Visual Dissent: A Graphic Biography of a Woman Rebel

Who is Margaret Sanger you may wonder. Though not a household name Sanger is as pivotal a figure in the women's rights movement as there is.  She is the mother of the birth control movement in the United States and in fact it was Sanger who coined the term birth control.  It is Sanger who opened the first birth control clinic - think Planned Parenthood - and it is Sanger who worked tirelessly for the poor, teaching women about their options and their rights. Now thanks to the Harvey-award winning author of the alternative-comic series Hate, Peter Bagge, we get an...

Continue Reading →

Banned, Burned, Censored and Challenged: A Visual Celebration for Banned Books Week

Happy Banned Books Week! It's time to pay tribute to all the books that enriched our lives yet where the target of various forces that tried to keep them from the shelves. The freedom to read what one wishes is a fundamental right that cannot be compromised. Here's to all the parents, librarians and teachers who stand up on a regular basis to protect this essential freedom. - Thanks! Lawrence Ferlinghetti outside City Lights Book Store by Charlie Corrigan.   Previously on Book Patrol: Banned Book Trading Cards Challenged. Censored. Banned. Sued. Burned: 30 Books and Why They Were Banned Ban...

Continue Reading →

Book Hatchery: What I learned about books on my visit to a salmon hatchery

I recently had the pleasure to accompany my daughter and her 3rd/4th grade class on a three night camping trip to the Mt. Baker wilderness in Washington State. The goal of the trip was to teach the kids about watersheds, ecosystems, and our role and place within them and for the kids to get to know each other a little better at the outset of the school year. For me, it was 4 days of being completely unplugged and off the grid. One of the activities was a trip to the Baker Lake Salmon Hatchery, a state-of-the-art facility run by...

Continue Reading →

Happy Roald Dahl Day

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Roald Dahl, 1954[/caption] Today is Roald Dahl Day! This year, falling on Friday the 13th, offers "the perfect excuse for even more mischief and mayhem than usual," as we celebrate the birthday of one of the masters of children's literature. The Roald Dahl Day website offers lots of ways to celebrate: Sign up for Puffin Virtually Live on Friday 13th September to find out more about Roald Dahl and his characters, plan your costume for Dahlicious Dress Up Day - you can even throw your own Roald Dahl Day party, we've got lots of tips on that here. If you are interested in...

Continue Reading →