Inside Story

Story Inside

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book”

-Joanne Rowling

Photo by Javier Martínez on Unsplash

A letter from the editors

A magazine by: Peyton Phan, Mary Sparks, Janessa Deberry, and Skyyler Buckley

Welcome and thank you for picking up our magazine!

In this magazine we dive into the extravagant world of literature. Within these pages, you will be able to find more about the different genres and styles of books to the process of writing a novel. Our magazine topic was chosen because of our passionate love of books and what it takes in order to create the ambitious words that we read on those pages. Many people think that reading is boring and would much rather turn on a video game, but hey! You’re reading this right now. Reading can unlock many doors to unknown universes that you are able to explore. We hope that after you finish reading our magazine you will be motivated to grab a book and explore the many worlds and the adventures that it holds.

Happy Reading, Peyton, Mary, Janessa, and Skyyler

Peyton Phan is 15 years old. She really enjoys creative writing, and she was quite excited to write about banned books for Ezine. She has a passion for reading and volleyball, with plans to go off to a university after graduating high school. In addition to all of that, she loves skittles, her dog named Mollie, and her two younger siblings.

14 year old Mary Sparks lives in Austin texas. She loves to read historical fiction books. She has done gymnastics for 13 years. Mary mainly participates in floor and bars but nevertheless she enjoys all parts of the sport as they seem to relax her. After she graduates from LASA she has hopes of becoming an elementary school teacher, preferably grades kindergarten through second.

Skyyler buckley is 14 years old. He really enjoys sports, playing ultimate frisbee and baseball at the time. He finds them a great release. His favorite season is winter for the weather. He lives in Austin with his mother, father, three siblings, two dogs, and two birds. He wants to go to California for college to become a doctor because he likes money and helping others. He is super excited to write his first newspaper (but mostly to take photos) and hopes you enjoy reading it.

Janessa Deberry is full of energy and personality. You will never find her lacking enthusiasm for whatever it is she happens to be up to. For ezine she wrote about manga specifically the genres and different takes on them. Her hobbies and interests mainly consist of drawing and reading. She knows she wants to go to college, not sure where to yet. With some interesting things about her being that she likes chocolate ice cream and has a dog named Apollo and one named Bella. She was eager to get started and discover the potential of this class and hope that you enjoy her part in the magazine.

Inside the mind of a master wordsmith!

An indepth looks at the creative writing process of an author

By Skyyler Buckley

Writing a book is often seen as a romanticized endeavor. Many people dream of becoming an author, of sitting down at their desk with a cup of coffee and typing away until they’ve written a masterpiece. But the reality is much different. Writing a book takes discipline, persistence, and a lot of hard work. In this feature, we’ll explore what it takes to write a book.

The first step in writing a book is coming up with an idea. Some writers are inspired by a particular event, person, or experience in their own lives. Others might

be inspired by a news story, a historical event, or a work of art. Whatever the inspiration, the idea must be compelling enough to sustain the writer’s interest and capture potential readers’ attention.

Many authors go about multiple different ways of doing that. Ranging from a place to a special song, to a special place. All that is required is something that sparks something in you and hopefully sparks the imagination.

A horror story novelist by the name of Alane Ferguson has her own special chair in which she “finds her happy place”. She said

that “that chair has been with me all throughout my writing career. It has inspired my best sellers and award winning novels and now it is my safe space that I can always turn

Alane Ferguson

name of Alane Ferguson has her own special chair in which she “finds her happy place”. She said that “that chair has been with me all throughout my writing career. It has inspired my best sellers and award winning novels and now it is my safe space that I can always turn back to.”

While other authors seek inspiration in other ways. It changes based on what the author is writing or in what person they are writing in. Such as 1st, 3rd, or least commonly 2nd.

An author by the name of Ashley Bustimante who is a well known author in teen novels has been lucky enough to travel the world just looking for inspiration and finding information on an area. She has been through “ the wonders of the world.” This, according to her not only being the common ones but also, “ a quiet street on a busy day” or a “break from the city on a quant farm out in the middle of nowhere.” She just tends to enjoy the comings of being an author and a break from the habitual writing at a desk.

