Deborah Ellis to Take the Banned Book Challenge

Canadian author Deborah Ellis, recipient of the Order of Ontario for 2006 and the Governor General's Award for Looking for X has faced challenges to her books. When contacted about this "Banned Book Challenge," she promised to give it a go.

What a great idea! I can't promise, but I will try.

Paper Tigers recently interviewed Ellis.

Your books are often controversial - not least in your native Canada. In particular, Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak has been both promoted and removed from reading lists in Ontario. What are your views on book censorship, particularly of children's and young adults' books?

I think all topics should be available in children's and YA novels, but not all writers have the talent to write about all topics in a way that is accessible to children. We put children in all sorts of situations around the world - prostitution, drug abuse, slavery, incest, etc - and it takes special talent to write about those things in a way that is respectful. There are topics that I won't touch because I know I don't have the talent to do them properly.

A Canadian challenged book list has the following information about the recent banning of Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak

2006—In Ontario, the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) urged public school boards to deny access to this children’s non-fiction book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to students in the elementary grades.
Cause of objection—The CJC said that Ellis had provided a flawed historical introduction to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The CJC also said that some children in the book portrayed Israeli soldiers as brutal, expressed ethnic hatred and glorified suicide bombing. The effect on young student readers, the CJC said, was “toxic.”
Update—Although the Ontario Library Association (OLA) had recommended Three Wishes to schools as part of its acclaimed Silver Birch reading program, and although schoolchildren were not required to read the book, at least five school boards in Ontario set restrictions on the text:
a) The District School Board of Niagara encouraged librarians to steer students in Grades 4–6 away from Three Wishes and to tell parents that their children had asked for the book.
b) The Greater Essex County District School Board restricted access to the book to students in Grade 7 or higher.
c) The Toronto District School Board restricted access to the book to students in grade 7 or higher and withdrew the book from school library shelves.
d) The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board refused to stock the book and refused to provide copies to students who asked for it.
e) In 2005, before the CJC made its views about Three Wishes public, the York Regional District School Board also withdrew the book from the Silver Birch program.
Protests by the OLA, The Writers’ Union of Canada, PEN Canada and the Association of Canadian Publishers failed to persuade the school boards to repeal their restrictions.

Sarah Elton wrote this article for the Globe and Mail in the wake of the controversy.

I am embarrassed to tell this blog's readers that I live within the boundaries of the District School Board of Niagara and at one time taught for them. I have read this book and find it to be a fair and balanced view of the conflict. It is powerful because it is in the words of the children themselves and it challenges the adults in their lives and even as far away as Canada to put a stop to the horrow. Our JT Book Club (ages 11-15) is reading Three Wishes this month.

Take the "Banned Book Challenge" yourself and let us know what your goal is.

Deborah Ellis Was Here

As I have mentioned in previous posts of April 26 and 28, 2006 and March 7, 2006, Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak has faced controversy in Canada. While first published in 2004, it did not receive wide-spread attention until it had been placed on the Silver Birch List.

The Pelham Public Library invited Deborah Ellis to speak to the controversy and she spoke to an audience of over 50 people. She chose two stories to read -- one from a Palestinian child, one from an Israeli child. Both stories illustrated the universality of being a child -- the "ordinariness" of life -- as they visited a McDonalds or begged a parent to buy a horse. At the same time, the stories spoke to the "extraordinariness" of life in a war zone -- getting in trouble for going out to the corner store, having armed guards at the door of the MacDonalds.

Ellis distanced herself from the school controversies and didn't take any sides in this issue. She did say that the controversy was good in the sense that it got people talking about books and about the issue. She also said that the controversy would not cause her to censor herself in future books.

We need adults who are willing to tackle tough topics and be willing to put them in a format suitable for children. After reading The Breadwinner and "Three Wishes" and meeting Deborah Ellis in person, I would trust her with my children's minds anytime. One young girl at the reading asked what AIDS is after hearing about Ellis' "Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk About AIDS". I don't think there was one person that wasn't impressed by Deborah's candor and ability to explain without usurping a parent's role.

If we truly believe the world can be changed for the better, one little bit at a time, Deborah Ellis has done more than her share of the work.

Read an interview done with the author by Pulse Niagara prior to the event.

Author Deborah Ellis Honoured

Author Deborah Ellis whose book "Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak" has been challenged/banned in Toronto and York schools will receive the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario Children's Literature Award tomorrow at the ETFO annual meeting. According to a press release, this award which is being offered for the first time this year, "recognizes children's literature that is in keeping with ETFO's positions on social justice and equity."

Read more about Deborah Ellis and Three Wishes in previous posts from March 7, March 21, April 26, April 28, and June 1.

Congratulations to Deborah Ellis, a Canadian author who is not afraid to tackle difficult topics and present them to the next generation who may find the solutions to deep-seated conflicts. A laurel wreath to the Elementary Teachers' Federation for recognizing her gifts.

