen to the rest of the episode featured here: https://www.theroguelibrarians.com/episodes/episode/d012b098/25-flamer-part-1-why-its-banned --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message

We discuss Crank by Ellen Hopkins, which was a New York Times bestseller and was first published in 2004. Crank was also 38th on the ALA's list of the 100 most challenged books from 2010 to 2019, and it was number 4 on the top 10 list in 2010 and number 10 in 2022. In this episode, we discuss why Crank has been banned, as well as its historical context. We also offer our assessment of its pros and cons. Please listen to our twenty-eighth episode for a close reading of the book. Some of the sources mentioned in this episode: ⁠https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/methamphetamine https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10908000/ https://www.aclusc.org/en/news/heres-what-you-lose-when-you-ban-my-books  Thanks to Chris for our music, to Heather and Lizzie for their assistance, to Dorothy for our audio editing, and to our patrons for their financial support! Please visit our website for a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠of this episode. If you would like to join our conversation, please visit ⁠⁠theroguelibrarians.com⁠⁠ or follow us on social media.  Linktree: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Facebook: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/roguelibrarians --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message

We were so excited to interview Rachel Lynn Solomon about her new novel, Past Present Future. Rachel is the New York Times bestselling author of Today Tonight Tomorrow, The Ex Talk, and other romantic comedies for teens and adults. Originally from Seattle, she’s currently navigating expat life in Amsterdam, where she’s on a mission to try as many Dutch sweets as possible.  In the interview, we discussed how Rachel decided to write a sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow, why she chose to write the sequel in dual POV, how she created the characters' voices and arcs, how she decided which romantic details and tropes to include, and how this book is different from a "typical" romance novel.   To learn more about Rachel Lynn Solomon, please visit:  her website: rachelsolomonbooks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ her Instagram: rlynn_solomon⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thanks to Chris for our music, Heather and Lizzie for their assistance, Dorothy for her editing skills, and our patrons for their financial support.  Please visit our website for a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠of this episode. If you would like to join our conversation, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theroguelibrarians.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on social media. Please consider supporting our podcast on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠. We appreciate your support!  Linktree: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Facebook: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/roguelibrarians --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message

We were thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Cindy Hohl. Cindy Hohl is the 2023-2024 President-Elect of the American Library Association. Her inauguration is on July 2, 2024, at the end of the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition. She is a member of the Santee Sioux Nation and works as the director of policy analysis and operational support at the Kansas City Public Library. Cindy spoke with us about her time as the president of the American Indian Library Association, her role as an ALA Spectrum Scholar, her goals for her tenure as president of the ALA, the upcoming ALA Annual Conference, the Freedom to Read Foundation, and the ALA’s current efforts to fight censorship. For more information about Cindy Hohl, please visit her website: cindyforlibraries.com. For more information about the 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition (June 27-July 2 in San Diego), please visit 2024.alaannual.org. For more information about the American Library Association, the Freedom to Read Foundation, the Unite Against Book Bans Campaign, and other organizations that fight censorship, please visit the links on our website's resources page. Thanks to Chris for our music, Heather and Lizzie for their assistance, Dorothy for her editing skills, and our patrons for their financial support. Please visit our website for a⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠of this episode. If you would like to join our conversation, please visit ⁠⁠theroguelibrarians.com⁠⁠ or follow us on social media.  Linktree: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Facebook: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/roguelibrarians --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message

We were so excited to interview Lyn Miller-Lachmann about her new novel, ⁠⁠Eyes O⁠⁠pen. Lyn is an educator, an editor, and an author of young adult and middle grade novels, including Torch, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Moonwalking. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, she enjoys traveling to new places and lived part-time in Lisbon, Portugal, for many years. She lives in New York City.  In the interview, we discussed how Lyn decided to write a YA novel-in-verse about life in Portugal in the 1960s, conducted her research, created her characters, and focused on the importance of standing up to injustice, the power of poetry, and the resilience of young people. To learn more about Lyn Miller-Lachmann, please visit:  her website: lynmillerlachmann.com (including a link to an educator guide for Eyes Open)⁠⁠⁠ her Instagram: instagram.com/lynmillerlachmann⁠ The song at the end of the episode is "Triste Fado," which was recorded in 1939 and is available for public use; it can be found on the Library of Congress website.  Thanks to Chris for our music, Heather and Lizzie for their assistance, Dorothy for her editing skills, and our patrons for their financial support.  Please visit our website for a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠of this episode. If you would like to join our conversation, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theroguelibrarians.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on social media. Please consider supporting our podcast on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠. We appreciate your support!  Linktree: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Facebook: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/roguelibrarians --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message