When experimenting with the POV of the book Kane Britt goes to others for help. He appreciates the input of others and often finds their alternative outlook on his book as “refreshing,” especially when he is in a writing block.

His mom Whitney is often his goto for helping with ideas and views. He said, “She has been my rock all throughout my writing career, and I don’t intend for that to change.”

Once the idea is in place, the writer must develop the story.

This involves creating an outline of the plot, including the major events and turning points. It also involves developing the characters, giving them backstories, personalities, and motivations to drive the story forward. This process can take weeks or even months, depending on the complexity of the story and the depth of the

“Reading a book may take you to another world, but writing a book is a world of it’s own.”

- Britt

With the outline and characters in place, the writer can start to write. This is where the real work begins. Writing a book is a long and often grueling process. The writer must be disciplined and persistent, showing up at their desk daily, even when they don’t feel like it. Many writers set a daily word count goal to keep themselves on track.

In addition to daily writing, the writer must also do research. Even if they’re writing a work of fiction, the details must be accurate and realistic. If they’re writing a historical novel, they must read books and articles on the time

period. If they’re writing about a profession they’re unfamiliar with, they’ll need to talk to experts in the field. Research can be timeconsuming, but it’s essential for creating a believable and engaging story.

As the writer writes, they must also be open to inspiration. Sometimes, the best ideas come when they’re not actively trying to think of them. Taking walks, listening to music, or doing something creative that is not related to the book can all help to spark ideas and keep the writer’s mind fresh.

Alane Ferguson has had the privilage to take many wild adventures to aid her creative and research process. This opportunity was aided by the fact that she writes books relating to murder and mystery.

She was lucky enough to go to all sorts of places. She went to a famous haunted hounted house to explore and get ideas. She used the set up supposed to feel like real to gain ideas. She also suited up and went to a morge to look at the dead bodies to help with details. “[She] still has ‘nightmares’” regarding what she saw there. Although she did say she, “would do it again in heartbeat.”

Once the first draft is complete, the writer must put it aside for a few weeks or even months, depending on their deadlines. During this time, they work on other projects or take a break altogether. When they come back to the draft, they read it with fresh eyes and make notes on what needs to be revised or rewritten.

Kane, a big soccer fan, tends to find that as his break. He said, “ I love that game for the spirit, not just the sport.” He played in high school, and the memories helped get his mind off of writing.

Rewriting is the most important part of the process. This is where the writer goes over every sentence, every word, and every punctuation mark, ensuring that it’s as clear and concise as possible. They also look for plot holes or inconsistencies and ensure their characters are fully developed.

Once the writer is satisfied with

This haunted house is one similar to the one Alane visted. She was taken on a guided tour helping to inspire her creativity and aid her in the research process.

a writing group, for feedback. This can be a nerve-wracking experience, but it’s essential for getting an outside perspective on the work. The writer can then take this feedback and make additional revisions.

Finally, the writer will send the manuscript off to a literary agent or publisher, hoping that it will be accepted for publication. This is a long and often frustrating process. Many writers receive multiple rejections before they find a publisher who is interested in their work.

Ashley after this long time working on books and having many hit books now has her own editor. She

is now basically family. She has seen enough books that have made it big to know about what to write and not writing. Knowing what has and hasn’t sold. She said, “Even though every book may have its person it might not always find them.” She said this referring to the ability of a book to reach the mainstream.

After all of this hopefully the book makes it big.

With all the work that is put in to hopefully entertain you for a good few hours of your life. The authors hope it is all worth it in the end

In conclusion, writing

a book takes time, effort, and dedication. It’s not a romanticized endeavor, but rather a grueling and often solitary pursuit. But for those who are passionate about storytelling, it’s worth the effort. Writing a book allows the writer to be free and make a world of their own. That others can love!

Thanks for reading, have a great day!

I hope you find inspiration or inspiration finds you.

