Places I Never Meant To Be : Original Stories by Censored Writers

Rating:
Summary: A Startling Wakeup Call
Review: Censorship has been plaguing our society for years. I haven't been ignorant to it, but some of the issues that the authors of the stories in this book discussed hit very close to home with me. They help reinforce that censorship can be a very ugly thing that, in some cases, is a worse fate than silencing an author altogether, for it often attacks their judgment and self-esteem. A wonderful read, it's also important to note that all royalties produced from the sale of this book go straight to the National Coalition Against Censorship.

Rating:
Summary: A Startling Wakeup Call
Review: Censorship has been plaguing our society for years. I haven't been ignorant to it, but some of the issues that the authors of the stories in this book discussed hit very close to home with me. They help reinforce that censorship can be a very ugly thing that, in some cases, is a worse fate than silencing an author altogether, for it often attacks their judgment and self-esteem. A wonderful read, it's also important to note that all royalties produced from the sale of this book go straight to the National Coalition Against Censorship.

Rating:
Summary: power of a child's mind
Review: I am 26 years old, but I love kids books still and an old favorite is Judy Blume. I have read every word that she has ever printed that I can get my hands on. So when I came across this book, I bought it immediately, especially when I saw names like Norma Klein, another favorite of mine, Julius Lester, a professor of mine at the University of Massachusetts, Walter Dean Myers, Katherine Paterson and others that I used to love to read. All of these stories are engaging and thought provoking and I really believe any lover of fiction, who believes in educating children and not sheltering them, should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: From a "grown up" point of view
Review: I am 26 years old, but I love kids books still and an old favorite is Judy Blume. I have read every word that she has ever printed that I can get my hands on. So when I came across this book, I bought it immediately, especially when I saw names like Norma Klein, another favorite of mine, Julius Lester, a professor of mine at the University of Massachusetts, Walter Dean Myers, Katherine Paterson and others that I used to love to read. All of these stories are engaging and thought provoking and I really believe any lover of fiction, who believes in educating children and not sheltering them, should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Book
Review: I am not a big fan of reading but I saw this book and it caught my eye. I started reading it and I couldnt put it down. I finished it in about 4 days. I am a very slow reader so I read for hours at a time. Its a book that once you start you cant put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I could not put this book down! This kept me up and reading threw the night. Within this book, authors tell their stories, of why there book was banned, what their thoughts were, and it makes you ask yourself, "Was it necessary for this book to have been banned"? Authors like Judy Blume, David Klass, and Norma Klein all join together to express their feelings in the fight against National Censorship. These authors are all apart of the National Coalition Against Censorship. In this book, it gives you a brief summary of their thoughts and experiences with censorship. Then there is a chapter or two, on one of their own books. It really opens your eyes to the world of censorship.

Rating:
Summary: A look at what is being censored- - good literature
Review: I loved these short stories. In some of them, I had difficulty understanding why they would be censored. So, okay, my favorite, Paul Zindel's "Love and Centipedes," is a little insane. It was also utterly perverse and simultaneously sickening and hilarious. This one is a real treat and focuses on one girl's infatuation with a popular high school jock with a cheerleader girlfriend. I also enjoyed Walter Dean Myer's "The Beast is in the Labyrinth," a look at the damaging effects of drug abuse (why would anyone have a problem with this story??) Other goodies include Julian Lester's "Spear" and another story called "Ashes," but just about every single one of these stories has something to offer. This book doesn't insult the reader's intelligence by hiding away subjects that it deems you are too immature to handle that exist out there in the world. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: A look at what is being censored- - good literature
Review: I loved these short stories. In some of them, I had difficulty understanding why they would be censored. So, okay, my favorite, Paul Zindel's "Love and Centipedes," is a little insane. It was also utterly perverse and simultaneously sickening and hilarious. This one is a real treat and focuses on one girl's infatuation with a popular high school jock with a cheerleader girlfriend. I also enjoyed Walter Dean Myer's "The Beast is in the Labyrinth," a look at the damaging effects of drug abuse (why would anyone have a problem with this story??) Other goodies include Julian Lester's "Spear" and another story called "Ashes," but just about every single one of these stories has something to offer. This book doesn't insult the reader's intelligence by hiding away subjects that it deems you are too immature to handle that exist out there in the world. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: I was glad this book was published. I'm strongly against censorship in Fiction or Non-Fiction. I enjoy short stories too, and I liked most of the stories in this book. It's good for people who are already fans of the authors and who enjoy short stories.

Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: Places I Never Meant To Be is a collection of short stories written by censored writers accompanied by each writer's personal experience with censorship. While the stories are mostly good, some of them are a little 2 dimensional simply because they didn't have enough time to develop their characters and/or situations.
I personally enjoyed the commentary more than the stories simply because it introduced me to an issue that I knew very little about. I was a little ashamed when my own hometown was mentioned as being a place where ludicrous censorship has taken place.
If you're not much for short stories, you might do well to simply read the introduction and each author's point of view. If you are, then you will probably enjoy this book.