Author: Alex Supko
Happy Birthday, Ellen Hopkins!
“Poetic provocateur”, as coined by the Wall Street Journal, Ellen Hopkins has sold nearly five million YA books written in verse that deal with dark issues like teen pregnancy and drug abuse. Despite being consistently challenged, banned and disinvited since Crank’s publication in 2004, teen readers can’t get enough of this birthday girl!
Happy Birthday, John Steinbeck!
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning American Author, best known for the literary classics The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and East of Eden. Born in Salinas, California, he lived to 66, passing away on December 20th, 1968 in New York City. His writings are taught in schools across the US, which have been challenged often.
‘P is for Palestine’: A NY Bookstore and a Synagogue
‘P is for Palestine’ is an Alphabet children’s book written by Dr. Golbarg Bashi and illustrated by Golrokh Nafisi. A local bookstore that helped publish the book was told to distance themselves from the publication and author or they would not be able to participate in a book fair.
Net Neutrality Update: The FCCs Restoring Internet Freedom Order and the Senate’s Joint Resolution
On January 4, 2017, the FCC issued an updated Declaratory Ruling of the Restoring Internet Freedom order, finalizing the changes the FCC would like to see done to it’s former Open Internet policy. While we wait to see how internet access might change under, one hurdle to the enactment of these policies might be the U.S. Congress.