George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

Photo by Laura Chouette

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, The man who never reads lives only one.”

with a blanket.

of the time on a special chair

go and read for hours, most

ly, that's where they would

to really enjoy it. Apparent -

place, the few that did seem

that most don't have a fire -

Around a fireplace: Given

to them.

like reading in a place so familiar

the Comfort And safety, they felt

enjoyed the school library due to

Ambiance provided. While others

local bookstore simply due to the

claim to enjoy reading at the

or a library local, or school. Some

selves at either a local bookstore

cation. Some people found them -

selves in a cozy, comfortable lo -

read but still seem to find them -

ventional approach to where they

also those who take the more con -

Library/Bookstore:

There are

comfortable.

This is what they found most

around to isolate themselves.

a special chair or curtains hung

they were concluding their reading

catch the sun coming down when

light to enjoy their book but could

before, so they still had enough

beach was at sunset or slightly

their favorite time to read at the

loved reading there. Apparently

Who Loved reading there really

read, given our location. Those

be the most convenient place to

take a drive to a national park or Inside Story | 14

state park.

though. When going out they might

enjoyed being more adventurous

in between some work. Some people

meal or a laptop so they could read

thing from a picnic to enjoy a nice

their book while others packed any -

ple brought nothing with them but

to sit and read as well. Some peo -

This was a fairly common place

local park to sit down and read.

session. a short walk down the block to their

a short

walk

a special chair or curtains hung Park: Some people just want to take down the block to their

pillows on the floor by their bed,

er this just be a collection of

their own reading nook. Wheth -

getting creative and making

reading. they found themselves

area in their house dedicated to

didn't tend to have their own

able aka-Their ”reading safe space”

where these people feel most comfort -

a pole and did some research about

for those who do like to read. I took

if they read at all. But in this case,

whether that be where they read or

so that they enjoy reading there the most?

common places people read, and why is it

into. Where are the most common or un -

do you like to read? So that’s what I looked

tion: what’s your favorite book? Or where

people at this school with the simple ques -

You can spark a conversation with most

Lasa is full of people that love to read!

Where do you choose to read?

Inside Story | 15

Read For And

A journey into the wide world of educational

By: Mary

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

Education Fun

educational stories one book at a time

Mary Sparks

Books. The window into another world. A world that gives you life, education, entertainment, joy, and love. Books come in all shapes and sizes, in all genres and themes. Books will always be by your side when you need help. Books will always educate you whether you realize it or not.

Most people hearing the word, educational books’ minds immediately go to classroom textbooks, but most books are educational no matter the story. They can teach you anything.

Kay Gooch is a retired elementary librarian from Gullett elementary school. Gooch spent countless years recommending books to young students and watching them learn from the stories. She knows about many different books that are educational and enjoyable to all students, “If you want a book on acceptance, you know, you’ve got a child who isn’t quite sure on the gender thing, there’s a ton of books out there that you can leave to say, there’s a book called Julian is a Mermaid, and it’s about a little boy who dresses like a mermaid. So there’s books for you. Even though they’re not factual, they could be used as lessons in an elementary, in a high school classroom.” Any fiction book has themes and the themes and morals of the book can lead to education. “They are historical and cultural and they have lots and lots of educational meaning behind them, but they are portrayed as books for fun. You know, so most fiction books they’re not written so that they feel like they’re educational, even though they have underlying tones,” Gooch stated. So despite what so many believe all books are educational in one way or another.

Besides books that have educational underlying themes there is also a world of books that are solely educational but still are interesting to read. Brian Anderson, a

A Stick and a stone can teach you about friendship. A ungrowing seed can show you to tell the truth. A dog making a bed can teach you math.

Photo by Meriç Daglı on Unsplash

Photo by nadi borodina on Unsplash

“Most books are educational no matter the story. They can teach you anything”

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

professor at the University of Texas Austin is the author of the Space Dictionary for Kids and the Zach Proton book series. Zach Proton is a comedy series about a kid in space searching for his lost ship. The Space Dictionary for Kids is a helpful book of space terms with added funny bits to entertain children. When asked about writing his educational book he observed that, “Writing non-fiction science is a lot easier because you have sources you can go to, and then there’s many sources, especially with the internet and the UT libraries, one of the biggest libraries in the world, and so biggest university libraries.”