Even More on Deborah Ellis

The Pelham Public Library is thrilled to announce that Deborah Ellis, author of "Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak," will be appearing at the Fonthill Branch on Tuesday, May 30 at 7:00. She will be addressing the controversy over her book. All ages are welcome. Adults: $5.00. Students/seniors: $3.00. (905) 892-6443. Visit The Pelham Public Library Web Site for directions to the Fonthill Branch.

In a statement, Three Wishes author Deborah Ellis said, “I have done many school talks around my books about children in war. Kids can handle the truth about what is being done to other children. It’s adults who get squeamish. They say, ’We must protect our children from such things,’ when really they are protecting themselves from having to answer the question: ’What are you doing to make the world better?’”

Ontario's Exemplary Role Model Author of Banned Book(s)

Today the Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, announced that 29 people will be named to the Order of Ontario. Among the recipients will be author Deborah Ellis whose books have faced challenges and bannings in Ontario, the latest being Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak which was removed from Toronto and York School Board libraries.

According to Bartleman,

The men and women who are being honoured are stellar examples of the best and the brightest in this province. They are exemplary role models for us all.

Ellis is described as

Award winning children's author and human rights advocate who has donated more than $500,000 in royalties from her books to human rights causes. Ms. Ellis' books include: Looking for X; The Breadwinner; Parvana's Journey and Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak.

The Order of Ontario is Ontario's most prestigious official honour.

The award was created in 1986 by the Government of Ontario to recognize the highest level of individual excellence and achievement in any field. The men and women invested in The Order are representative of the best of Ontario's caring and diverse society and stand as shining examples for us all. Their lives have benefited society in Ontario and elsewhere.

In August 2006, Deborah Ellis was honoured by the Elementary Teachers' Federation.

Looking for Children to Interview

Quillblog, the weblog of Quill and Quire reports that Journalist and CityNews ombudsman Peter Silverman has a request concerning Deborah Ellis' Three Wishes.

I am a journalist in the process of doing a television story on the banning of Three Wishes by the Toronto School Board. I have read this book and would like to receive comments from children between the fourth and sixth grades concerning their opinions. With parental consent, I would like to interview these children for CITYTV as I am doing a documentary on this issue. I can be reached at peters@citytv.com
Thanks. Peter Silverman, OMBUDSMAN, CITYNEWS

I would love to see what the children have to say, as well. I am rereading Three Wishes as part of the "Banned Book Challenge" and our JT Book Club is reading it this month.

More on "Three Wishes" by Deborah Ellis

In Canada, we have seen pressure from the Canadian Jewish Congress to limit children's access to Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak by Deborah Ellis. Her book has been restricted by the Toronto and York school boards which pulled the book from their reading programs. The Ontario Library Association chose this book for its Silver Birch reading program which encourages children in Grades 4 to 6 to read independently.

A comment was made to me that Bradbury had it right when he saw that the threat to books and information would come not from the top, from some sort of Big Brother government but from below from special interest groups. That is the gist of Fahrenheit 451. Captain Beatty says,

"It didn't come from the Government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God. Today, thanks to them, you can stay happy all the time, you are allowed to read comics, the good old confessions, or trade journals."

So whether it is the Canadian Jewish Congress or another minority group with issues around what is being published, our society needs to be wary of the balance between political correctness and allowing minority groups to control what is available to the whole of society.

Ten-year-old Awarded for Defense of Freedom to Read

Freedom to Read Poster 1994










A Toronto Star article entitled "Plucky Reader Honoured for Book's Defence" reports that ten-year-old Evie Freedman is being awarded with the Writers' Union Freedom to Read Award. Evie is a grade 5 student in the Halton Public School Board. When a number of school boards decided to pull Deborah Ellis' Three Wishes: Palestinia and Israel Children Speak, Evie was very vocal about the importance of this book and was widely quoted.

According to Evie, adults were always underestimating what kids can understand and she was adamant she didn't need anyone to tell her what she could read.

She went on to say that one particular line from Three Wishes stood out for her. "If children are tough enough to be bombed and starved, they're tough enough to read about it."

One Book, One City

Deborah Ellis' Looking for X has been chosen by the organizers of Hamilton's One Book, One City event, according to The Hamilton Spectator. Deborah Ellis is the Canadian author of a number of controversial books for young people. Most recently, Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak has faced the most opposition in schools and was banned from or restricted in York and Toronto school libraries.

In choosing Looking for X, the project is highlighting the problems of poverty in Canada. The city of Hamilton will be asked to read the book and interpret the themes through a number of media.

Looking For X is Ellis' 2000 Governor General's Literary Award-winning novel about an 11-year-old girl living in Toronto public housing. Khyber lives in Regent Park with her single mother, a former stripper.

Ellis stated, "Literature is great on a personal level ... when it can be used in the community to move the community forward, I find that very exciting."

Banning in Canada

Children's author, Deborah Ellis, writer of novels such as Looking for X, winner of a Governor General's Award for Children's Literature, the accaimed Breadwinner series, and The Heaven Shop which tackles the subject of the AIDS crisis has come under attack by the York District School Board. Three Wishes is a hard-hitting reflection of life which profiles the lives of Israeli and Palestinian children and the pervasive hatred that fills their formative years.

