Module 15: Anastasia Krupnik

Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire.  Well folks, this is it, my last module for class.  I enjoyed being able to read through the books I did (except the ones I hated, although I'm glad I got the chance), and I'll be continuing this blog when I can, perhaps using the list as a guide for future selections, although the blog will continue in a modified format (whenever I finish a book I think could use more love).  So, to wind everything down, here's the last, and biggest, module of all, the controversial section.

Contained within this part of the list are books that, for whatever reason, have been challenged or banned from library displays.  These reasons may seem justified or they may not, that depends on the sensibilities of the individual.  For my last selection, I have chosen a book where at least some of the reasons for challenging it are understandable, and might remain so for a few more years.  My final book for class is Lois Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik.

Citation: Lowry, Lois (1979).  Anastasia Krupnik.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Summary: Anastasia Krupnik is a pretty normal girl with a green journal containing a list of things she loves and another of things she hates.  Over the course of several months, the two lists are populated with various items, such as her first crush, her impending little brother, and her grandmother.  Several items change lists, some are dropped entirely, but through it all, Anastasia just tries to get by with the normal troubles that plague every ten-year-old.

Impressions:  I can see why it's controversial: the word 'shit' is used in one part of the book, a reference to a song called 'One-Ball Reiley' is dropped in another, and Anastasia is allowed sips of alcohol throughout the book.  Also, religion is discussed, death and Alzheimer's are featured as part of the plot, and Anastasia's crush is a different race from her.  However, if one can look past all of that, they would see a book with humor, although several parts of it can be predicted in advance.  The main character feels more like a real ten-year-old than an adult in a ten-year-old body, with her own errant opinions about the world and a youthful immaturity, although both are reigned in to believable measures by opinions that are closer to reality.  To quote ayvalentine, the woman who runs Reads 4 Tweens: "It’s not a terribly exciting book—mostly a slice of life, covering a few major months in 10 year old Anastasia’s life where she learns that her parents are having a baby boy, she has her first major crush, and her grandmother who has Alzheimer’s passes away...I loved this book. It made me cry emotional tears several times at the end—this isn’t terribly hard to do, mind you, but most books don’t. I’m anxious for my daughter to read it, because I wonder if this is actually a better book for moms who were 10 year old girls around 1979. I wonder if she will think it’s boring and if she won’t be able to identify with Anastasia, even though I think they have a lot in common. I’ll update this once she’s read it. It’s suitable for ages 8 to 12, especially for kids dealing with things like the birth of a sibling, the death of a grandparent, or a first crush."

I had never heard of this book before this class, although I had passed it several times at the central library, mostly because I was looking for the Magic Tree House books.  As such, I think that it would be great to put in a nostalgia display, along with other good books that have been forgotten.  I think that, if children today were told about it, they might enjoy it as much as I have, or more.

Auxiliary sources:
ayvalentine (9 Mar. 2012).  Reads 4 Tweens - Anastasia Krupnik.  Reads 4 Tweens.  Retrieved from: http://reads4tweens.com/anastasia-krupnik/