Anderson wrote the book with the help of his daughter Amy Anderson who had studied astrophysics in a summer study at college. Anderson describes writing fiction is “like feeling around in the dark, looking for the best story, but you never know when you found the best. Some people say that a novel or a screenplay or something like that is never finished. It’s just abandoned. Just at some point you have to say, this is it and stop revising.” Compared to a fully educational book it is much harder to end.

In between the educational undertones and fully educational there is educational fiction. An amazing example of this is the Kate The Chemist books written by Kate Biberdorf. Biberdorf, like Anderson,

is a professor at UT. Biberdorf has written numerous books such as the Kate The Chemist series, two books of experiments, and one adult chemistry book. She says, “In high school I hated writing everything. I didn’t enjoy those classes at all. But this was fun because I like chemistry. And in the fiction series I could lie, we can’t do that ever. And I can make up stuff like this happens and this happens and it just happens.” After finally getting to write what she wanted Biberdorf has in total written eight books.

In books with educational purposes in mind well writing there are different methods to writing it then plain fiction books “a lot of what I was doing was taking information and kind of presenting it in a different,to make it more engaging to younger kids because when the publisher wanted the book, they said they want something from third to sixth grade, and I thought, well, there’s a lot of younger kids than that who are interested in science and a lot of older kids than that.” Anderson explains. With writing books for a wide variety of people you need to make it so everyone can understand. But you can talk and write differently for different groups of people. Biberdorf uses a very similar method to this when asked to talk at schools or other places. “With the people who have PhDs in the audience I can talk about the molecules and the energy. I can get really deep

Photo by Anna Jiménez Calaf on Unsplash

“There always has to be the prescribed books that you have to read and then there’s the reading for pleasure. And a lot of times you can sneak a lot of educational books in with the pleasure.”

into it. Kids have no idea what molecules are, right? And so you just explain the same thing by saying, oh, A plus B gives me C. And it’s the same idea, but it’s just how you talk about science.”

When writing one of these books also especially for children you have to pick and choose what to teach. Everyone only has so much room in their brain to learn without getting bored. “I tried to pick my most important terms and try to teach those. So for example, in this, The fiction series at the beginning of every single chapter. I have a chemistry definition at the top and it’s part of the story, but it’s like a goofy definition, so you’re not gonna hear any big words.” Biberdorf explained. Everyone, even adults will get bored at some point so it is good to have fun through the information.

With all types of educational books there are still mainly thoughts of those same old dusty textbooks sitting in the corner that everyone had to use at school. Even with being a librarian at an elementary school library Gooch still thinks of, “ early reader books and things like that. And you know, there always has to be the prescribed books that you have to read and then there’s the reading for pleasure. And a lot of times you can sneak a lot of educational books in with the pleasure.”

Books of all thicknesses. Books of fact and fiction. Books that are insightful, hilarious, gripping, and romantic. Scary, mystical, tragic, and comforting. Books that are for toddlers, adults, kids, tenagers, and elderly. All have hidden messages. All are educational.

Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

By: Mary Sparks

The Importance

Libraries are way

By: Janessa

Importance of Libraries way more than just books

Janessa Deberry

Credits of photo: Dariusz Sankowski dariuszsankowski

This is the childrens reading area at the Southeast Branch Austin Public Library.

The library saved her life.

Libraries and librarians are so much more than just books and being a librarian is a little more complicated than you probably think. Librarians are always trying to help the community succeed; they always hope for the best in us. Librarians are always working to help customers. If they don’t know what to do they will try to learn and

the next time you ask they might know a way to help you.

Alana Anthony, who is a library associate at the Austin Public Library said, “I had to think about [it because] librarians are separate, like that means you went and you got a degree and whatever. Right? a lot of people are like, you work at the library, you’re a librarian. It’s like, not technically.”

Libraries have different kinds of activities, new experiences, and of course it’s a place where you can relax.