Under pressure from the Canadian Jewish Congress, the York District School Board has removed Three Wishes from their Silver Birch Award list. The Silver Birch is an award for which children from grades 4 - 6 vote their favourite from a list of 20 nominations. Librarians choose these books. The book was not on the curriculum. It was on a list of suggested reading for the Silver Birch.

The Canadian Jewish Congress is pressuring other school boards to follow suit. The Toronto District School Board is keeping the book behind the counter in the library (shades of the past back to haunt us) and parents are required to bring a note from their parents in order to borrow the book.

Ellis says of the stories in the book, "Some are disturbing, even shocking. But they reflect the world these children live in."

What is it that the people who are keeping books behind the counter or off of reading lists think they are protecting the children from?

Canadian "Literary Hit List"

Freedom to Read Week in Canada begins three weeks from now on February 25th. Watch for upcoming details of the Pelham Public Library's Banned Book Challenge and start to choose the banned and challenged books you will read from February to June. Find a banned book list at many links on the right side or download the Pelham Public Library's list. You can also search Library Thing or the Pelham Public Library's collection of challenged books and information on where and why they were banned by clicking on the LibraryThing button.

The Toronto Star offers the following information on the Canadian "Literary Hit List."

Among books that have come under fire in Canadian schools:

Lynne Reid Banks, The Indian in the Cupboard. Removed temporarily from Kamloops, B.C., school board libraries in 1992 over treatment of native people.

Francesco Lia Block, Baby Be-Bop. Removed from Calgary high school library in 1998 after parents complained about books with gay/lesbian content.

Deborah Ellis, Three Wishes. Public boards in Toronto, York Region, Greater Essex and Ottawa limit access in elementary schools in 2006 after complaints from Canadian Jewish Congress about portrayal of Mideast conflict.

Timothy Findley, The Wars. Lambton County student in 1991 objected to passage describing rape of Canadian officer by fellow soldiers. Board upheld use for senior secondary students.

W.P. Kinsella, Dance Me Outside. Removed from Catholic high school in Barrie after complaints by anti-racism alliance; board, local libraries later decided to keep on shelves.

Margaret Laurence, The Diviners. Challenged repeatedly from 1976-94 over language, sexual content. Removed from curriculum in two provinces.

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter series. Durham public board in 2000 stopped classroom use but kept them in libraries after complaints about witchcraft. Decision later rescinded.

J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye. Under constant challenge for foul language.

R.L. Stine, Goosebumps, Fear Street series. Halifax board pulled Fear Street series from elementary schools in 1995 after complaints they contain violence and lack of respect for parental authority.

Source: www.freedomtoread.ca and Star archives

Challenged Canadian Authors

I was challenged by John Mutford, a regular reader of the blog to come up with some Canadian titles which have been banned or challenged. Here are some titles which you can use as part of the Canadian Book Challenge.





A number of Robert Munsch titles have been challenged.

Margaret Lawrence - Stone Angel, Diviners
Margaret Atwood - Handmaid's Tale
Mordecai Richler - Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
W. O. Mitchell - Who Has Seen the Wind
Alie Munro - Lives of Girls and Women, Runaway
Barbara Smucker - Underground to Canada
Deborah Ellis - Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak
Timothy Findley - The Wars
W. P. Kinsella - Dance Me Outside
Yvon Deschamps - Tout Deschamps
Mike Pearson - Waging War from Canada
Michelle Marineau - L'ete des Baleines
Derek O'Brien - Suffer Little Children

For a list of books which have been banned or challenged in Canada (but not necessarily written by Canadian authors), check Freedom to Read resources.

Happy reading John.

Intellectual Freedom Award

A press release found at Access OLA (Ontario Library Association) announces that Bernard Katz has received the Les Fowlie Intellectual Freedom Award for 2008. Katz served as the senior director at the University of Guelph McLaughlin Library. He contributed greatly to the OLA's work on intellectual freedom and copyright. According to the release,

This award honours Bernard's ethics, integrity and passion in the defense of intellectual freedom in all its forms over the last two decades as a member of OLA. He led the development of the OLA's Statement on the Intellectual Rights of the Individual, a document that has remained relevant and has withstood the tests of time. Last year, his work with OLA in the defense of the right of children in the Silver Birch Award program to read Three Wishes by Deborah Ellis was breathtaking.

Past recipients include the Toronto Public Library and Halton Board of Education.

Read the OLA's Statement on the Intellectual Rights of the Individual in PDF format.

Listmania of Challenged Books

Amazon offers lists of books on various topics. "Jennie," a children's librarian and banned book reader offers four lists of recently challenged books through Amazon. She cites the location where the book was challenged and other information. Unfortunately, most of the information is about challenges in the US, although she does refer to the recent challenge to "Three Wishes" by Deborah Ellis.