Hop in, we're going to Banned Camp! In our September 1 episode, Russell and the Rach(a)els discuss books that have been challenged in the past 10 years and some of the reasons why those books have drawn attention. We discuss the importance of using your library, the way books can serve as a window into other experiences, and the rich internal lives of children.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

• “Ban This Book” by Alan Gratz
• “Turtles All The Way Down” by John Green
• “Drama” by Raina Telgemeier
• “The Prince and the Dressmaker” by Jen Wang
• “This One Summer” by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
• “Long Way Down” by Jason Reynolds
• “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins
• “Sold” by Patricia McCormick
• “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie
• “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
• “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe
• “Milo Imagines the World” by Matt de la Peña

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Emily Campbell, Community Events Coordinator for Danville Parks and Recreation. We discuss the meaningful companionship of books, the simple joy of reading children’s literature, and the importance of whimsy in all stages of life.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

• “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper
• “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
• “The Twilight Saga” series by Stephanie Meyer
• “The Guardians” series by William Joyce
• Lewis Carrol
• “Kon-Tiki” by Thor Heyerdahl
• “The Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins
• “Into the Wild” and others by Jon Krakauer
• “Star Wars: The Dark Lord Trilogy” by James Luceno, Matthew Woodring Stover
• “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” by Alan Dean Foster
• “Tress of the Emerald Sea” and others by Brandon Sanderson
• “The Chronicles of Narnia” and others by C.S. Lewis
• “The Kane Chronicles” series by Rick Riordan
• “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” by Annie Dillard
• “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi
• “Impossible Creatures” series by Katherine Rundell
• “Janitors” series by Tyler Whitesides

**Join us for “There and Back Again: A Hobbit Day Celebration” at Riverfront Park on Tuesday, September 22 from 5:30-6:30PM. Register here!

Russell, Rachael, and Rachel discuss the August Reading Challenge, Saved by the Bell, reading books about a teacher or set in a school. We discuss a wide variety of genres through all age groups and explore the many nostalgic sensations associated with the back to school season.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

• “Matilda” by Roald Dahl
• “The Fourth Stall” by Chris Rylander
• “Janitors” by Tyler Whitesides
• “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir
• “My Teacher Is an Alien” by Bruce Coville
• “Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow” by Jessica Townsend
• “Educated” by Tara Westover
• “The Stranger Diaries” by Elly Griffiths
• “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman
• “A Deadly Education” by Naomi Novik
• “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood
• “Girl Dinner” by Olivie Blake
• “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt
• “Dead Poets Society” by N.H. Kleinbaum
• “A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines
• “Under the Bayou Moon” by Valerie Fraser Luesse