“So it’s a place you can be and just be, there’s very few of those in the world… Like even if you go to Starbucks and you wanna just hang out and use the internet, they kind of expect you to buy a coffee. The library is one of the few places where you can come and just be a

Credits of photo: the southeast Austin Public Library

“The libary is a place where you can relax, read, and parcticapate in activites and events”

- Mary Sparks

have a skill in art, technology, teaching experience, and so on. But, of course, you need communication skills.

Alica Niwagaba is a youth librarian or a librarian at the Austin Public Library said, “[The] biggest skill is flexibility and also empathy.” Niwagaba also stated, “Being flexible because there’s always a million different things happening. And also empathy just because like, especially working with, older kids I feel like a lot of other places where kids go throughout their day, like when they’re at school, when they’re home. Not a lot of people like to listen to them, and they don’t get to do the things that they want to do. And it can just be really hard. Everyone’s always telling you want to do,”Anthony said, “So everybody’s a little bit different, and that’s one of the nice things about the library is that everybody’s skills can get used.”

house and everything.” The Lady responded.

“You’re doing it wrong. So I went, we both looked around and there was a little bit of sheet of paper and a signature. And I gave her that and she left Mad.” Rodriguez said.

“I wanted a law book.” the woman said furiously.

“You can’t study law in a couple days… that’s what you need. She came back about a week later and I saw her and since she left angry at me, I hid behind the door and she kept pointing and pointing and then she told Alana Anthony, which is my coworkers’ then [Alana Anthony] came over and told me, “You need to listen to this.”

And Rodriguez goes “I don’t want [to] listen to anything. She left mad.”

person. You can read a book, you can play on the computer, you can do whatever” Anthony stated.

Louis Rodreguiz is an administrative assistant for the Austin Public Library worded, “What I like best about the library is it equals out everybody.”

Libraries are very accepting of any particular skills. You don’t need a degree in Master of Library and Information Science. You could

Libraries can even save lives whether it be an animal or a human.

“I told you this story about that one lady. Who [was]..on the verge of losing her house and everything, and she came in all sad. She wanted to read a law book ... And I go, why you wanna read that?” Rodriguez said.

“So I can know to keep my

Anthony goes. “She was in a predicament [where] she was about to lose her house.” She goes,”Nobody in the entire Austin wanted to help her, and [you were] the only one that did.”

The lady responded “Thank you. Thank you for what you did. You saved my house, kept me from getting kicked out, and everything.”

At the library they were having their own version of santa. the Mexican version of santa.

Libraries are always trying to get what people need to help them succeed.

“I want everyone to be able to have access to [books and the resources the library provides] if they want to. And I want libraries to be empowered to go out into the community to offer people services that are important to us, and get people access to information and media materials, and ect.” Niwagaba commented “Help with the job portals, finding jobs, helping people write resumes, [and] helping people just in general.”Anthony responded.

The Southeast Branch Austin Public Library is open on Monday - Thursday (9am - 8pm), Friday (9am - 5pm), and Saturday (10am - 5pm).

Credits of photo: the southeast Austin Public Library

This is Miss Rachel who works at the Southeast Branch, Austin Public library

Credits of photo: the southeast Austin Public Library

Most popular generes of manga in LASA high school?

This page is about Manga and different percentages of manga liked in LASA High School. Plus other percentages in LASA related to manga.

How many people at LASA high school do or don’t like manga?

Timeline of Manga

When the word manga was more frenquently and when some type of manga generes where created

Manga is said to originate from emakimono ( scrolls)in 1200 & 1300 centuries.

1200 - 1300

The word manga became more common in 1920

1920

For girls shojo was created and for ladies redisu was created in the 1980

1960 - 1980

source: wikipedia

The word manga came into common usage in the late 18th century but was only referring to cartoons (Mangas are japanese cartoons)

1800

Manga was strongly shaped by americans through cultural influences.

1945 - 1952

Manga for male readers where created some examples are sport,action, and adventure and so much more

1981 - 1988

READING : ANYTIME, ANY PLACE

The Forbidden Pages

Why Banning Books Only Makes Them More Alluring

By: Peyton Phan

Every day, more books are being banned across public schools in the United States. Topics are being censored, information is stripped from children, and certain people are targeted! All because the content within a book’s pages is considered inappropriate for the young mind.