We were so excited to interview K.A. Cobell about her debut novel, ⁠Looking for Smoke⁠, which comes out June 4, 2024. K.A. is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she spends her time writing books, chasing her kids through the never-ending rain, and scouring the inlet beaches for sand dollars and hermit crabs. In the interview, we discussed how K.A. decided to write a thriller that focused on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement, selected the four main characters and wrote it from their perspectives, portrayed the characters' identities and complex emotions, and displayed the resilience of the Blackfeet people.  To learn more about K.A. Cobell, please visit:  her website: kacobell.com (which includes her novel's educators' guide and resources about MMIW)⁠ her Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ka_cobell Thanks to Chris for our music, Heather and Lizzie for their assistance, Dorothy for her editing skills, and our patrons for their financial support.  Please visit our website for a⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠of this episode. If you would like to join our conversation, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theroguelibrarians.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on social media. Please consider supporting our podcast on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠. We appreciate your support!  Linktree: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Facebook: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/roguelibrarians --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message

We discuss ⁠⁠⁠⁠Flamer⁠ by Mike Curato, which was first published in 2020. This graphic novel received a Lambda Literary Award, which recognizes excellent LGBTQ+ literature, as well as several starred reviews. Flamer was fifth on the ALA's list of the most challenged books in 2023 and fourth in 2022. In this episode, we discuss our opinions of the book's characters, themes, and significance. Please listen to our twenty-fifth episode for a discussion of why this book has been banned. Thanks to Chris for our music, to Heather and Lizzie for their assistance, to Dorothy for our audio editing, and to our patrons for their financial support! Please visit our website for a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠of this episode. If you would like to join our conversation, please visit ⁠⁠theroguelibrarians.com⁠⁠ or follow us on social media.  Linktree: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Facebook: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/roguelibrarians --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message

Happy National Library Week! We are sharing a song by Dharmika, an artist and fellow advocate, called "I'll Read That Next." You can find "I'll Read That Next" on Spotify and other streaming platforms: https://open.spotify.com/track/0XBI080NU6Sz9pNJYy1zIF. To find Dharmika, please visit her social media accounts @dharmikamusic: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dharmikamusic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dharmikamusic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dharmikamusic Additionally, this week, the ALA released its list of the top 10 most challenged books in 2023. You can find more information about the books here: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10. We have already discussed four of the books on the list and will discuss more soon. Thanks for joining us in fighting censorship! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message

We discuss ⁠Flamer by Mike Curato, which was first published in 2020. This graphic novel received a Lambda Literary Award, which recognizes excellent LGBTQ+ literature, as well as several starred reviews. Flamer was fifth on the ALA's list of the most challenged books in 2023 and fourth in 2022. In this episode, we discuss why Flamer has been banned. We also offer our assessment of its pros and cons. Please listen to our twenty-sixth episode for a close reading of the book. Some of the sources mentioned in this episode: ⁠https://pen.org/mike-curato-flamer-interview https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/flamer ⁠https://www.jstor.org/stable/40364966 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-69392-3_16 https://www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926285834/flamer-offers-real-hope-not-just-rainbows-to-queer-kids Thanks to Chris for our music, to Heather and Lizzie for their assistance, to Dorothy for our audio editing, and to our patrons for their financial support! Please visit our website for a⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠of this episode. If you would like to join our conversation, please visit ⁠⁠theroguelibrarians.com⁠⁠ or follow us on social media.  Linktree: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Facebook: ⁠⁠@roguelibrarianspod⁠⁠  Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/roguelibrarians --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roguelibrarians/message