Property of the Rebel Librarian, Allison Varnes
Property of the Rebel Librarian, Allison Varnes
List: $18.00 | Sale: $12.60
Club: $9.00

Property of the Rebel Librarian

Author: Allison Varnes

Narrator: Monika Felice Smith

Unabridged: 5 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/18/2018


Synopsis

Celebrate the freedom to read with this timely, empowering middle-grade debut about a girl who fights back against banned books in the spirit of The View from Saturday or Frindle.

When twelve-year-old June Harper's parents discover what they deem an inappropriate library book, they take strict parenting to a whole new level. And everything June loves about Dogwood Middle School unravels: librarian Ms. Bradshaw is suspended, an author appearance is canceled, the library is gutted, and all books on the premises must have administrative approval.

But June can't give up books . . . and she realizes she doesn't have to when she spies a Little Free Library on her walk to school. As the rules become stricter at school and at home, June keeps turning the pages of the banned books that continue to appear in the little library. It's a delicious secret . . . and one she can't keep to herself. June starts a banned book library of her own in an abandoned locker at school. The risks grow alongside her library's popularity, and a movement begins at Dogwood Middle--a movement that, if exposed, could destroy her. But if it's powerful enough, maybe it can save Ms. Bradshaw and all that she represents: the freedom to read.

Equal parts fun and empowering, this novel explores censorship, freedom of speech, and activism. For any kid who doesn't believe one person can effect change...and for all the kids who already know they can!

About The Author

Like librarian Ms. Bradshaw in Property of the Rebel Librarian, Allison Varnes has fought for her students. She taught English in special education for eight years and once had to convince administrators that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is not an endorsement of witchcraft. She's from a family of teachers and has a PhD in education from the University of Tennessee. And like heroine June, Allison is a former marching-band geek. When she's not writing, she howls along to the Hamilton soundtrack with a trio of Chihuahuas named after Peanuts characters. Find her on Twitter at @allisonvarnes or on Facebook at facebook.com/allisonvarnesauthor.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Karen on November 16, 2024

I first heard about this book in my Little Free Library Stewards group on Facebook. After all, its main character had a little free library. When I went to look for it at our library, it wasn’t available, but, it asked me if I would like to order it via Zipbooks? Well, since this was new to me, I sa......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on June 11, 2018

I had high hopes for this one. Sadly, I was rather disappointed. The premise was promising; June, a seventh-grade girl rebels when her both parents and the school she attends embark on a book censorship program. However, the degree of their censorship was so extreme as to not be believable. While I......more

Goodreads review by Becky on August 28, 2018

First sentence: You're going to read a lot about me and the things I've done. Most of it's true. I can't help that, not that I'd want to. I would do the exact same thing all over again if I had the chance. Premise/plot: June Harper loves, loves, loves to read, but when her parents catch her reading h......more

Goodreads review by Aeicha on September 13, 2018

When seventh-grader June Harper’s parents decide her latest reading material is too inappropriate for her, they cause a chain reaction of events, from the firing of June’s beloved librarian to the removal of almost all the books in the Dogwood Middle’s library, to the new strict rules regarding what......more


Quotes

“In our censorious times, that battle and the extremes through which [the story] is depicted are enough to keep the pages turning. [But] it is the choices that June makes about her own life that give this novel its solidity and meaning.”—The New York Times Book Review

“This debut novel tackles the issue of censorship in a humorous and engaging way. June is a worthy and winsome heroine who is sure to charm. . . . This funny and fast read could be used to fuel discussions about book banning, censorship in general, and activism.”—School Library Journal

“[Varnes’s] take . . . drives home important points about bureaucracy, oversight, and freedom.”—Booklist

“An accessible introduction to the importance of the freedom to read.”—Kirkus Reviews