In 2022, 1,600 new books were added to the ever-growing list of banned titles across the country. These bans affected around 138 school districts across 32 states. Sadly, the number of banned titles continues to increase daily. Currently, Texas and Florida have the lead on the most banned books. In Duval County, Florida, 176 books were removed from libraries. Texas has 801 banned titles in 22 school districts and 174 titles have been banned twice from July 2021 through June 2022.

Recently, numerous state and government officials have been taking action in advocating for certain genres and titles to be removed from the shelves of school libraries. In Texas, former Republican legislator Matt Krause sent a list of approximately

850 books that mentioned race and sexuality to the state to be reviewed for removal from school libraries.

“I do not think that the government should have any say in book banning or what books are allowed because they don't know, because they're not in a library. They don't know, they don't have that knowledge of books like a professional does,” said Courtney Ewing.

Ewing is the librarian at Casis Elementary School in Austin, Texas. She taught second grade for eleven years before becoming the librarian. This is her fifth year of being a librarian. She has strong feelings about how books are being used within school libraries.

When thinking about banned books many peoples’ thoughts tend to skew towards the lawmakers involved in making these decisions and the communities that are affected by these decisions. However, the perspective of the authors of these banned books is not widely broadcasted nor shared. The importance of how authors are perceiving the news of their work being silenced is critical in fully understanding how much of an impact banning books has on our society.

Dashka Slater voiced, “[When my book got banned] I was disappointed and sad and frustrated and wished I could talk to

the people who were making these kinds of allegations about my book and explain to them how wrong they were. Even though people often say to you oh that’s great, you got a book banned, that's a badge of honor. It does not feel like that at all when it happens.”

Slater is a former reporter for the New York Times Magazine. She is the author of The 57 Bus, which won the Stonewall Book Award and was a YALSA nonfiction finalist. Some of her other works of fiction include The Book of Fatal Errors and Escargot. The 57 Bus is banned in a number of states and schools across the United States. “I think that lawmakers are the last people who should be making decisions about what people read,” Slater proclaimed. “I do think that there are extremely well-qualified people who decide what are good books to put in a library and they are called librarians.”

looked down upon due to their race, ethnicity, or sexuality being written within the pages of a book. Lawmakers and non-profit organizations who are advocating for the removal of these books are often seen as cruel and harsh for discriminating against people who do not look or think like them.

“[Banning books] is a way of communicating a message that some people are not worthy, not important to demonize queer people and people of color,” shared Slater. “That is very, very dangerous because we know from history, that banning books is usually only the first step and what comes afterward is horrifying. Nazis banned books then Nazis moved to eradicate people from the face of the Earth.”

Recently, there have been many alarming spikes in the types and genres of books that are being banned. Currently, in the United

States, the majority of books that are being removed from classroom and library shelves contain LGBTQIA+ and African American characters.

Slater stated, “40 percent of the books that are being banned are about LGBTQIA+ people or issues. 40 percent of the books that are being banned feature a primary or secondary character of color. It is no accident at all what books are being targeted and it is absolutely a trend.”

“Two of the biggest, are any books that have anything to do with the LGBTQIA plus community,” said Ewing. “The second biggest, I guess, are adult situations you could say. Things that, like adults might do that kids wouldn’t, so that could be, drug or alcohol use or physical contact.”

This is concerning because as books

containing these topics are being selectively banned from shelves, this is teaching young children that what is written in these books is wrong. Therefore, as they continue to grow up, they will not be able to think about these topics without a biased opinion.

As lawmakers target and advocate removing these topics from schools, many students are frustrated with how the government is choosing to erase these topics from classrooms. Parents are also becoming upset with how their children’s education is being handled. “Young people are absolutely capable, even if they ban every book in the library, information about all of these topics. It’s really available through the magic of the internet,” Slater commented.

The creation of the internet has allowed for many books to become available digitally. Even as lawmakers vote to remove physical books from shelves and classrooms, this does not guarantee the halt of students accessing and educating themselves on these deemed “inappropriate topics.”

Ewing shared, “There is so much that’s talked about just between

“[Banning books] is a way of communicating a message that some people are not worthy, not important to demonize queer people and people of color,” shared Slater.

Many books on a shelf in a library.

their children due to the amount of inappropriate information they contain.

“Not exposing children to mature, pornographic topics at an age where they are too young to be exposed to them will continue to keep everyone safe. I also think that parents should be the ones talking to their kids about these types of topics instead of them being out and available to kids who may not yet be exposed to them yet,” stated Stubbe.

actually keep kids safe. Instead, it will encourage students to find ways to learn about these topics. Many lawmakers have not thought about how their actions are not changing how the kids talk amongst themselves either.

Therefore, banning books is not a viable solution to prevent kids from learning, talking, or engaging in the “inappropriate” topics that are mentioned in books. Books are a way for children to learn and explore new worlds. This opportunity should not be stripped from them, no matter what topics they may contain within their pages. you and your friends more than anything that I would ever say. I feel like you guys are having conversations that aren’t in elementary books. You know, you’re having more grownup conversations then maybe you should be having, but that’s already happening even before you’re opening up a book.”

Catalina Stubbe is a member of the Moms for Liberty Group. This group is a conservative 501 nonprofit organization based out of Melbourne, Florida. They advocate for parental rights within schools. Stubble feels as though banning books from schools helps keep children safe from topics that they may not be ready to be exposed to at their age.

“I think that it is important that we are protecting our children to make sure that there are no books with pornographic images and other mature topics on the shelves in the classrooms where our children learn,” said Stubbe. With these specific genres of books being purposely removed from schools, some parents are satisfied to know that these types of books are not going to be available to

Even after removing and making these types of books unavailable for students to read, it might not

From the young and eager to learn to the old and wise, banning books has had significant effects on people of all age groups. All of them are left to wonder why has society chosen to take this approach. A staggered amount of protests have taken place across the United States. These protests are often targeting them and are trying to raise awareness among others so that they will understand how unfair banning books is. In the photo above, a crowd is gathered at a protest outside of the United States Secretary of Education office.

Slater stated that, “40 percent of the books that are being banned are about LGBTQIA+ people or issues. 40 percent of the books that are being banned feature a primary or secondary character of color.”

SHARE THIER OPINIONS ON

WHAT’S TRENDING STUDENTS

Over the course of years, the trends in the types of books students read have changed. Some of the popular genres over the years have been romance, mystery, and fantasy. In a poll of responses from students at LASA High School, here are the most popular genres of books, authors, and titles.

10.8% said that Mystery was their favorite genre of books.

23.7% said that Where The Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens was their favorite book.

42.1% said that The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas was their favorite book.

By: Peyton

said The Klune recent enjoyed.

18.9% of students at LASA said that they do not read or rarely read.

5.9% said that The Lord Of The Rings - JRR Tolkien

37.8% said that Fantasy their favorite books.

TRENDING IN ON BOOKS

Peyton Phan

literature?

11.8% said that Harry Potter - J.K Rowling was their favorite book series.

6.3% said that The House On The Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune was their most recent book that they enjoyed.

37.8% Fantasy was favorite genre of

23.7% said that The Seven Husbands Of Eveyln Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Ried was their favorite book.

37.8% of students at LASA said that they read sometimes.

43.2% of students at LASA said that they read all the time.

9.4% said that Brandon Sanderson was their favorite author.

Book Covers

The Testing

By- Mary InkHeart

By- Joelle Charbonneau

“Please,” she whispered opened the book, out of here just for please take me

by Cornelia Funke

Redesigned

Mary Sparks

InkHeart

whispered as she book, “please get me for an hour or so, me far, far away”

Sky Without Stars

By Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

Cover photos by: Via Da, Ioann-mark Kuznietsov, Eberhard Grossgasteiger

“A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at night and by moonlight.”

- Robertson Davis